The theme of this year festival is 'Our Stories, Our Narratives.
The management of the Amman International Film Festival – First Film has unveiled the activities for its fifth edition, scheduled to take place from July 3 to 11. This year’s festival promises to be a global celebration of cinema, featuring 53 films from 28 countries.
This edition will present a diverse selection of films, complemented by various activities for cinema professionals. Audiences will have the chance to interact with directors, actors, international experts and producers.
The festival’s programme includes a mix of Arab and international feature films, documentaries, and Arab short films. These films have been selected from hundreds of entries to provide a unique cinematic experience. All films are premieres in Jordan, with some making their global debut.
The participating films will compete for the “Black Iris” award in four competitive categories: Best Arab Feature Film (seven films), Best Arab Feature Documentary Film (seven films), Best Arab Short Film (16 films) and the Audience Award for the best film in the “Non-Arab Films” section (seven films).
Screenings will be held at various venues, including Taj Cinema, the open-air theatre at the Royal Film Commission in Jordan, and the Rainbow Theater. To reach a broader audience, additional screenings will also be organised across various governorates in Jordan.
The Arab Feature Films category includes notable entries such as God Willing, a Boy, directed by Amjad Al-Rasheed – Jordan; I Miss You, directed by Tamer Rogli – Egypt; Beyond the Mountain, directed by Muhammad Bin Attia – Tunisia; and The Weary Ones directed by Amr Gamal – Yemen, among others.
The Arabic long-form documentary category features Beautiful, My Land, directed by Sarin Hayrabedian – Jordan; Hollywood Gate, directed by Ibrahim Nashaat – Egypt; Hiding Saddam Hussein directed by Halkut Mustafa – Iraq; No Other Land, directed by Basil Adra and Hamdan Bilal – Palestine; Wasila, directed by Rene Razouk – Lebanon; Q, directed by Joud Shehab – Lebanon; and Makan Al-Ruh, directed by Hamida Issa – Qatar.
Participants in the Arab short films category include Rolling, directed by Omar Al-Taher – Jordan; Bitter Sweetness directed by Zaher Samir Qasibati – Syria; Smokey Eyes directed by Ali Ali – Egypt; Bird Scout, directed by Dhawan Al-Qawuqji – Lebanon; Sukoon, directed by Dina Nasser – Jordan; In the Waiting Hall by Moatasem Taha – Palestine; and The Journey by Hania Bakhshwain – Saudi Arabia, among others.
