Amman Int. Film Festival Navigates an Unscripted World
July 6, 2025
Amman, 8 July 2025 – Amman Film Industry Days (AFID), the professional and industry arm of Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF), hosted over six days a variety of activities including workshops, masterclasses, panels and pitching platforms for projects. At the Market, Filmmakers were engaged in one-on-one meetings with industry professionals, producers and financiers, presenting their projects for an opportunity to receive cash and in-kind awards.
Additionally, AFID organized sessions on web-series – The Spark Series – which is the first showcase of its kind in an Arab festival, offering creators a unique platform to present their work to industry professionals, distributors and an engaged audience.
This year, 18 projects from the Arab world were chosen to compete. A distinguished jury comprised of Dora Bouchoucha (Tunisian producer), Joseph Bitamba (Burundian filmmaker), Eduardo Guillot (Spanish journalist and film programmer) and Linda Mutawi (Jordanian producer) chose the winning projects to receive a range of cash and in-kind prizes made possible through the support of AFID’s partners.
At today’s Award ceremony, Festival director, Nada Doumani, stated: “The Festival’s pitching platforms and industry events are designed to support filmmakers. Our awards contribute to essential funding, helping stories reflect genuine community voices free from external pressures. Arab filmmakers must first be rooted in their region to later reach the world.” Bassam Alasad, Head of Amman Film Industry Days, added: “This year’s selection highlights intimate, character-driven stories of identity, memory and survival. Many explore a second coming-of-age, shaped by loss and displacement. Filmmakers use magical realism and emotional nuance to reveal inner worlds, challenging simplified views and affirming the complexity of Arab experiences.”
The Jury commented: “We really enjoyed reading, watching, and listening to a diverse selection of Jordanian and regional projects. There were a lot of strong projects, and we had to make some hard decisions. Having said, that we really want to encourage all of the filmmakers to continue developing and presenting your projects because there was great potential in what we saw in those two days.”
Development Awards:
- The Orange Grove (Jordan, Canada) – Directed by Murad Abu Eisheh and produced by Rula Nasser, Veronika Molnar and Roger Frapper
Won The Royal Film Commission – 7,000$ cash award for a project in development – Awal Film
- The Masters of Magic and Beauty (Egypt) – Directed by Jad Chahine and produced by Baho Bakhsh & Safei Eldin Mahmoud
Won The Royal Film Commission – 7,000$ cash award for Arab project in development
- Ping-Pong (Palestine) – Directed by Saleh Saadi and produced by May Jabareen
Won Masna3 – 2,500$ cash award and 2,500$ in-kind consultation award for a project in development
- The Last Mayor of Jerusalem (Jordan, UK) – Directed by Kinda Kurdi and produced by Kinda Kurdi & Brian Hill
Won Slate – In-kind production services award for a Jordanian Awal Film project in development worth 25,000$
- Six 2 One (Jordan) – Directed by Tamir Naber and produced by Ghassan Salti
Won GNSF – 5,000$ cash award for a Jordanian project in Development – Awal Film
- From Temporary to Semi-Permanent (Jordan, Palestine) – Directed and produced by Bayan Abuta’ema
Won INQ – In-kind development support for a Jordanian first film project in development worth 3,800$
Post-Production Awards:
- Asphalt (Jordan) – Directed by Hamza Hamidah and produced by Mahmoud Massad
Won The Royal Film Commission – Jordan – 7,000$ cash award for a project in post-production
- You Don’t Die Two Times (Algeria, Tunisia, Germany, France) – Directed by Ager Oueslati and produced by Raouf Oueslati, Thomas Kaske & Dhia Jerbi.
Won IEFTA – 6,000 € cash award for an Arab project in post-production.
- Testosterone (Morocco) – Directed and produced by Ali Benchekroune & Mohamed Bakrim
Won Rum Pictures – In-kind Color Grading and DCP award for a project in post-production worth 10,000$
- All That The Wind Can Carry (Egypt, Qatar) – Directed by Maged Nader and produced by Tamer Elsaid & Maged Nader
Won Unison Studios – In-kind sound design and mixing award for a a project in post-production worth 15,000$
- Asphalt (Jordan) – Directed by Hamza Hamidah and produced by Mahmoud Massad
Won Creative Media Solutions (CMS) – In-kind packaging services award for a project in post-production worth 7,000$
- Amal (Jordan, Syria) – Directed by Khaled Ahmad Al Swidan and produced by Lujain Hamdan
Won Documentary Association of Europe (DAE) – In-kind award for bespoke consultation sessions and two free memberships for one year for a documentary project in development or post-production.
Market Awards:
- The Masters of Magic and Beauty (Egypt) – Directed by Jad Chahine and Produced by Baho Bakhsh & Safei Eldin Mahmoud
Won Red Sea Fund $5,000 cash award for Jordanian first film project in development
- You Don’t Die Two Times (Algeria, Tunisia, Germany, France) – Directed by Ager Oueslati and produced by Raouf Oueslati, Thomas Kaske & Dhia Jerbi
Won Red Sea Fund $5,000 cash award for Jordanian first film project in post-production
- Like a Bird in The Sky (Egypt, Lebanon, Spain) – Directed by Amal Ramsis and produced by Amal Ramsis & Jana Wehbe
Won ART $10,000 cash award for a narrative project in development
- Alicante (Algeria, France, Spain) – Directed by Lina Soualem and produced by Omar El Kadi
Won Cairo International Film Festival – In-kind award for a project to participate in Cairo Film Connection 2025
- From Temporary to Semi-Permanent (Jordan, Palestine) – Directed and produced by Bayan Abuta’ema
Won Alexandra Viets – In-kind consultation award for a project in development
- From Temporary to Semi-Permanent (Jordan, Palestine) – Directed and produced by Bayan Abuta’ema
Won French Institute in Jordan – In-kind award for a Jordanian project to travel to France.
The Festival is made possible with the support of long-standing partners, among which: Jordan Tourism Board, The Royal Film Commission – Jordan, Abdali Investment and Development, Zain Jordan, Royal Jordanian, Edgo, Ghiath & Nadia Sukhtian Foundation, Greater Amman Municipality, HUE, TAJ Cinemas, Olivewood Studios, Institut Français – Jordan.
For all information visit our website www.aiff.jo or email us at: info@aiff.jo or call us at +962792222011.
