The winners of the pitching platforms announced at Amman Film Fest

Source: MIME on July 27, 2022

After six days of intensive workshops, panels and discussions, the Amman Film Industry Days (AFID), organized in the framework of the 3rd Amman International Film Festival (AIFF) concluded its activities. The winners of the pitching platforms for feature films were announced at a private ceremony held on Tuesday, July 26th at the Royal Film Commission – Jordan in the presence of the competing filmmakers, the jury members and a number of local and regional media outlets.

An independent jury selected nine film projects to receive cash and in-kind awards in the development and post-production categories, in addition to four projects receiving the “Amman Film Market” Awards, out of 18 Jordanian and Arab competing projects. The jury consisted of the renowned filmmaker Rashid Masharawi; the experienced film producer Myriam Sassine; the cultural consultant Mohamed Bendjebbour; the art historian and curator Reem Fadda; and the actress Rakeen Saad.

The importance of these awards lies in paving the way for the winning filmmakers to develop or complete their projects that are still in progress which has been a priority for AIFF since its inception. In the same context, the Festival created this year the Amman Film Market to offer filmmakers the opportunity to network with potential funders, partners and distributors. Over the course of four days, the competing filmmakers pitched their projects to the jury after undergoing a training to enable them to present films using professional tools.

Commenting on the winning projects and their high potential, the jury said in its collective statement: “The projects are beautiful, and we liked them, some of which are really of high quality and deserve support and all the love. We would have liked to support everyone, but the role of juries is to choose, which is always difficult. This forces us to set criteria for such a selection; the most important being the quality and seriousness of projects and the critical and unusual way of thinking that elevate our societies, our imaginations and our narratives. This Festival is a place for freedom and beautiful hard work, and we chose as a jury to move away from the ordinary, the direct and the overused (…) We hope to see these projects realized and take part in this wonderful Festival in its upcoming editions.”

The prizes were awarded as follows, thanks to valued partnerships with local and international institutions:

‍Development Category Awards: –  

The Royal Film Commission – Jordan:  US$ 5,000 cash award for an Arab film in development to Theft of Fire directed by Amer Shomaly & produced by Rashid Abdelhamid;

Hikmat Culture: US$ 5,000 cash award for Jordanian Awal Film in development to The Lift directed by Saleh Khataybeh;

IEFTA: US$ 5,000 cash award for a film in development to Aysha Can’t Fly Away Anymore directed by Morad Mostafa & produced by Sawsan Yusuf;

Slate Film Services: Filming equipment rental of the value of $21,000 for a Jordanian film to Detour directed by Mooney Abu Samra & produced by Yanal Kassay;

Greener Screen: Greener Script integration and sustainable production best practice consultancy for the value of US$10,000 to The Seasons of Jannet directed by Mehdi Hmili & produced by Moufida Fedhila;

Malmo Arab Film Festival: Invitation to attend MAFF Industry Days 2023 for Jordanian Awal Film in development to Detour directed by Mooney Abu Samra & produced by Yanal Kassay;

Luxor African Film Festival: A seat for a female filmmaker to participate at The Factory 2023 to Detour directed by Mooney Abu Samra & produced by Yanal Kassay;

DOXBOX: A three-day consultancy at DOX GARAGE for a documentary project in development to 50m directed by Yomna Khattab & produced by Ahmad Amer.

Post-Production Category Awards: ‍

Nation Productions: US$ 5,000 cash award for a film in post-production to Bye Bye Tiberias directed by Lina Soualem & produced by Jean Marie Nizan;

SAE Institute Amman: post-production to be used at SAE post-production facilities for the value of US$ 21,000 to Harvest Moon directed by Rama Ayasra & produced by Mariam Salim and Asmahan Bkerat;

Creative Media Solutions: Film branding services for the value of US$ 10,000 to Swinging Fields directed by Sareen Hairabedian & produced by Azza Hourani;

Rum Pictures: Post-production services for the value of US$ 10,000 to Swinging Fields directed by Sareen Hairabedian & produced by Azza Hourani;

SWISH Audio House: Post-production sound services for the value of US$ 11,000 to Swinging Fields directed by Sareen Hairabedian & produced by Azza Hourani;

FilmLab Palestine: In-kind colouring services for a documentary film in post-production for the value of US$ 15,000 to Bye Bye Tiberias directed by Lina Soualem & produced by Jean Marie Nizan.

The Amman Film Market Awards: ‍

The Cell: In-kind coloring services, or full promotion package, or DCP for a film in post-production for the value of US$ 10,000 to Aysha Can’t Fly Away Anymore directed by Morad Mostafa & produced by Sawsan Yusuf;

MAD Solutions: Minimum guarantee in exchange for the distribution and sales rights in the Arab world for the value of US$ 10,000 to The Evening Tree directed & produced by Adel Bakri;

MAD Solutions: Minimum guarantee in exchange for the distribution and sales rights in the Arab world for the value of US$ 10,000 to Final Training directed by Yassine Fannane & produced by Kawtar Tazrotui;

ART: Cash award for a narrative project in development for the value of US$ 10,000 to Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner directed by Mohamed Samir & produced by Marwa Abdalla.

It is worth noting that AFID presented this year a rich program, which included 13 panel sessions and six workshops with film experts and professionals tackling various topics in the arts of filmmaking on the local, regional and international levels.