Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film Unveils the Official Competitive Programme for its Seventh Edition

Amman, 29 June 2026 – Following the announcement of its out-of-competition sections in an earlier press release , the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film is proud to unveil the official programme for its seventh edition, taking place from 26 July to 3 August 2026.

Marking a new chapter in the festival’s journey and further expanding its international reach, this year’s edition presents a rich and diverse selection of 82 films from 27 countries, including 10 world premieres, two international premieres and five Arab premieres.

The official programme features a carefully curated selection of Arab feature narratives, Arab feature documentaries, and Arab short films, as well as non-Arab feature films chosen from some nine hundred submissions. Together, these works reflect a broad spectrum of artistic visions and cinematic approaches, offering the Jordanian audience the opportunity to discover exceptional films that may not otherwise reach local commercial cinemas.

Complementing the film programme is an extensive lineup of industry events and professional activities designed for filmmakers and film professionals. Throughout the Festival, directors, actors, producers, critics and international experts will gather in Amman, creating a unique platform for discussion on contemporary cinema while showcasing remarkable new voices from the Arab world and beyond.

Films are competing for the Black Iris Award, the Festival’s highest honor, accompanied by cash prizes across four competitive sections. The Festival will also present the award for Best Jordanian Short Film. Audiences will have the opportunity to engage with filmmakers during post-screening Q&A sessions following selected screenings and to vote for their favorite films through the Audience Award, presented in each competitive category.

Commenting on this year’s selection, Fadi Haddad, Head of Programming for Arab Feature Narratives and Arab Narrative Short Films, said: “This year brings together a remarkable number of films grappling with questions of belonging, identity, and the search for stability in an increasingly uncertain world. While the stories come from very different countries and contexts, what connects them is a shared commitment to exploring what it means to live, dream and create in times of profound transformation. Together, they reflect both the diversity and the resilience of contemporary Arab cinema.”
 

Arab Feature Narrative Competition

• A Sad and Beautiful World, directed by Cyril Aris – Lebanon.
• Behind the Palm Trees, directed by Meryem Benm’Barek – Morocco.
• Cotton Queen, directed by Suzannah Mirghani – Sudan.
• Complaint No. 713317, directed by Yasser Shafiey – Egypt.
• Roqia, directed by Yanis Koussim – Algeria.
• The President’s Cake, directed by Hasan Hadi – Iraq.
• The Settlement, directed by Mohamed Rashad – Egypt.
• Where the Wind Comes From, directed by Amel Guellaty – Tunisia.

Arab Short Film Competition

• 32B, directed by Mohamed Taher – Egypt.
• Aicha, directed by Sanaa El Alaoui – Morocco.
• All This Death, directed by Fadi Syriani – Lebanon.
• Alya, directed by Yara Melki – Lebanon.
• BIMO, directed by Oumnia Hanader – Algeria.
• Cleanse the streets, directed by Aysha Shahaltough – Jordan.
• Cone, directed by Mark Ayman – Egypt.
• Do not Pick Flowers, directed by Banan Hussein Elmanaseer – Jordan.
• I Owe You a Touch, directed by Marwan Elshafie – Egypt.
• I’m Glad You’re Dead Now, directed by Tawfeek Barhom – Palestine.
• Is it still me, directed by Joana Arida – Jordan.
• No Land in Sight, directed by Eiman Alkhalifa – Sudan.
• Passport wedding, directed by Abdallah Al-Ziyadi – Jordan.
• Salem Not Salem, directed by Omar Farooq – Bahrain.
• Salted Caramel, directed by Mustafa Khalaf – Iraq.
• Somewhere I Belong, directed by Youssef Handouse – Tunisia.
• The Last Miracle, directed by Abdelwahab Shawky – Egypt.
• The Light that Remains, directed by Youssef Guermazi – Tunisia.
• The Man Who Stumbled by His Words, directed by Mubarak Al-Zawb – Saudi Arabia.
• What If They Bomb Here Tonight? Directed by Samir Syriani – Lebanon.

Commenting on this year’s selection, Murad Abu Eisheh, Head of Programming for Arab Feature Documentaries and Non-Arab Feature Films, said: “This year, the Non-Arab Feature Competition and the Arab Feature Documentary Competition converge around a shared theme: the bonds that shape our existence, whether forged through family, love, friendship, or collective memory. Spanning diverse geographies, generations, and cinematic sensibilities, the selected films are united by a common question: how does individual life take shape under the weight of broader social and political forces without being uprooted from their shared humanity?”

Arab Feature Documentary Competition

• Anti Cinema, directed by Ali Saeed – Saudi Arabia.
• Birds of War, directed by Janay Boulos & Abd Alkader Habak – Lebanon, Syria.
• Do You Love Me, directed by Lana Daher – Lebanon.
• Flana, directed by Zahraa Ghandour – Iraq.
• Habibi Hussein, directed by Alex Bakri – Palestine.
• My Father and Qaddafi, directed by Jihan K. – Libya.
• The Other Side of the Sun, directed by Tawfik Sabouni – Syria.

Non-Arab Feature Competition

• A Fading Man, directed by Welf Reinhart – Germany.
• Laundry, directed by Zamo Mkhwanazi – South Africa.
• Lucky Lu, directed by Lloyd Lee Choi – Canada.
• My Father’s Shadow, directed by Akinola Davies Jr. – Nigeria.
• Our Secret, directed by Grace Passô – Brazil.
• Sleepless City, directed by Guillermo Galoe – Spain.
• We Believe You, directed by Charlotte Devillers & Arnaud Dufeys – Belgium.

The Festival is made possible with the support of its partners, among which: Jordan Tourism Board, The Royal Film Commission – Jordan, Abdali Investment and Development, Zain Jordan, Royal Jordanian, Ministry of Culture, Ghiath & Nadia Sukhtian Foundation, Greater Amman Municipality, Cozmo, FromSoda, TAJ Cinemas, Institut Français – Jordan. 

For all information visit our website, or email us at: info@aiff.jo or call us at +962792222011.