Amman Film Industry Days showcasing fresh projects from Cannes award-winners | Features | Screen
July 31, 2026
Amman, 1 August 2026 – The latest edition of the Amman Film Industry Days (AFID), the professional and industry arm of the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film, concluded after six days of specialised workshops, panel discussions and platforms dedicated to the promotion of film projects.
The selected projects received a range of cash and in-kind prizes, made possible through the support of the Festival’s partners, and following the decisions of a professional jury comprising Spanish director Avelina Prat, Egyptian filmmaker Ayman El Amir, Jordanian director Rand Beiruty, Kuwaiti producer Talal Al-Muhanna, and Tunisian director Mehdi Barsaoui.
Festival Director Nada Doumani said: “The future of Arab cinema will be defined by the audacity to tell authentic stories and by a community willing to stand behind them. We at the Amman International Film Festival are happy to contribute to that”.
Bassam Alasad, Head of Industry Development, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships, added: “Every project we celebrated this week began as an idea that someone chose to believe in. Our role at the Amman Film Industry Days is to create opportunities and build the relationships that allow these stories to exist. Congratulations to every filmmaker who trusted us with their journey”.
Jury Awards
The Jury evaluated 20 competing projects across three categories: five projects in development by first-time Jordanian directors, ten Arab projects in development and five Arab projects in post-production, awarding both cash and in-kind prizes in support of emerging Arab filmmaking talent. During the ceremony, the jury commented: “The jury encountered fresh perspectives, courageous choices and remarkable aesthetics, and we are grateful for the privilege to discover such outstanding projects”.
The awards were presented as follows:
1) Projects in development by first-time Jordanian directors:
- Hush, Hush, directed by Hayat Abu Samra, received a US$7,000 cash award presented by the Royal Film Commission – Jordan.
- Um Al Abed, directed by Hamza Hamideh, received a US$5,000 cash award presented by Amman International Film Festival.
- Hush, Hush, directed by Hayat Abu Samra, received an in-kind award for production services, presented by Slate Production Services.
2) Arab projects in development:
- Under Her Eye, directed by Amjad Al Rasheed from Jordan, received a US$7,000 cash award presented by the Royal Film Commission – Jordan.
- The Guardian, directed by Muhannad Lamin from Libya, received a US$7,000 cash award, presented by the Jordan Kuwait Bank.
- The Last Trip, directed by Ziad Kalthoum from Syria, received a US$5,000 cash award, presented by Olivewood.
- Dance with Me, directed by Leila Basma from Lebanon, received an in-kind award for one year of development support and consultation, presented by EKLAT.
- Remind Me to Forget, directed by Lama Jamjoom from Saudi Arabia, received an in-kind award for story consultation for a project in development or post-production, presented by the In Between Women Filmmakers Caravan.
3) Arab projects in post-production:
- After Three Years of Green, directed by Alayham Ali and Amr Al Sha’shou from Syria, received a US$7,000 cash award presented by the Royal Film Commission – Jordan.
- I Am Coming Imam, directed by Hassan Sabri from Iraq, received a €5,000 cash award presented by IEFTF.
- No Passports in Paradise, Directed by Mayar Hamdam and Shaima Al-Tamimi received an in-kind award for sound design and re-recording mixing, presented by Unison Studio.
- I Am Coming Imam, directed by Hassan Sabri from Iraq, received an in-kind award for colour grading and Digital Cinema Package (DCP) mastering, presented by Rum Pictures.
- After Three Years of Green, directed by Alayham Ali and Amr Al Sha’shou from Syria, received an in-kind award comprising consultation services and membership for a documentary project, presented by DAE.
Film Market Awards
As part of the Film Market, filmmakers participated in one-on-one meetings with leading industry experts, financiers and producers, presenting their projects to receive a variety of cash and in-kind awards selected directly by the participating funders.
The awards were presented as follows:
- The Last Trip, directed by Ziad Kalthoum from Syria, received a US$10,000 cash award for a fiction feature project in development, presented by ART.
- Between Two Houses, directed by Raya Shaban from Jordan, and Remind Me to Forget directed by Lama Jamjoom from Saudi Arabia received an in-kind award for screenwriting consultation for a project in development, presented by Alexandra Viets.
- Hush, Hush, directed by Hayat Abu Samra from Jordan, received an in-kind award for a Jordanian project in development to attend the Cinémed Festival, presented by the French Institute and the Cinémed Festival.
- Mina, directed by Marie-Rose Osta from Lebanon, received an in-kind award comprising a screenwriting residency in Tunisia and screenplay development consultation for a project in development, presented by Masnaa.
- I Am Coming Imam, directed by Hassan Sabri from Iraq, received an in-kind award for sound design and re-recording mixing for a project in post-production, presented by Acousmatics.
- Mina, directed by Marie-Rose Osta from Lebanon, and Close Rose, Close, directed by Rulan Hasan from Saudi Arabia/Jordan, received an in-kind award for screenplay consultation for a project in development, presented by Alluring Motion.
- After Three Years of Green, directed by Alayham Ali and Amr Al Sha’shou from Syria, and Between Two Houses, directed by Raya Shaban from Jordan, received an in-kind award comprising three consultation sessions for a project in post-production, presented by Wind Cinema.
For the first year, in partnership with the Royal Film Commission – Jordan, the Festival awarded a short Jordanian project in development a prize of JOD 5,000, after pitching in front of a jury comprising Marco Orsini, Tareq Abu-Lughod and Saja Kilani. The winning project is The Wrist Tie by Marah Suhaib.
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.
Media Partners: Jordan Radio & Television Corporation; Al Mamlaka, Roya Media Group; Radio Hala; Bliss 104.3; Mazaj FM; Play 99.5; Pikasso Jordan; 7Hills.
For all information visit our website, or email us at: info@aiff.jo or call us at +962792222011.
