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The programme features Arab feature films, documentaries, short films, and international features selected from nearly 900 submissions.
The seventh edition of the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film will take place from 26 July to 3 August 2026, showcasing 82 films from 27 countries in what organisers describe as a significant step in the festival’s continued international expansion.
The 2026 programme includes 10 world premieres, two international premieres and five Arab premieres, reflecting a diverse selection of contemporary cinema from across the Arab world and beyond. Organisers said the official line-up was selected from around 900 submissions and features Arab narrative feature films, Arab documentary features, Arab short films and a competition dedicated to non-Arab feature films. The festival aims to introduce Jordanian audiences to critically acclaimed productions that may not otherwise receive commercial theatrical releases in the country.
Alongside the screenings, the festival will host an extensive programme of industry events and professional activities, bringing together directors, actors, producers, critics and international film experts. The programme is designed to foster dialogue on contemporary cinema while highlighting emerging filmmaking talent from the Arab region and internationally.
Competing films will vie for the festival’s Black Iris Award, with cash prizes presented across four competition categories. The festival will also honour the Best Jordanian Short Film, while audiences will have the opportunity to participate through post-screening question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers and vote for their favourite entries in each competition through the Audience Award.
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.”
The Arab Feature Narrative Competition includes A Sad and Beautiful World by Cyril Aris from Lebanon, Behind the Palm Trees by Meryem Benm’Barek from Morocco, Cotton Queen by Suzannah Mirghani from Sudan, Complaint No. 713317 by Yasser Shafiey from Egypt, Roqia by Yanis Koussim from Algeria, The President’s Cake by Hasan Hadi from Iraq, The Settlement by Mohamed Rashad from Egypt, and Where the Wind Comes From by Amel Guellaty from Tunisia.
The Arab Short Film Competition features 20 films from across the region, representing Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Algeria, Palestine, Sudan, Bahrain, Iraq, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia, highlighting a broad range of emerging cinematic voices.
Murad Abu Eisheh, Head of Programming for Arab Feature Documentaries and Non-Arab Feature Films, added: “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?”
The Arab Feature Documentary Competition includes Anti Cinema by Ali Saeed from Saudi Arabia, Birds of War by Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak from Lebanon and Syria, Do You Love Me by Lana Daher from Lebanon, Flana by Zahraa Ghandour from Iraq, Habibi Hussein by Alex Bakri from Palestine, My Father and Qaddafi by Jihan K. from Libya, and The Other Side of the Sun by Tawfik Sabouni from Syria.
The Non-Arab Feature Competition comprises A Fading Man by Welf Reinhart from Germany, Laundry by Zamo Mkhwanazi from South Africa, Lucky Lu by Lloyd Lee Choi from Canada, My Father’s Shadow by Akinola Davies Jr. from Nigeria, Our Secret by Grace Passô from Brazil, Sleepless City by Guillermo Galoe from Spain, and We Believe You by Charlotte Devillers and Arnaud Dufeys from Belgium.
With a programme spanning four competitive sections and a strong focus on both emerging and established filmmakers, the 2026 edition of the Amman International Film Festival aims to strengthen its position as one of the region’s leading platforms for Arab and international cinema.
Amman International Film Festival announces 2026 Competition line-up
