Awards

 

THE AWARDS OF AMMAN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL


In recognition of the winning films, the AIFF sought to find a symbol which best represents its country, thus the Festival reached out to Jordan’s leading artist, Mohanna Durra. In 2019, and in preparation of the first edition of the AIFF, Durra designed the 15-centimetre tall, bronze trophy: The Black Iris, Durra was inspired by Jordan’s national flower, better known for its balance between delicacy and resilience, as well as its unique colours. No icon was considered more appropriate to indicate and symbolise the challenges of filmmakers in their first projects.

The Black Iris is amongst the last known works of Mohanna Durra, he passed away peacefully in the winter of 2021, after the first edition of the Festival. To learn more about Mohanna Durra and The Black Iris click here.

There are many distinct awards presented on the closing night of the Amman International Film Festival:

  • The Black Iris for Best Arab Feature-Length Narrative Film (15,000 USD)
    • Jury Award - Arab Feature-Length Narrative Film (5,000 USD)
  • The Black Iris for Best Arab Feature-Length Documentary Film (10,000 USD)
    • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Jury Award - Arab Feature-Length Documentary Film (5,000 USD)
  • The Black Iris for Best Arab Short Film (4,000 USD)
    • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Jury Award - Arab Short Film (1,000 USD)
  • The Black Iris for Best International Film (5,000 USD)

Likewise, the jurors may decide to grant a Special Mention to:

  • Best First-time Lead Actor (Arab Feature-Length Narrative Competition)
  • Best First-time Lead Actress (Arab Feature-Length Narrative Competition)
  • Best First-time Feature Narrative Scriptwriter (Arab Feature-Length Narrative Competition)
  • Best First-time Feature Documentary Editor (Arab Feature-Length Documentary Competition)
  • Arab Short Film Director

It’s worth mentioning that The Black Iris for Best International Film is awarded by the audience of the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film through a voting system.

To learn more about the sections of the Festival and the criteria for selection of the films, click here, for the Arab Competition, and here for the International Section.

 

THE BLACK IRISES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS:

2024

Arab Feature-Length Narrative Competition

  • Black Iris Award:“Hounds”, by Kamal Lazraq (Morocco) – 15,000 USD
  • Jury Award:“The Burdened”, by Amr Gamal (Yemen) – 5,000 USD
  • Special Mention – Best First-Time Lead Actor:Abdellatif Masstouri in “Hounds” (Morocco)
  • Special Mention – Best First-Time Lead Actress:Abeer Mohamed in “The Burdened” (Yemen)
  • Audience Award:“Inshallah a Boy”, by Amjad Al Rasheed (Jordan)

Arab Feature-Length Documentary Competition

  • Black Iris Award: “Q”, by Jude Chehab (Lebanon) – 10,000 USD
  • Jury Award: “My Sweet Land”, by Sareen Hairabedian (Jordan) – 5,000 USD
  • Special Mention – First-Time Editor: Fahd Ahmed for “Q” (Lebanon)
  • Audience Award: “My Sweet Land”, by Sareen Hairabedian (Jordan) 

Arab Short Film Competition

  • Black Iris Award: “Our Males and Females”, by Ahmad Al-Yaseer (Jordan) and “The Woodland”,  by Firas Taybeh (Jordan) – 4,000 USD.
  • Jury Award: “Canary in a Coal Mine”, by Dwan Kaoukji (Lebanon)
  • Audience Award: “SUKOUN (Amplified)”, by Dina Naser (Jordan) – 1,000 USD

International Film Competition

  • Black Iris - Audience Award: “The Strangers’ Case”, by Brandt Andersen (USA) – 5,000 USD

FIPRESCI

  • FIPRESCI Award - Arab Feature Documentary Film: “My Sweet Land”, by Sareen Hairabedian (Jordan)

THE BLACK IRISES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS:

2023

Feature-Length Arab Narrative 

  • Black Iris for Best Feature-Length Arab Narrative  to “Ashkal” (Tunisia), directed by Youssef Chebbi. In addition to the Black Iris trophy in bronze, Chebbi received 15,000 USD. 
  • Jury Award for Feature-Length Arab Narrative  to “Hanging Gardens” (Iraq), directed by Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji. Al Daradji received 5,000 USD. 
  • Special Mention for First-time Scriptwriter to Adila Bendimerad for “The Last Queen” (Algeria). 
  • Special Mention for First-time Lead Actress to Rana Khattab for her role in “Rat Hole” (Egypt). 
  • Special Mention for First-time Lead Actress to Marilyne Naaman for her role in “Mother Valley” (Lebanon).

Feature-Length Arab Documentary 

  • Black Iris for Best Feature-Length Arab Documentary  to “Fragments from Heaven” (Morocco), directed by Adnane Baraka. In addition to the Black Iris Trophy in bronze, Baraka received 10,000 USD. 
  •  Jury Award for Feature-Length Arab Documentary  to “Lyd” (Palestine), directed by Rami Younes and Sarah Ema Friedland. Younes and Friedland received 5,000 USD. 
  • Special Mention for First-time Editor to Zakaria Jaber for “Anxious in Beirut” (Lebanon).

Short Arab Film 

  •  Black Iris for Best Short Arab Film was awarded to “My Girlfriend”, directed by Kawther Younes. In addition to the Black Iris trophy, Younes received 4,000 USD. 
  • Jury Award for Short Arab Film  to “Hamza: Chasing the Ghost, Chasing Me” (Palestine), directed by Ward Kayyal. Kayyal received 500 USD. 
  • Jury Award for Short Arab Film  to “Trinou” (Tunisia), directed by Nejib Kthiri. Kthiri received 500  USD.

International Film (Audience Award) 

  • Black Iris for Best International Film  awarded by the audience to “Hafreiat” (Spain) directed by Alex Sardà. In addition to the Black Iris trophy in bronze, Sardà received 5,000 USD. 

FIPRESCI Prize for Feature-Length Arab Documentary 

  • FIPRESCI prize to “Lyd” (Palestine) by Rami Younes and Sarah Ema Friedland. 

2022

 

The Black Iris for Best Feature Arab Narrative was awarded to Soula (Algeria), directed by Salah Issaad. In addition to the Black Iris Trophy, Issaad received 20,000 USD.

A Special Mention was awarded to The Gravedigger’s Wife (Somalia) by Khadar Ahmed.

The Black Iris for Best Feature Length Arab Documentary was awarded to Little Palestine: Diary of a Siege | Yarmouk: Journal d'un Assiégé (Palestine), directed by Abdallah Khatib. In addition to the Black Iris Trophy, Khatib received 15,000 USD.

A Special Mention was awarded to Take Me to the Cinema (Iraq) by Albaqer Jafeer.

A Special Mention for first-time editor Myriam Geagea for her work in The Blue Inmates (Lebanon) directed by Zeina Daccache.

In 2022 The Black Iris for Best Short Arab Film was awarded to My Mother’s Voice | La Voix de ma Mère, directed by Mourad Hamla. In addition to the Black Iris Trophy, Hamla received 5,000 USD.

A Special Mention was awarded to The Mission (Jordan), directed by Mohammad Dabbas.

The Black Iris for Best International Film was awarded to The Crossing | La Traversée (France) by Florence Miailhe. In addition to the trophy, Miailhe was awarded 5,000 USD.

2021

 

The Black Iris for Best Feature Arab Narrative was awarded to Honey Cigar | Cigare au Miel (Algeria), directed by Kamir Aïnouz. In addition to the Black Iris Trophy, Aïnouz received 20,000 USD.

A Special Mention was awarded to The Skies of Lebanon | Sous Le Ciel d'Alice (Lebanon), directed by Chloé Mazlo.

The Black Iris for Best Feature Length Arab Documentary was awarded to Their Algeria | Leur Algérie (Algeria), directed by Lina Soualem. In addition to the Black Iris Trophy, Soualem received 15,000 USD.

A Special Mention was awarded to On the Fence (Egypt), directed by Nesrine Elzayat.

The Black Iris for Best Short Arab Film was awarded to The Other Cheek, directed by Sandro Canaan. In addition to the Black Iris Trophy, Canaan received 5,000 USD.

A Special Mention was awarded to Aïcha (Morocco) by Zakaria Nouri.

The Black Iris for Best International Film was awarded to Fire in the Mountains | पहाड़ों में आग (India) by Ajitpal Singh. In addition to the trophy, Singh was awarded 5,000 USD.

2020

 

The Black Iris for Best Feature Arab Narrative was awarded to You Will Die at Twenty (Sudan), directed by Amjad Abu Alala. In addition to the Black Iris Trophy, Abu Alala received 20,000 USD.

A Special Mention was awarded to Last Visit (Saudi Arabia), directed by Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan.

The Black Iris for Best Feature-Length Arab Documentary was awarded to Ibrahim: A Fate to Define, directed by Lina Alabed. In addition to the Black Iris Trophy, Alabed received 15,000 USD.

A Special Mention was awarded to The Profession (Egypt), directed by Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan.

The Black Iris for Best Short Arab Film was awarded to Huda, directed by May Al-Ghouti. In addition to the Black Iris Trophy, Ghouti received 5,000 USD.

A Special Mention was awarded to Soul Return (Iraq), directed by Muhannad Al-Tayeb.

The Black Iris for Best International Film was awarded to Gaza (Ireland) by Garry Keane and Andrew McConnell. In addition to the trophy, Keane and McConnell were awarded 5,000 USD.