Closing Awards Ceremony of the AIFF 5th Edition

Amman, 12 July 2024
The closing awards ceremony of the fifth edition of the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film was held yesterday evening at the Royal Film Commission – Jordan. The event was attended by Princess Rym Ali, President of the Festival, alongside Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, several Jordanian dignitaries, filmmakers, festival partners and guests.

Over nine days, the festival showcased 52 films from 28 countries, each presenting unique narratives that resonated deeply with audiences and critics alike. In addition to the four competitive sections, the festival featured two special programs: “Franco-Arab Rendez-Vous” and “Spotlight”. The screenings, often followed by insightful discussions with films representatives, provided a platform for storytelling that engaged and inspired participants. The Festival extended its outreach with a series of screenings in several governorates – Wadi Rum, Petra, Irbid and Zarqa – featuring 26 narrative and documentary films, feature-length and short. The “Amman Film Industry Days” hosted a series of professional activities including workshops, masterclasses, panels and pitching platforms for projects, fostering industry engagement and collaboration.

Demonstrating a commitment to environmental sustainability, the Festival continues its initiative to offset carbon emissions through tree planting. Since 2021, the Festival planted 1,633 native trees. This year’s contribution will see additional trees planted in Jordan and Palestine, specifically in Gaza.

During the closing ceremony, hosted by Jordanian artist and singer Zain Awad, featured the announcement of the winning films in three competitive categories for the prestigious Black Iris Award. Additional accolades included the Jury Awards, the Special Mentions, the Audience Awards and the FIPRESCI award, which was presented for the second consecutive year in the competition for Arab Feature Documentaries.

In her concluding remarks, Festival Director and Co-Founder Nada Doumani said: “The Festivals theme this year is about telling “Our stories, Our Narratives”, and we did exactly that;  when difficulties and hardships in life intensify, expressing oneself becomes a necessity. The Festival is not a celebration as much as an honouring of cinema as a means of expression. Share your story so it becomes our narrative, and let the Festival remain a platform and an incubator for every filmmaker who resists through art and affirms that culture flourishes even in difficult times.”

The Festival concluded with the screening of ” The Red Sea Makes Me Wanna Cry” by Jordanian director Faris AlRjoob, a film that participated in the Cannes Film Festival last year.


Awards List

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 Arab 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 Shorts Competition

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

International Films 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 Festival is made possible with the support of long-standing partners, among which: Jordan Tourism Board, The Royal Film Commission – Jordan, Abdali Investment and Development, Zain Jordan, Royal Jordanian, Edgo, SAE Institute, Ghiath & Nadia Sukhtian Foundation, Greater Amman Municipality, HUE, TAJ Cinemas, Jordan Kuwait Bank.

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

Download images of the winners:
– Arab Feature-Length Narrative Competition Black Iris Award: “Hounds” by Kamal Lazraq (Morocco)
– Arab Feature-Length Arab Documentary Competition Black Iris Award: “Q” by Jude Chehab (Lebanon)
– Arab Shorts Competition Black Iris Award: “Our Males and Females” by Ahmad Alyaseer (Jordan)
– Arab Shorts Competition Black Iris Award “The Woodland” by Firas Taybeh (Jordan)
– FIPRESCI Award – Arab Feature Documentary Film: “My Sweet Land” by Sareen Hairabedian (Jordan)