Jordan / The Royal Film Commission of Jordan has announced the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film

The festival is a response to the need to provide a showcase for emerging Arab and Jordanian film-makers, to highlight their work and show it to a wider public.

The Jordanian film industry is booming. With films such as Theeb, Best Director Award at the Venice Film Festival in 2014, and Blessed Benefit, winning an award at the Warsaw Film Festival, Jordanian cinema is gaining international recognition.

In addition to its own productions, Jordan has become a favorite location for foreign producers, who are attracted by the kingdom’s natural scenery, its historical heritage and its policies to make filming problem-free. Audiences round the world have discovered Jordanian landscapes through blockbusters like Star Wars and Indiana Jones, to name but two.

To complement this dynamic, the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film includes a distribution component. The event will have two sections. The first, competitive, is for films by Arab directors (features, short films and documentaries). The second gives audiences the opportunity to watch first films from around the world.

Professionals will not left out, with events focussing on the film industry, including master classes, discussions, pitching sessions and interviews with film-makers.

The call for films will be launched in July 2019.

The festival’s web-site: /