Mai Masri:

Mai Masri is a Palestinian filmmaker who was born in Amman. She founded Nour Productions with her late husband, Jean Chamoun, and directed and produced over 18 films, which were screened worldwide and won over 90 awards.

Masri is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is internationally known for her documentary work. Her solo directorial journey began with the film “Children of Fire” (1990) and continued to include films like “Hanan Ashrawi: Woman for Her Time” (1995), “Children of Shatila” (1998), “Frontiers of Dreams and Fears” (2001), “Beirut Diaries” (2006), “33 Days” (2007). Her latest film was released in 2021 “Beirut: Eye of the Storm”. Her debut feature film “3000 Nights” premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and represented Jordan at the Academy Awards for Foreign Language Film (2015).

Masri co-directed with her late husband filmmaker, Jean Chamoun : “Under the Rubble” (1983), “Wild Flowers” (1986), “War Generation – Beirut” (1988), “Suspended Dreams” (1992), and produced: “In the Shadows of the City” (2000), “Hostage of Time” (1994), “Women Beyond Borders” (2004), “Yearning of the Laurel” (2007), and “Lanterns of Memory” (2009).

FIRST AND LATEST, A TALK WITH MAI MASRI:

This non-competitive section presents an accomplished and renowned filmmaker, offering a closer look at their work and at how their filmmaking style has evolved over the years.

Mai Masri, an accomplished documentary filmmaker, is our guest for the fourth edition of the Amman International Film Festival (AIFF). Masri will take us on a journey starting with her very first experiences, visiting some of the films that influenced her cinematic language and ending with her latest production. The director will share her knowledge, expertise, and lessons learnt along the way, while analysing how challenges have helped her mature as a director.