Opening of the Fifth Edition of Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film

Amman, 4 July 2024
The fifth edition of the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film kicked off last night, 3rd July 2024 at Al-Hussein Cultural Center in the heart of the Jordanian capital, Amman. This edition is themed “Our Stories, Our Narratives,” aiming to amplify our stories, support our narratives and bring the voices of Arab filmmakers to the world.
 
The event began with a moment of silence for the victims in Palestine. In her opening speech, Princess Rym Ali, the Founder and President of the festival, said: “Despite the ongoing suffering and massacres in Palestine, Sudan and other places, we have held on to the festival as a space to support cinema, as art is a life-sustaining system. We have canceled some symbolic traditions such as the red carpet and entertainment music.” She added: “Let us tell our stories to the world. There is no more important time than now to share our diverse stories as we witness the distortion of narratives and high disinformation.”

The opening was attended by Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, representing King Abdullah II, along with several official, governmental and diplomatic figures, as well as guests from Jordan and abroad, including directors, actors, film industry professionals, local and international journalists, jury members and festival sponsors.
 
The ceremony, hosted by artist Zein Awad and presenter Yazeed Abul Failat, introduced the members of the juries for films and projects. It featured the screening of a short film entitled “No,” part of a collection of 22 short films shot in Gaza in recent months amidst the ongoing war on the Strip. Produced by the renowned Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi, the anthology is entitled “From Ground Zero” and was showcased for the first time worldwide.  The short was followed by the feature-length documentary “Bye Bye Tiberias” by Lina Soualem, which tells the story of her mother, the renowned actress Hiam Abbass. This individual story reflects to a large extent a collective narrative, and the audience expressed its appreciation with enthusiastic applause.

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.