Third edition of Amman Int’l Film Festival to begin from July 20

AMMAN  — Filled with new possibilities and impressions, the Amman International Film Festival — Awal Film (AIFF) chooses “First Film, First Love” as its dominant and artistic theme for its third edition.

“Our festival is not interested in glamour or red carpet events, although they will be part of the experience this year. We hope people in Amman will take full advantage of the remarkable content we will be offering,” AIFF Director and Co-Founder Nada Doumani told The Jordan Times on Monday.

Returning to the Kingdom for the third time, the AIFF will take place between July 20 and 27, focusing on the festival’s love for first-time achievements in cinema.

The AIFF dedicates its screens to first-time directors, actors, screenwriters and editors, with four competitive categories that give distinctive awards. The winners in each category receive The Black Iris trophy, a testament to the Kingdom’s national flower, in addition to monetary awards, according to the AIFF.

This year’s theme carries a message of “freshness and renewal”, according to an AIFF statement sent to The Jordan Times on Monday. 

It noted that Mohammed Abd El Hadi, the festival’s Art Director reflected “the restored connection and proximity amongst people, while linking first achievements in filmmaking to falling in love again.”

Talking about the AIFF, Doumani said that the focus is on having a specific niche; first-time achievements, which is “quite unique in the region”, also pointing out that the idea is not to compete with other festivals.

Doumani said that the festival “strongly believes in the power of cinema, in its values of diversity, inclusion and free expression; as well as in its capacity to open-up viewers to new worlds”.

The Amman Film Industry Days (AFID) — the industry arm of the festival, will take place during the same period, hosting masterclasses and workshops. The AFID encompasses three pitching platforms: Two for projects in-development, and one for films in post-production; grantees will receive in-kind and cash awards.

The festival will utilise its previous venues, with screenings taking place in three popular districts in Amman. The venues include TAJ Cinemas in Abdoun, the open-air theatre at The Royal Film Commission (RFC) in Jabal Amman and the state-of-the-art Drive-in Cinema in The Abdali District, said an AIFF statement.