The Amman International Film Festival has returned for the third time — but Jordan’s premier cinematic event is still all about firsts.
Debut films by Arab and international talents make up the core of the festival’s programming. This has been a focus and a distinctive characteristic of the event since its inception in 2020. However, as the festival emerges from the challenges of the pandemic, it breaks free from the restrictions that hampered previous years to deliver a charged and bustling programme.
It started on Wednesday and runs until July 27; the festival will be screening 49 films, most of which are led by first-time directors. The programme includes recent international festival favourites such as Darin J Sallam’s Farha and Al Hadi Ulad-Mohand’s Life Suits Me Well, alongside a range of fresh documentary and narrative titles.
The festival launched with a ceremony at Al-Hussein Cultural Centre in Ras Al Ain. More than 100 filmmakers, actors, producers and industry professionals from around the region flew in for the event. Stars on the red carpet included Lebanese actor and writer George Khabbaz, Tunisian actor Dhafer L’Abidine, Jordanian actress Saba Mubarak, AlRawabi School for Girls stars Noor Taher and Rakeen Saad and Lebanese actress Carmen Lebbos. Prince Ali bin Al Hussein and his wife, Princess Rym al-Ali, the festival’s president, were also present.
“Third time lucky they say,” Princess Rym said in her opening speech. “We are indeed very fortunate to have received the immense support that has made this festival not only exist but also grow.”
“This year’s films are diverse and tackle different topics, I will not go into their details, but I would like to refer here to a saying by the famous French-Swiss filmmaker Jean-Luc Godord: ‘Every film is the result of the society that produced it.’ During the seven days of the festival, we will witness a confirmation of this saying especially through the eyes of the Arab filmmakers. May the festival begin!”
The festival opened with Peace by Chocolate. The debut feature of Canadian filmmaker Jonathan Keijser, the film tells the story of a Syrian refugee in a small Canadian town who is caught between his desire to pursue a medical career and his chocolatier father’s expectation to help in the family business.
The film stars the late Syrian director and actor Hatem Ali in one of his final performances.
While the opening film screened at Al-Hussein Cultural Centre, the rest of the films in the festival’s program will be showing at three locations: the open-air theatre at the Royal Film Commission — Jordan in Jabal Amman, as well as Taj Cinemas in Abdoun and Drive-in Cinema in the Abdali District, specially built for the festival. Most screenings are followed by a discussion with the filmmakers.
For the second consecutive year, the festival is hosting the special non-competitive section Franco-Arab Rendez-Vous. Four French-Arab co-productions will be screening as part of the festival, including Bonne Mere, The River, You Resemble Me, and Mariner of the Mountains.
The festival will also host the renowned Egyptian director Yousry Nasrallah in the First and Latest segment, highlighting his journey from his debut film Summer Thefts to his most recent works.
The Amman Film Industry Days launched in tandem with the festival, presenting a series of workshops, seminars and discussions with directors and film professionals. The segment also provides three pitching platforms for Jordanian and Arab projects in development or post-production. An independent jury will select the winning projects to receive cash and in-kind awards. The winners will be announced in a ceremony on July 26.
The festival will conclude with the Black Iris Awards ceremony. Three juries, made up of international film experts, will select the winning titles in categories including Arab feature-length narrative, Arab feature-length documentary and Arab short narrative.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
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Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
THREE
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Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
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- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
