The Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film has announced the official program for its sixth edition, set to take place from July 2 to 10, 2025, in the Jordanian capital under the theme “A World Beyond the Text.” The festival continues to highlight bold cinematic voices and diverse artistic experiments from across the Arab world and beyond, with a core mission of supporting first-time filmmakers.
اضافة اعلان
This year’s edition will showcase over 60 films representing 23 countries, screened at venues including Taj Cinemas, the Royal Film Commission, and Rainbow Theater, with special showings across several governorates in Jordan. Among the selections are 23 Arab premieres, including 16 world premieres, and a dedicated spotlight on films from Gaza, offering a platform for stories rooted in lived hardship and resilience.
Jordanian Participation: 10 Films Across Competitions
Jordan is strongly represented with 10 films spread across different sections of the festival.
Arab Feature Film Competition
"Simsim" by Sondos Samirat leads the Jordanian entries in this category. It screens alongside regional works such as:
"In Search of an Exit for Mr. Rambo" by Khaled Mansour (Egypt)
"The Red Offspring" by Lotfi Achour (Tunisia)
"To an Unknown World" by Mahdi Fleifel (Palestine)
"Adam’s Hymns" by Uday Rashid (Iraq)
"196 Meters" by Chékib Taleb Ben Diab (Algeria)
"A Village Near Paradise" by Mo Harawe (Somalia)
"Spring Arrived Laughing" by Noha Adel (Egypt)
"Aya" by Maya Ajmiya Itha Zlama (Tunisia)
"Thank You for Dreaming with Us" by Leila Abbas (Palestine)
Arab Feature Documentary Competition
Two Jordanian documentaries are in the lineup:
"Mother of Schools" by Abdullah Issa
"Tell Them About Us" by Rand Beiruty
Other participating documentaries include:
"Abu Zaabal 89" (Egypt)
"We Are Inside" (Lebanon)
"Temptation Between the Eyebrows" (Lebanon)
"Timeout 22" (Syria)
"Your Mother, My Mother" (Morocco)
Arab Short Film Competition
Jordan stands out with five short films:
"White Dwarf" by Osaid Mousa Muqaddadi
"Sin" by Hassan Hussein Muqaddadi
"Embrace of the Unknown" by Ghalia Khaled Haddad
"A View from the Outside" by Tara Al-Khas
"No Body, No One" by Muslim Hadeeb
These will screen alongside short films from across the Arab world, including:
"Are You a Rabbit?" (Egypt)
"Sheikha" (Morocco)
"A Place Drenched in Detail" (Syria)
"Infernal" (Sudan)
"Casting" (Tunisia)
"Mango" (Egypt)
"Passing Day" (Egypt/Syria)
"Last Days of Summer" (Lebanon)
"The Ring" (Egypt)
"Rouge" (Saudi Arabia)
"Yes and Amen" (Kuwait)
"Half a Journey" (Saudi Arabia)
"Behind Closed Curtains" (Morocco)
"Talisman" (Iraq)
International Films Section
Films from around the world include:
"Happy Ending" (Japan)
"Armand" (Norway)
"Dog on Trial" (Switzerland)
"Aisha's Story" (Canada)
"All We Imagine as Light" (India)
"A Familiar Touch" (USA)
"Tales from a Magical Garden" (Czech Republic/Slovakia/France)
Out-of-Competition Screenings
Jordan also contributes two out-of-competition titles:
"Ahaazeej" by Mai Al-Ghouti
"The 8 O’Clock Play" by Mohammad Hushki
Other featured works include:
"Under My Mother’s Roof" (Lebanon)
"UNRWA: 75 Years of Temporary History" (Switzerland)
Palestinian Cinema Highlight
The festival showcases several films from or about Gaza and Palestine, including:
"Yalla Parkour" by Areen Zaatari
"The Mission" (multiple Gaza-based directors)
"Gaza’s Clown" by Abdul Rahman Sabah
"Very Small Dreams" by Etemad Wishah
"Hasan" by Mohammad Al-Sharif
"The Wish" by Os Al-Banna
"Colors Under the Sky" by Reema Mahmoud
"After" by Maha Haj
"Masara Cinema" (Egypt) by Stephanie Amin
A Platform for Cinematic Diversity
With its sixth edition, the Amman International Film Festival reaffirms its role as a vital platform for cinematic expression from Jordan and the wider region, embracing artistic diversity and storytelling from across cultural and national boundaries.
