Moroccan films compete at the Amman Festival
Last night, the fifth edition of the “Amman International Film Festival – First Film” opened at the Al Hussein Cultural Center in the Jordanian capital, Amman, under the theme “Tell Me,” featuring several Moroccan films.
The opening ceremony showcased the short film “No,” part of the “Zero Distance” collection, and “Bye Bye Tiberias” directed by Lina Soualem.
Moroccan cinema is represented in the “Arab Feature Films” category with “Gangs” directed by Kamal Lazraq, “Animalia” directed by Sofia Alaoui, and “Behind the Scenes” directed by Moroccan Khalil Benkirane and Tunisian Afef Ben Mahmoud.
In the category of Arab short films, Moroccan director Ayman Hammou participates with the film “Pregnant, Sheep, and Crows.” In the “Meeting with French Arab Cinema” category, Moroccan directors Asmae El Moudir with “The White Lie,” Faouzi Bensaidi with “The Empty Quarter,” and Maamoun Rital Bennani with “Bye Bye Benz Benz” are featured.
According to the organizers, this year’s festival aims to enhance Arab stories and narratives, support national storytelling, and bring the voices of Arab filmmakers to the world.
During the festival, which runs till the 11th of this month, 50 films will compete in diverse categories: Arab feature films, short films, international movies, and documentaries.
The festival application consists of a mixture of Arab and worldwide feature-duration movies, documentaries, and Arab brief movies, competing for the “Black Iris” award throughout 4 categories. Three of those awards are decided by means of juries: Best Arab Feature Film (seven films), Best Arab Documentary (seven movies), and Best Arab Short Film (sixteen films). Additionally, an Audience Award might be given to the winning movie within the “Non-Arab Films” category (seven films).
Films might be screened at Taj Cinema, the open-air theater on the Royal Film Commission, and the Rainbow Theater, with extra screenings organized in numerous provinces of Jordan.
