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Amman Int'l Film Festival opens with message of cultural resilience
One of the highlights of this year's program is 'Ground Zero+', a collection of five short documentaries filmed in Gaza amid the ongoing war.
The sixth edition of the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF) kicked off in the presence of Princess Rym Ali, its President and co-Founder. It was also attended by Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein as well as a large audience including officials, A-list professionals, film lovers from Jordan, the region and beyond, all united by a shared passion for conveying cultural resilience through the art of motion picture.
The sixth edition of the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF) has officially opened in Jordan, gathering an audience of officials, film professionals and cinema enthusiasts from across the region and the world. Princess Rym Ali, the Festival's President and co-founder, presided over the ceremony alongside Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, highlighting the event's growing significance as a platform for cultural expression and artistic solidarity.
Running from 2 to 10 July 2025, this year's festival is dedicated to celebrating first-time achievements in filmmaking, reinforcing its mission to nurture emerging talent and amplify original cinematic voices. The programme features 62 Arab and international films, many making their world premieres and others having garnered acclaim at major festivals abroad. All the films are being screened in Jordan for the first time.
The theme for this edition, 'A World Unscripted,' reflects a commitment to breaking away from conventional narrative frameworks, allowing filmmakers—especially those at the start of their careers—to present authentic, unfiltered stories.
In her opening remarks, Princess Rym Ali referred to the theme 'A World Unscripted' as 'quite simply the world we live in. A world that has gone off-script. But the filmmakers we have in our selection are the ones who contribute to bring it back on track.' She reiterated the festival's role in providing a platform for stories that are often underrepresented, yet essential to the collective narrative of the Arab world, adding: 'We refuse to allow our culture to die, even as engines of death and destruction fly above our heads.'
Acknowledging the ongoing genocide in Palestine and continued conflict across the region, the festival has again opted to forgo red carpet events and other celebrations out of solidarity and respect, while pressing forward with its cultural mission.
The opening night, presented by singer Zain Awad and radio host Muhannad Al Jazerah, included a Circassian performance by Al Jeel Al Jadeed ensemble, introductions of jury members, and the screening of the Palestinian short film Upshot by Maha Haj, with actor Mohammad Bakri in attendance to represent the production.
This year, Ireland has been named the Country of Honour, with filmmaker Jim Sheridan joining the ceremony. Reflecting on the purpose of storytelling, Sheridan remarked: 'Every time you are making a movie you are projecting a belief system, and to me that's the most important thing.' He added: 'Belief and truth are the things that are worth anything—that's why the Irish can't stop telling the truth.'
Since its inception, AIFF has focused on supporting Arab and Jordanian filmmakers to help build a globally recognized Arab film industry. Its industry platform, Amman Film Industry Days (AFID), is returning with workshops, pitching sessions, and panels designed to assist projects in development and post-production.
At its core, the Festival views cinema as a universal art form rooted in resilience, culture, and shared humanity, offering a space to tell and celebrate meaningful stories.
