The Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF) has shown a record of supporting new voices and film artists, and has a clear artistic mission: showcasing debut films and supporting first-time filmmakers from the Arab region. Each summer from 2020, audiences, filmmakers, and industry professionals gather in Jordan’s capital for an event that has been attracting film aficionados and inviting increasing submissions. The Amman International Film Festival (AIFF) combines authenticity and entertainment, in a festival realm that sometimes prioritizes celebrity or “star power.”
Every filmmaker has a first project—and the Amman International Film Festival showcases first films and later ones by Arab filmmakers. Media Gusts always seeks new talent and the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF)—provides a good laboratory for such talent. The festival has quickly established itself as a cultural landmark, inviting emerging filmmakers, fairly established filmmakers, industry professionals, and, of course, diverse audiences from the Arab region and beyond. Practically, the festival embodies the professionalism of a major festival with the “freshness” of new voices.
Unlike many international film festivals, such as Cannes Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival— which lean towards studio, sometimes high-budget, films and invite major veterans– AIFF has shown its focus to be “new” voices. It has a deceptively simple mission: championing original debut films and “early” filmmakers. AIFF focuses on the beginning of a filmmaker’s career and spices up its programming with a focus on a region’s cinema, such as Tunisia, South Africa, and others. In sum, it promotes film new voices while screening landmark films for a given county.
This commitment has enabled it to cultivate a perception for being especially open and receptive to fresh talent and original storytelling, creating opportunities for voices that audiences otherwise might not hear. Several members of the festival’s advisory board are A-Listers. This constellation of factors has helped position the festival as more than simply a platform for showcasing new films: It has become almost a hub for creative exchange, industry networking, and conversations about the importance of cinema in the region.
Hit Many Birds with One Stone at AIFF
Founded to bolster Jordan’s film activities while promoting pan-Arab cinema, the Amman International Film Festival showcases feature films, documentaries, short films, and international debut films. Its vision goes beyond “entertainment” or red carpets—it encourages effective cultural exchange and supports filmmakers whose stories are diverse, creative, and original. Several parties jointly organize the Amman International Film Festival, including the Royal Film Commission.
The festival’s focus on first-time achievements gives audiences a unique opportunity to discover tomorrow’s directors before they may become “household” names. Each screening offers viewers something they would not get from mainstream cinema, whether it is an intimate personal story, a bold artistic experiment, or a new perspective on contemporary life.
Amman International Festival: A Platform for Authentic Storytelling
The festival’s programming reflects the evolving landscape of contemporary Arab film production. Films that make it to the competition frequently explore themes such as identity, war, dislocation, family, memory, and nostalgia, offering audiences a lens from people or communities that even Egyptian cinema often does not explore. Thus, by prioritizing debut works, AIFF introduces audiences to directors in the beginning of their careers, many of whom proceed to get international attention. The approach also engenders opportunities for independent productions that might otherwise “struggle” to secure visibility in international festivals.
The result is a festival and program that values originality over “star power,” encouraging audiences to discover unfamiliar voices and encounter story challenge rather than familiar names and the familiar
A Pan-Arab Identity: A Goal of Amman International Film Festival
What makes AIFF special is that it attempts to promote a pan-Arab cinema. The festival screens documentaries that showcase the region’s political “status quo” and reminds the audience of the collective Arab predicament. Then, it screens highly creative narrative features from the leading countries of Egypt and Tunisia, making for a aesthetic balance. This programming mission makes the festival unique– nurturing a sense of community with the political canvas while inviting new voices, all this while bolstering Jordan’s role as a regional hub for filmmaking.
For students, independent filmmakers, and cinema enthusiasts, the festival becomes a space to learn, collaborate, and exgage in dialogue with professionals from around the world. Arab cinema is central to the festival’s identity, with films from across the region and North Africa. This balance allows audiences to engage with and enjoy stories rooted in a particular country (such as the Syrian The Other Side of the Sun and the Libyan My Father and Qaddafi) while invoking the overarching suffering in the region. This is a delicate balance for any festival to strike. For regional filmmakers, the festival represents an opportunity to present their work before critics, programmers, and audiences in an environment that appreciates artistic experimentation and fresh perspectives, not industry glamor or red carpets.
While AIFF technically welcomes “international” entries, Arab cinema remains the heart of the festival. Films from across the Middle East and North Africa explore themes of identity, family, war, politics, and resilience– because of the political conflicts. Together, they offer audiences a glimpse into the richness and diversity of the region’s issues and cultures. As such, the festival strikes a balance between fidelity to “the cause” and novelty.
Amman Film Festival: Beyond the Screen
As AIFF continues to grow, its influence reaches far beyond Jordan’s borders. Each edition introduces audiences to bold new filmmakers, sparks conversations about important issues, and reinforces cinema’s power to connect people across cultures. Through its industry platform, Amman Film Industry Days (AFID), AIFF hosts pitching sessions, panel discussions, and networking sessions. These events have become common enough to encourage dialogue with producers while fostering or reinforcing links between filmmakers regionally and international bodies or industry experts. The growth of AIFF coincides with the region’s broad ambitions to support its media industries.
In an industry often dominated by established names, the Amman International Film Festival reminds us that every “legendary” filmmaker begins with a first story. By giving those stories a platform, AIFF is helping shape Arab and international cinema—one debut film at a time. As the Amman International Film Festival continues to mature, its reputation rests less on celebrity appearances than on the quality of its programming and its commitment to emerging Arab talent. In an increasingly competitive festival landscape, this focus has become its defining characteristic. By tilting to first-time or early filmmakers, AIFF has established itself as a major platform for independent Arab cinema. Its continued growth reflects the increasing regional recognition of Arab stories and the filmmakers shaping it. The growth of AIFF coincides with the region’s broad ambitions to keep building its “media” and cultural industries. Against that backdrop, the festival serves as both a cultural event and an industry platform.
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