Prince Ali attends opening of Amman International Film Festival

AMMAN — On behalf of His Majesty King Abdullah, HRH Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, chairman of the Royal Film Commission of Jordan (RFC), on Wednesday attended the opening ceremony of the fifth edition of the Amman International Film Festival - First Film at the Hussein Cultural Centre in Amman.

Under the theme," Tell Me", the event featured the presence of several princes and princesses, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

This year's festival focuses on amplifying Arab stories and novels, supporting the national narrative and bringing the voices of Arab filmmakers to a global audience.

HRH Princess Rym, founder and president of the festival, said "Despite the ongoing suffering and massacres in Palestine, Sudan and elsewhere, we insisted on holding the festival as a space to support cinema, because art is a system that supports life.”

"Let's tell our stories to the world. There is no more important time than now to tell our true stories as we witness the distortion of narratives and the misleading of the world," she added.

Two films were screened at the opening ceremony: the short film "No" from the "Zero Distance" collection and "Bye ByeTiberias" by director LinaSoualem.

The festival, which runs until July 11, features 50 films in various categories, including Arab feature films, short films, international films and documentaries.

Screenings will be held at the Royal Film Commission's outdoor theatre, the Rainbow Theatre and the Taj Cinema. Festival-goers will also have the opportunity to attend the "Arab French Film Days", which will showcase feature and short films related to the Arab region.

The festival will host ten filmmakers, directors and actors from Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.

A new award for the best Jordanian film in development has also been introduced.

As part of the festival's activities, all films from the "Zero Distance" project, which includes 22 short films shot in Gaza in recent months amid the ongoing war, will be screened.