RFC bags ‘Outstanding Film Commission’ Award

AMMAN — The Royal Film Commission (RFC) on Saturday night received the “Outstanding Film Commission” Award, at the 4th Annual Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) Awards.

The ceremony took place at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles, California, according to a statement released by the commission on Sunday.

The event honoured the outstanding and creative international contributions of location professionals and film commissions in seven categories of film, television and commercials. 

The RFC earned this award for the American science fiction film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”, directed by Gareth Edwards, that was shot in Wadi Rum in 2015, the statement said.

The award was handed to the RFC’s Managing Director George David, who thanked LMGI saying: “This great honour is not only an acknowledgment for the Royal Film Commission – Jordan, but also an acknowledgment for all film commissions for what they offer in terms of incentives, location scouts, or permits.” 

“This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the immense support of HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, founder of the RFC and president of the board of commissioners, as well as HRH Princess Rym Ali, member of the board of commissioners at the RFC. And it wouldn’t have been possible without the professionalism of the Jordanian film crew and the dedication of the RFC’s staff,” the statement quoted David as saying.

 The RFC, nominated for the third year in a row, is the only Arab film commission among the nominees for the “Outstanding Film Commission” category this year, according to the statement. 

 As part of the RFC’s efforts to provide the necessary support and comprehensive production services for foreign, Arab and local productions, as well as to support filming in Jordan, it facilitated the shoot of 11 feature narrative films in 2015, including "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story". In 2016, four feature narrative films were shot in Jordan, in addition to dozens of short narratives and long and short documentaries, the statement said. 

In 2015, Wadi Rum was the venue where “the Martian” was shot, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon. Wadi Rum was depicted as Mars using an "advanced three-dimensional technique".

The RFC is a financially and administratively autonomous public agency run by a board of commissioners, established by virtue of a special law issued in 2003.

The RFC is a member of the Association for Film Commissioners International (AFCI), the official professional and educational organisation for film commissions. AFCI members assist feature, television, commercial, industrial and stills production throughout the world. 

As part of its mission, the RFC provides producers with comprehensive services, such as assistance in obtaining filming permits, location scouting, custom clearance and other services.

Productions shot in Jordan since 2014

According to the Royal Film Commission, 0ver 100 feature-length films — local and foreign, narratives and documentaries — have been shot in Jordan. Jordan has also hosted hundreds of TV series productions, video clips, and commercials. Following are the movies that took advantage of Jordan’s unique locations since 2014:

2017

“Brother” - Directed by Hanro Smitsman (Netherlands)

 2016

“Sand Castle” - Directed by Fernando Coimbra (USA)

“Laila M” - Directed by Mijke de Jong (Netherlands)

“Petra Gate” - Directed by Osman Abu Laban (Egypt)

“Roads to Olympia” - Directed by Ramazan Nanayev

2015

“X-Men Apocalypse” – Directed by Brian Singer (USA)

“Karbala” – Directed by Krzysztof Lukaszewicz (Poland)

“Curse of Mesopotamia” - Directed by Lauand Omar (Iraq)

“The Martian” – Directed by Ridley Scott (USA)

“The War” - Directed by Tobias Lindholm (Denmark)

“Under The Shadow” – Directed by Babak Anvari (UK)

“The Rendez-Vous” (working title) – Directed by Amin Matalqa (USA)

“The Idol” - Directed by Hany Abu Assad (Palestine/UK/Qatar/UAE/Netherlands)

“Arms and the Dudes” - Directed by Todd Phillips (USA)

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” - Directed by Gareth Edwards (USA)

“Monk and the Evil” - Directed by Nikolay Dostal (Russia)

2014

“Hyena Road” - Directed by Paul Gross (Canada)

“Rattle the Cage” - Directed by Majid Al Ansari (UAE)

“Cooking Cats” - Directed by Isabelle Stever (Germany)

“Tiger Raid” – Directed by Simon Dickson (Ireland)

“Queen of the Desert” - Directed by Werner Herzog - (USA)

“Kilo Two Bravo - Kajaki” - Directed by Paul Katis - (UK)

“Blessed Benefit” – Directed by Mahmoud Massad - (Jordan)

“From A to B” – Directed by Ali Mostafa - (UAE)

“3000 Nights” – Directed by Mai Masri - (Palestine/Jordan)

“Degradé”- Directed by Tarzan & Arab Nasser (Palestine/France/Qatar)

Source: RFC