Amman International Film Festival (Awal Film)

Overview

The Amman International Film Festival (AIFF), branded as "Awal Film" (Arabic for "First Film"), is Jordan's leading film festival. The 6th edition ran July 2 to 10, 2025, in Amman, screening 62 films from 23 countries including 16 world premieres. The festival is dedicated specifically to first and second feature films, creating a competitive environment where debut filmmakers compete against peers at similar career stages rather than established directors.

The festival is organized under the patronage of Princess Rym Ali, President and co-founder, who established AIFF in 2017. The 2025 theme was "A World Unscripted," with Ireland designated as the first Country of Honour, featuring a curated section of Irish cinema and guest filmmaker Jim Sheridan.

AIFF has two main components: the festival itself (competitive screenings across four categories) and the Amman Film Industry Days (AFID), a parallel industry program running July 2 to 9, 2025. AFID includes pitching platforms for projects in development and post-production, the Amman Film Market, workshops, masterclasses, and The Spark Series, a new web series showcase launched in 2025.

For Arab debut filmmakers, AIFF provides the most significant competitive platform in the region. The Black Iris Award, the festival's top prize, carries a $15,000 cash award in the Arab Narrative category. The festival also hosts a FIPRESCI jury, adding international critics' recognition to its awards.

Submission Details

Submissions are made through the AIFF website. The 2025 submission deadline was March 31, 2025. The festival does not appear to use FilmFreeway for its main competition sections.

Eligibility requirements:

• Films must be first-time achievements (first or second feature) as specified in each category
• Only films released in 2024 or 2025 are eligible
• Submitted films must be Jordanian premieres (must not have been screened in Jordan)
• Films available on any VOD, online platform, TV, or similar media in Jordan are not eligible
• Only rights holders and official distributors may submit films
• Narrative films must be 60 minutes or longer
• Documentary films must be 52 minutes or longer
• Films must be in their original language with English subtitles (if not already in English)
• Arabic subtitles are required for non-Arabic parts in Arab section films
• The festival reserves the right to decide final eligibility and film placement

Non-Arab Competition eligibility:

• Open to any feature-length narrative, documentary, or animation film from 2025 or 2026
• Director must be non-Arab
• Must be the director's first feature-length film in the category applied for
• Must be a Jordanian premiere
• Films available in Jordan on VOD, online platforms, TV, or for purchase are not eligible

Full rules and terms are available at aiff.jo.

Key Sections

• Arab Feature-Length Narrative Competition - first and second narrative features by Arab directors, competing for the Black Iris Award ($15,000) and Jury Award ($5,000)
• Arab Feature-Length Documentary Competition - first and second documentary features by Arab directors, competing for the Black Iris Award ($10,000) and Jury Award ($5,000)
• Arab Short Film Competition - short films by Arab directors, competing for the Black Iris Award ($4,000) and Jury Award ($1,000)
• Non-Arab Film Competition - debut features from outside the Arab world, competing for the Black Iris Award ($4,000) and Jury Award ($1,000)
• Country of Honour - an annual curated section focusing on a specific country's cinema (2025: Ireland)
• First and Latest - a section pairing a filmmaker's first film with their most recent work

Amman Film Industry Days (AFID)

AFID is the industry component of the festival, running July 2 to 9, 2025. It includes:

• Pitching Platforms - three competitive platforms for feature-length projects:

- Awal Project (Development) - for first-time Jordanian directors or first-time Arab directors residing in Jordan. Cash awards include $7,000 from the Royal Film Commission Jordan, $5,000 from the Ghiath and Nadia Sukhtian Foundation, and in-kind awards worth $3,800 and $25,000 from Slate Film Services

- Arab Project (Development) - for all Arab directors. Cash awards include $7,000 from the Royal Film Commission Jordan and $2,500 cash plus $2,500 in-kind consultation from MASNA3

- Post-Production - for Arab directors with a producer attached. Cash awards include $7,000 from the Royal Film Commission Jordan and EUR 6,000 from IEFTA

• Amman Film Market - connects filmmakers with funders, partners, and distributors, offering additional in-kind and cash awards through industry partners
• The Spark: Web Series Showcase - launched in 2025, highlighting web series from Jordan and the Arab world. Open to series produced in 2024 or 2025 with a minimum of three episodes (3 to 10 minutes each). Directors must be of Arab nationality or background.
• Workshops and Masterclasses - led by experienced film professionals covering craft and industry trends

AFID 2025 granted 18 awards across 13 projects. The pitching platform notification timeline: projects notified by May 25, with updated materials due by June 5.

What Filmmakers Should Know

AIFF's focus on first and second features is its defining characteristic. The festival's name, "Awal Film" (First Film), reflects this mandate. For debut filmmakers, this means competing against peers at the same career stage rather than established directors who dominate general festivals. The 2025 edition screened 62 films from 23 countries with 16 world premieres, indicating a substantial program with real international reach.

The Jordanian Premiere requirement is strict. Films that have screened anywhere in Jordan or are available on any streaming platform accessible in Jordan are ineligible. Filmmakers should verify their film has not been distributed on any VOD platform available in Jordan before submitting.

The cash awards are among the most substantial for a debut-focused festival in the Arab world. The Arab Narrative Black Iris Award at $15,000 exceeds the cash prizes of many larger festivals. The AFID pitching platforms offer additional funding: the Slate Film Services in-kind award for Jordanian Awal Film projects is worth $25,000, and the Royal Film Commission offers $7,000 cash awards across multiple categories.

The FIPRESCI jury at AIFF adds international critical recognition. The 2025 FIPRESCI Award went to Abu Zaabal 89 by Bassam Mortada (Egypt), providing the film with international critics' endorsement that can support subsequent festival runs and distribution.

For non-Arab filmmakers, the Non-Arab Competition provides a platform for debut features to reach Arab world audiences. The 2025 Non-Arab Black Iris Award went to Familiar Touch by Sarah Friedland (USA), which also won awards at Venice and other festivals.

Major Awards

2025 Award Winners:

Arab Feature-Length Narrative Competition:

• Black Iris Award ($15,000) - Red Path by Lotfi Achour (Tunisia)
• Jury Award ($5,000) - To a Land Unknown by Mahdi Fleifel (Palestine)
• Audience Award - To a Land Unknown by Mahdi Fleifel (Palestine)
• Special Mentions: Best first-time scriptwriter (Tamara Owais, Simsim, Jordan), Best First-Time Lead Actor (shared: Ali Helali in Red Path and Azzam Ahmed in Songs of Adam), Best First-Time Lead Actress (Saja Kilani in Simsim, Jordan)

Arab Feature-Length Documentary Competition:

• Black Iris Award ($10,000) - shared: (Y)our Mother by Samira El Mouzghibati (Morocco) and We Are Inside by Farah Kassem (Lebanon)
• Jury Award ($5,000) - Tell Them About Us by Rand Beiruty (Jordan)
• FIPRESCI Award - Abu Zaabal 89 by Bassam Mortada (Egypt)
• Audience Award - Tell Them About Us by Rand Beiruty (Jordan)

Arab Short Film Competition:

• Black Iris Award ($4,000) - A Passing Day by Rasha Shahin (Egypt/Syria)
• Jury Award ($1,000) - Those Who Never Left by Pierre Mouzannar (Lebanon)
• Audience Award - Your Excellency by Musaed Alqudifi (Kuwait)

Non-Arab Film Competition:

• Black Iris Award ($4,000) - Familiar Touch by Sarah Friedland (USA)
• Jury Award ($1,000) - Dog on Trial by Laetitia Dosch (Switzerland)
• Audience Award - Tales From the Magic Garden by David Sukup, Patrik Pass, Leon Vidmar, and Jean-Claude Rozec (Czech Republic)

Festival History

AIFF was founded in 2017 by Princess Rym Ali and has run six editions through 2025. The festival established itself as Jordan's most important film event and the only major Arab festival dedicated exclusively to debut and second films. The name "Awal Film" (First Film) reflects this founding mandate.

The festival has grown from a small inaugural edition to a nine-day event screening 62 films from 23 countries with 16 world premieres in 2025. The Amman Film Industry Days (AFID) was developed as a parallel industry program, now in its sixth edition, offering pitching platforms, a film market, workshops, and masterclasses.

The 2025 edition introduced two new elements: the Country of Honour program (with Ireland as the first honoree) and The Spark Series web series showcase. The festival's closing night ceremony takes place at the Hussein Cultural Center in Amman.

AIFF has built partnerships with international organizations including the Royal Film Commission Jordan, the International Emerging Film Talent Foundation (IEFTA), and FIPRESCI. The festival's industry program has distributed over $50,000 in cash awards and additional in-kind services across its pitching platforms and market.

See Also

To calculate the return on your festival submission spending, use the Festival ROI Calculator. To estimate your probability of acceptance based on festival tier and film characteristics, use the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For Arab cinema and Middle East film markets, see International Film Markets. For festival strategy for debut films, see Film Festival Strategy. For distribution deals, see Distribution Deals Explained.