The Black Iris Awards, which mark the end of the fourth edition of the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film, were announced on August 22. The winning films in the five competitive categories were announced at the closing ceremony, which was held at the Royal Film Commission in Jordan. The event was attended by the Festival’s President, Princess Rym Ali, accompanied by Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, and a large number of officials, festival partners, members of the filmmaking community and guests.
The fourth edition of the Amman International Film Festival, which took place over the course of eight days, celebrated filmmakers from the Arab region and beyond, screening a rich selection of 56 recently released films from 19 countries, all Jordanian premieres.
“We are happy that the festival has grown rapidly while remaining faithful to its aim and spirit. The program was rich and appreciated by the large number of attendees. The Festival is not only a platform to showcase the works of talented filmmakers but also a tool supporting the growth of the film industry. It is also a networking forum where personal connections and professional encounters take place, all within a spirit of conviviality and love for cinema and filmmaking,” said Festival Director Nada Doumani.
The jury members, introduced by Jordanian Artist Zain Awad, announced the awards on stage.
The Black Iris Award for Best Arab Feature-Length Narrative went to the Tunisian film Ashkal by Youssef Chebbi. In the Best Arab Feature-Length Documentary category, the Moroccan Fragments from Heaven, directed by Adnane Baraka, received the Black Iris Award ($10,000), while the Egyptian short by Kawther Younes My Girlfriend received the Black Award with a cash prize of $4,000.
The newly introduced FIPRESCI prize in the documentary section was awarded to Lyd by Rami Younes and Sarah Ema Friedland. Lastly, the Audience Award for Best Non-Arab Film went to Hafreiat by Spanish director Alex Sardà .
More awards have been granted, as listed below:
Arab Feature-Length Narrative Competition:
Black Iris Award: Ashkal, by Youssef Chebbi (Tunisia)
Jury Award: Hanging Gardens by Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji (Iraq)
Special Mention First-time Scriptwriter: Adila Bendimerad and Damien Ounouri for The Last Queen (Algeria)
Special Mention First-time Lead Actress: Rana Khattab for her role in Rat Hole (Egypt)
Special Mention First-time Lead Actress: Marilyn Naaman for her role in Mother Valley (Lebanon)
Arab Feature-Length Arab Documentary Competition:
Black Iris: Fragments from Heaven by Adnane Baraka (Morocco)
Jury Award: Lyd by Rami Younis & Sarah Ema Friedland (Palestine)
Special Mention First-time Editor: Zakaria Jaber for Anxious in Beirut (Lebanon)
FIPRESCI Prize: Lyd by Rami Younis & Sarah Ema Friedland (Palestine)
Arab Short Film Competition:
Black Iris Award: My Girl Friend by Kawthar Younis (Egypt)
Special Mention: Hamza: Chasing the Ghost, Chasing Me by Ward Kayyal (Palestine)
Special Mention: Trinou by Nejib Kthiri (Tunisia)
Non-Arab Film Competition:
Hafreiat by Alex Sardà (Audience Award)
