Amman International Film Festival Reveals Official Competitive Programme for Its 7th Edition 🎬✨

The Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF) has unveiled the official programme for its seventh edition, taking place from 26 July to 3 August 2026, featuring a diverse selection of films from around the world.

This year’s edition will showcase 82 films from 27 countries, including 10 world premieres, two international premieres, and five Arab premieres, offering audiences a chance to discover unique cinematic voices and stories that may not reach local cinemas.

The programme includes competitions for Arab Feature Narrative Films, Arab Feature Documentaries, Arab Short Films, and Non-Arab Feature Films, with films competing for the prestigious Black Iris Award, the festival’s highest honour, alongside the Best Jordanian Short Film Award.

Audiences will also have the opportunity to meet filmmakers through post-screening Q&As and vote for their favourite films through the Audience Award across all competitive categories.

Arab Feature Narrative Competition 🎬

The selection includes:

🎥 A Sad and Beautiful World — Cyril Aris (Lebanon)
🎥 Behind the Palm Trees — Meryem Benm’Barek (Morocco)
🎥 Cotton Queen — Suzannah Mirghani (Sudan)
🎥 Complaint No. 713317 — Yasser Shafiey (Egypt)
🎥 Roqia — Yanis Koussim (Algeria)
🎥 The President’s Cake — Hasan Hadi (Iraq)
🎥 The Settlement — Mohamed Rashad (Egypt)
🎥 Where the Wind Comes From — Amel Guellaty (Tunisia)

Arab Short Film Competition 🎞️

The short film selection features 20 films from across the Arab world, including Jordanian entries:

🎬 Cleanse the Streets — Aysha Shahaltough (Jordan)
🎬 Do Not Pick Flowers — Banan Hussein Elmanaseer (Jordan)
🎬 Is It Still Me — Joana Arida (Jordan)
🎬 Passport Wedding — Abdallah Al-Ziyadi (Jordan)

Alongside films from Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine, Sudan, Bahrain, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.

Arab Feature Documentary Competition 🎥

The documentary competition explores personal stories, collective memory, and social realities through:

🎥 Anti Cinema — Ali Saeed (Saudi Arabia)
🎥 Birds of War — Janay Boulos & Abd Alkader Habak (Lebanon, Syria)
🎥 Do You Love Me — Lana Daher (Lebanon)
🎥 Flana — Zahraa Ghandour (Iraq)
🎥 Habibi Hussein — Alex Bakri (Palestine)
🎥 My Father and Qaddafi — Jihan K. (Libya)
🎥 The Other Side of the Sun — Tawfik Sabouni (Syria)

Non-Arab Feature Competition 🌍

The festival will also showcase international films including:

🎬 A Fading Man — Welf Reinhart (Germany)
🎬 Laundry — Zamo Mkhwanazi (South Africa)
🎬 Lucky Lu — Lloyd Lee Choi (Canada)
🎬 My Father’s Shadow — Akinola Davies Jr. (Nigeria)
🎬 Our Secret — Grace Passô (Brazil)
🎬 Sleepless City — Guillermo Galoe (Spain)
🎬 We Believe You — Charlotte Devillers & Arnaud Dufeys (Belgium)

Commenting on this year’s selection, Fadi Haddad, Head of Programming for Arab Feature Narratives and Arab Narrative Short Films, highlighted how the films explore themes of belonging, identity, and resilience during times of transformation.

Meanwhile, Murad Abu Eisheh, Head of Programming for Arab Feature Documentaries and Non-Arab Feature Films, noted that this year’s selections explore the bonds shaped by family, love, friendship, and collective memory across different cultures and generations.

Beyond the screenings, AIFF will host industry events, discussions, and professional activities bringing together filmmakers, producers, critics, and cinema professionals from Jordan and around the world.

📅 26 July – 3 August 2026
📍 Amman, Jordan

The Festival is made possible with the support of its partners, including: Jordan Tourism Board, The Royal Film Commission – Jordan, Abdali Investment and Development, Zain Jordan, Royal Jordanian, Ministry of Culture, Ghiath & Nadia Sukhtian Foundation, Greater Amman Municipality, Cozmo, FromSoda, TAJ Cinemas, and Institut Français – Jordan.

Media Partners: Jordan Radio and Television Corporation, Al Mamlaka, Roya Media Group, Radio Hala, Bliss 104.3, Mazaj FM, Play 99.5, Pikasso Jordan, and 7Hills.