Saja Kilani Wins Best Leading Actress for Jordanian Film Simsim at AIFF 2025!

Simsim tells a story the Arab world’s been waiting for 👉🏼 

“It’s a story about a girl trying to escape her fate and finding something more powerful: herself.”
That’s how first-time actress Saja Kilani describes Simsim, the bold Jordanian indie that earned her the Special Mention Award for Best Leading Actress in a First-Time Role at the Amman International Film Festival 2025 (AIFF)!

Fully produced in Irbid, the film follows a teenage girl forced into an arranged marriage. Determined to break free, Simsim sets out to find someone to take her place but instead, she begins a journey of self-discovery, agency, and quiet resistance.

Directed by Sondos Smeerat, Simsim flips tradition on its head with an intimate story that hits home for many across the region. Kilani’s raw and honest performance alongside her wit and sarcastic humor throughout the film stood out in a festival packed with regional talent, earning her praise as one of Jordan’s most exciting new voices.

“I saw myself in Simsim,” she said after the screening. “I think a lot of Arab girls will.”

The win marks a major moment for Jordanian cinema and for Irbid’s emerging creative scene, proving that powerful stories don’t need big budgets, just truth, heart, and courage.

Simsim is a debut to remember, and for Saja Kilani, it’s only the beginning.