STORY: Amman Int'l Film Festival aims to nurture filmmaking industry
DATELINE: Aug. 18, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:28
LOCATION: Amman
CATEGORY: ENTERTAINMENT
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of the opening ceremony
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): NADA DOUMANI, AIFF Director
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): MOHAMMAD RAHAHLEH, Jordanian director
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): EYAD NASSAR, Jordanian actor
5. various of the film festival
 
STORYLINE:
 
The 4th edition of the Amman International Film Festival (AIFF) is underway in the Jordanian capital Amman, featuring a wide variety of films from some 20 countries.

The eight-day festival until Aug. 22 will premiere 56 films in Jordan, including narratives, documentaries and short films released in 2022 and 2023.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): NADA DOUMANI, AIFF Director
"The festival helps the growth of the filmmaking industry. Obviously, because you're attracting people to cinema, and you are also offering all the filmmakers opportunities, either to mix, network and meet people from the industry from all over the world or also take workshops. The mere fact of showing good movies would probably entice people to make movies themselves too." 
The festival attracted over 120 film professionals from abroad to join the growing local filmmaking community.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): MOHAMMAD RAHAHLEH, Jordanian director"The Amman film festival has the importance of supporting filmmakers with the first experience, because they enter the arena of film festivals here. Some film festivals provide the opportunity for experienced filmmakers to participate, not new ones, but the Amman film festival opens the way for novice filmmakers to live their experience on the cinema screen in addition to their presence on the red carpet like celebrities." 
The film festival aims to foster a creative buzz among filmmakers and film lovers, and provide a platform to present first-time achievements in filmmaking from the Arab world and beyond.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): EYAD NASSAR, Jordanian actor
"I am coming to see the experience of new directors. We have a crisis at the level of the script. There is also a crisis at the level of directing. One of the most important elements in the cinematic work is the director. Therefore, it will be a gain if you can focus on the new talented and young directors and discover them through a festival and present them on the scene then." 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Amman.
(XHTV)