21st European Film Festival

"For two decades The European Film Festival has become a traditional autumn event that attracts each year many Jordanian cinema lovers and resident foreigners to discover, share and enjoy a wide range of films produced in Europe. However, over the past three years, the Festival developed a wider outreach to the Jordanian public at large, when part of its screenings was organized in other cities across the Kingdom thanks to the precious support of the Royal Film Commission. Under the patronage of HRH Princess Rym Ali, the 21st Edition will take place in Amman, at the Al Hussein Cultural Centre along with screenings of selected movies in the cities of Zarqa (King Abdullah II Center), Irbid (Yarmouk University), Aqaba (Chamber of Commerce with the support of ASEZA) & Karak (Hassan Cultural Center). The EU Film Festival maintains its strategy to be an open cultural event to public at large with free of charge access to the screenings and side events.

The festival aims at introducing Jordanian people to the culture and the tradition of the European countries. It tackles issues that concern the young generation, and encourages debate around universal themes. It is meant to employ the art of cinema to enhance the ongoing intercultural dialogue with the Jordanian society, and to broaden the EU-Jordan partnership framework. During the festival, films from 15 European countries will be screened. Many of the films have some aspects in common, and therefore two main themes have been chosen: The first one, Cultural dialogue, concerns the dynamics and frictions that appear when people of different background meet. The second, Past versus present, deals with the dynamics of the passing of time (time in movement?), the relationship between young and old generations, and Europe’s history on all its colors.

During the film festival, side events related to the two festival themes will take place. On November 9 there will be events related to the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. This historical event, of great importance for Europe will be celebrated with a film screening and concerts with bands that reflect cultural diversity and what it entails in terms of cultural dialogue. The latter is also expressed in side events, scheduled to take place in Amman and Zarqa around the Danish film. This is an open invitation from the European Union to all Jordanians to get a taste of different aspects of the culture, history and people of Europe. The annual European Film Festival 2009 will take place between November 1 - 16. This 21st Edition of the European Film Festival is brought to you by the European Union led by the current EU presidency of the Swedish Embassy in Amman, in cooperation with the Royal Film Commission along with Greater Amman Municipality, and OrangeRed as the logistics organizer."