Toronto film festival celebrates Jordan as cinematic destination

AMMAN — Seven feature-length narrative movies, shot in Jordan in the past couple of years, are taking part the 40th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which kicked off Thursday and is running until September 20.

According to a statement by the Amman-based Royal Film Commission, the festival is showcasing 256 international features from 71 countries. 

The seven films involving Jordan were selected out of more than 5,600 submissions from all over the world, the statement said.

“This is the first time such a large number of films shot in Jordan have found their way, in one year, to such a prestigious festival,” said the commission, an independent government agency concerned with promoting and supporting Jordan’s cinema industry. 

 The seven films selected at Toronto include three war-related movies — the British “Kilo Two Bravo (Kajaki)” by Paul Katis,  Canadian “Hyena Road” by Paul Gross and  Austrian “Thank you for Bombing” by Barbara Eder. All three films are set in Afghanistan and were shot in various parts of the Kingdom.

Three Arab drama movies — the bio-drama “The Idol” by award-winning Palestinian Director Hany Abu Assad,   Palestinian drama “3000 Nights” by Mai Masri and “Dégradé”, the first feature of the Gazan brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser — have all been partially or entirely shot in Jordan, according to the statement.

“The Martian”, a science-fiction movie, “is the latest long-awaited work of Ridley Scott, who spent eight days filming in the lunar stunning landscape of Wadi Rum.”

The Royal Film Commission — Jordan (RFC) has provided logistical support — and in the case of “3000 Nights”, also financial aid — to all these movies, facilitating the shoot, getting filming permits, spotting appropriate locations, linking foreign productions to local crew and cast, and easing customs procedures, the commission said.

“Foreign productions are attracted to Jordan not only for the variety of its locations but also for its well-developed infrastructure, the absence of red tape and the availability of skilled cast and crew,” said George David, general manager of the RFC. 

The seven feature films, at this year’s edition of TIFF, stand as a “proof that Jordan is picture perfect and a privileged cinematic destination”.

Jordan has been the venue for shooting historic Hollywood films like Lawrence of Arabia in 1961, the third part of Indiana Jones (1989) and the 2010 Oscar winning war drama, Hurt Locker.