“Quarantine Got Talent”: Competition’s Prize
Goes to a Social Initiative
Amman – 1st June 2020
“Quarantine Got Talent”, the short film competition launched on 19th of May
2020 by the Royal Film Commission – Jordan (RFC), concluded today with the
announcement of the winner. This is the third competition’s round initiated by
the RFC during the confinement period and aimed at encouraging filmmakers from
the Arab World to address topics related to art and the Coronavirus.
41 eligible films were
received from six Arab countries: Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Algeria
and Tunisia. A selection committee shortlisted three films, which were posted
last Thursday on the RFC’s social media platforms, allowing the audience to
vote for their favorite film.
The short film “Miles”, directed by Abla Jweihan from Jordan, won the
competition. It depicts the life of domestic helpers far away from their
families, children and friends, and tries to draw similarities - albeit limited
- with the situation of the majority people during quarantine.
The winning short film “Miles”: https://youtu.be/1T3w8gYtcZ0
The other two films shortlisted by the independent selection committee
were: “Locked Down” by Ahmad Jalboush from Jordan and “The Soul of House”
by Mohamed Rachdi from Tunisia.
This time, the RFC allocated the competition’s prize, worth 300 Jordanian
dinars, to go in the name of the winner to “Action for Hope”; an NGO that
works with communities in crisis to enable them
to face social, economic and political challenges through releasing
their creativity and imagination, by enabling them to express themselves
through music, film, photography and theater.
It is worth mentioning that the three short film competitions come within the
framework of several online initiatives organized by the RFC during lockdown: a
free online screening program “Cur-Films”, a series of online discussions and
seminars entitled “Tallat”, as well as virtual workshops with professional
filmmakers; all these initiatives with the aim to communicate through cinema in
a time of social distancing.
For more information, please call: Marian Nakho 0797557116