Amman Filmmakers Cooperative

SPANISH EMBASSY OF JORDAN AND THE AMMAN FILMMAKERS
COOPERATIVE LAUNCH HOPE FILMS, TO FOCUS ON DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(MAY 11, 2007 - AMMAN) The Spanish Embassy of Jordan, in partnership with the Amman Filmmakers Cooperative, has launched Hope Films, an audiovisual training initiative aimed at imparting artistic and audiovisual communication skills for the benefit of selected disadvantaged communities in Jordan.

While economic development continues to be a key focus of Spanish-Jordanian cooperation, cultural empowerment is also considered an essential component of human development.

"The objective of Hope Films is to identify and empower talents in disadvantaged communities in Jordan to use the language of film to share their stories," said Marta Agosti, cultural coordinator for the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation. "In the process, we help them acquire skills that can be useful in the job market."

Hope Films will lead to the production of a series of short documentaries focused on the themes of hope, survival, and endurance. The films will then be screened at various cultural events and festivals in selected countries.

"Usually, the storytellers are concerned outsiders who are interested in Jordan and the challenges facing disadvantaged communities" said Hazim Bitar, founder and coordinator of the Jordan-based Amman Filmmaker Cooperative. "With Hope Films, we also want filmmakers from those communities to become the storytellers."

The workshops will be organized by the Amman Filmmakers Cooperative, using a mentoring and collaborative production system that has been developed and refined over the years for non-filmmakers. Using this system, cooperative films have been selected to competitions and special screenings of regional and international film festivals such as Locarno Film Festival, Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival, Dubai Film Festival, Tampere Film Festival, Tehran Short Film Festival, Ismailia Documentary and Short Film Festival, Carthage International Film Festival and more.

For more information contact:

Marta Agosti
Jordan Cultural Affairs
Spanish Agency for International Cooperation.
Email: marta.agosti@mae.es
Phone: +962.461.166 ext.33
Web: http://www.mae.es

Hazim Bitar
Founder & Coordinator
Amman Filmmakers Cooperative (AFC)
Email: ArabFilmmakers@gmail.com
Phone: +962.776.400.434
Web: http://JordanianFilms.com

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DON'T FORGET TO ENTER YOUR FILM IN THE JORDAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (JSFF'07) http://JordanFilmFestival.com