By : News Editor
Jordan Daily – This week, young participants in the Filmi Programme, a joint venture between Jordanian and Irish filmmakers, began filming their independent short film, “An Olive Branch”.
In a statement sent to Jordan Daily ,the programme, supported by the Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Ireland in Jordan, was launched in July last year by Generations For Peace (GFP) in partnership with Belfast-based Cinemagic.
The Filmi Programme has engaged 20 young participants from Jordan, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, and Palestine residing in Jordan. It provides comprehensive training in various areas of filmmaking, presented by industry professionals. The programme also allows participants to select a topic of importance to them and collaborate as a team to produce their independent film, currently being filmed in Amman.
“The Embassy of Ireland in Jordan is delighted to support this second iteration of the ‘Filmi’ project,” said Marianne Bolger, Ambassador of Ireland to Jordan. “The strength of this programme is the direct involvement of youth in every stage of the creative and production process. I look forward to watching ‘An Olive Branch’ come to fruition.”
Joan Burney Keatings MBE, CEO of Cinemagic, expressed pride in continuing their work in the Middle East. “The goal of the project was to work with young people, from concept to screen, to inspire them, hear their ideas and develop new skills,” she said.
Ahmad Albakri, Head of Production at GFP, stated that they are proud to engage a group of filmmaking enthusiasts and assist them in creatively telling their own stories. “We are truly impressed by the dedication of the youth and anticipate the final production of ‘An Olive Branch’ movie,” he said.
The Filmi training programme included a series of five industry film masterclasses presented by international production managers, screenwriters, and award-winning filmmakers.
The training covered a wide range of important aspects of film production, equipping the participants with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The aim is to enhance the participants’ understanding of the entire filmmaking process and hone their skills to create pathways for employment within Jordan’s rapidly growing film industry.
