22/11/2021 Jordan's Royal Film Commission has nominated Mohamed Diab's feature-narrative film "Amira" for the 94th Academy Awards (Oscars) in the international feature film category. “It’s a great honour,” stated Diab thanking the Royal Film Commission for making “the shooting in Jordan such a wonderful experience.” The film is set in Palestine but was entirely shot in Amman and Salt in 2019 and is co-produced by Jordan, Egypt, and Palestine. Jordanians made up the majority of the crew of 128 people. Written by the sibling trio of Mohamed, Khaled, and Shereen Diab, Amira’s cast includes the Jordanian star Saba Mubarak, the emerging Jordanian actress Tara Abboud, who plays the role of "Amira," the Jordanian actor Suhaib Nashawan, and the Palestinian actors Ali Suliman, Waleed Zuaiter, and Kais Nashif. Early this week the film received a Special Mention at Carthage Film Festival (JCC) in Tunisia. The same jury selected the Egyptian feature film Reesh (“Feathers”) for the festival’s grand prize. Highly praised in Egypt during its MENA premiere at the El-Gouna Film Festival in October, Amira was screened earlier this month across Jerusalem as part of the 8th Palestine Cinema Days. Written by the sibling trio of Mohamed, Khaled, and Shereen Diab. Amira’s cast includes Saba Mubarak and Tara Abboud from Jordan alongside Palestinian Ali Suliman, Kais Nashif, and Waleed Zuaiter. The 98-minute film was produced by Film Clinic (Mohamed Hefzy, Daniel Ziskind), Agora Audiovisuals (Mona Abdel Wahab), Acamedia Pictures (Moez Masoud), Taher Media Production, The Imaginarium Films, Hany Abu-Assad, Amira Diab and Sarah Gohar. The film follows the story of Amira, a 17-year-old Palestinian, who was conceived with the smuggled sperm of her imprisoned father, Nawar. Although their relationship since birth has been restricted to prison visits, he remains her hero. His absence in her life is overcompensated with the love and affection from those surrounding her. But when a failed attempt to conceive another child reveals Nawar’s infertility, Amira’s world turns upside down. Amira will also be participating in the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in December.
