The Royal Film Commission (RFC) together with UN Women, launched the ninth edition of the Women’s Film Festival, in honour of International Women’s Day.

Held under the patronage of HRH Princess Basma, UN goodwill ambassador, the opening ceremony which was held on March 8, began with a screening of a dedicated video on Jordan’s engagement in the development of the Beijing Declaration and its platform for action, according to the RFC.

The video featured a conversation between Princess Basma, who headed the Jordanian delegation at the fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, and Ranin Shaqildi, a young advocate and HeForShe volunteer.

During the virtual launch ceremony, UN Resident and Coordinator in Jordan Anders Pedersen said: "Jordan continues to be a role model and leads on human rights and gender equality,” which is what people need, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pedersen noted that "every day through our actions, we could be part of the solution, could transform the narrative and inspire others to create a more equal world”.

He said that media professionals are important partners to amplify all women’s voices, especially those at risk of being left behind. 

"It is important to sustain the momentum we are witnessing, to drive urgent action and commitment for women’s empowerment in the COVID-19 response and beyond,” Pedersen said.

The pandemic has been an opportunity for transformative and positive actions to address long-standing inequalities in multiple areas, he added.

During the launch event, RFC Managing Director Mohannad Al Bakri said that women play a fundamental and central role in society, economy and public work.

"The RFC believes in the role of women in society, and it is keen to contribute towards achieving gender equality and spreading awareness through filmmaking,” Bakri said.

He added that it is noteworthy that the participation of women in the audiovisual industry is greater than in other sectors and that the percentage of women working in the film and television sector in the Arab region is high compared with other countries.

Artistic Director Ghada Saba said in a statement sent to The Jordan Times that despite current challenges, the ninth edition of Women's Film Week provided a platform to shed light on the efforts of women during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"Women are filmmakers and they are also makers of peace and security,” Saba said.

"Since 2012, this initiative has offered a unique opportunity for the public in Jordan to see and reflect on women’s issues, as portrayed through the work of various national and international filmmakers,” the RFC statement said.

The ninth edition officially began with the screening of "Influential Bahraini examples facing COVID-19”. 

The screenings include: Ukrainian short movie "I come out of the shadow”, Spanish movie "Mataharis”, Dutch documentary film "Pien Queen of the Bee”, Mexican documentary film "Batallas Intimas”, the Romanian film "Queen Marie of Romania”, "Animation Quarantine” from Bulgaria, the Australian film "Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears”, and the Canadian film "Nadia,Butterfly”. 

The screening of movies and documentaries on the RFC’s social media platforms lasts six days as from the date of its launch.