In a heartfelt and sincere acceptance speech, Mohannad Al-Bakri — the Managing Director of the Jordanian Royal Film Commission (RFC) — dedicated the Arab Cinema Personality of the Year Award, which he received from the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) at this year's edition of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), to Palestinian filmmakers, while also acknowledging the ACC's role in elevating the film industry and amplifying the voices of Arab storytellers on a global scale.
The award ceremony was held at ACC's booth at the Berlinale on Saturday, February 18th in the presence of notable figures in the film industry, including two previous recipients of the aforementioned award — producer and scriptwriter Mohamed Hefzy and Mohamed Keblawi, the Founder and General Manager of the Malmo Arab Film Festival — President of the Cairo International Film Festival Hussein Fahmy, and filmmaker Marianne Khoury.
With genuine humility and gratitude, Al-Bakri expressed his deep appreciation for being honored with this milestone in his illustrious career, saying, “I am grateful to the ACC, particularly to Alaa and Maher, for their recognition and acknowledgment of the work done by the RFC and the success achieved by the Jordanian film industry internationally over the past few years.”
“The support of organizations such as the ACC is instrumental in elevating the film industry in the region and making our voices, our stories, and our narratives heard by the world,” he continued
Al-Bakri also took a moment to shed light on the challenging circumstances Palestine is grappling with nowadays, saying, “I dedicate this award, in this very difficult period time in our region, to all the filmmakers and artists in Palestine, Gaza, and the West Bank. More than ever, their voices need to be heard. We cannot help but hope strongly for their safety against all odds.”
After starting at the RFC in 2007 as a capacity-building manager, Al-Bakri quickly rose to the title of managing director by 2009. Before that, he kicked off his professional career at the Hashemite Fund for Human Development, where he developed dynamic programs promoting the active role of youths in society.
Established by MAD Solutions, the ACC is a nonprofit organization registered in Berlin. The ACC provides networking opportunities with representatives of companies and institutions involved in co-production, international sales and distribution, film festivals, commercial exhibitions and industry events.
The organization's activities include hosting film market stands, networking sessions, one-on-one meetings, welcome parties, panel discussions and meetings with international organizations and festivals. It also publishes the Arab Cinema Magazine, which it distributes at leading international film festivals and markets.
