Logo The Royal Film Commission Jordan / Photo Credit: The Royal Film Commission Jordan
JORDAN CINEMA… (In the Entertainment
industry. History of Jordan Cinema)
Bruce
Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.
Jordan Cinema
The Royal Film Commission Jordan
Film in Jordan
Jordan is a country with strong political support and a
variety of locations that have been used by filmmakers from all over the world.
Films that have been shot in Jordan include Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
which was filmed in Petra' in 1988. Lawrence of Arabia directed by David Lean
was filmed in the Wadi Rum desert in 1961. Recent films that were shot in
Jordan are The Hurt Locker directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Redacted directed by
Brian De Palma, some second unit scenes from Transformers: Revenge of the
Fallen, Fair Game starring Sean Penn, and Battle for Haditha directed by Nick
Broomfield. Jordanian films such as Captain Abu Raed were also conceived and
filmed in the country.
In 2003, Jordan developed the Royal Film Commission – Jordan
to encourage filmmaking in the country and to train Jordanian filmmakers in the
art of making cinema. Before the RFC, the Amman Filmmakers Cooperative had been
active in promoting digital filmmaking through free workshops in Amman and
marginalized communities in Jordan. Films by the Amman Filmmakers Cooperative
have been well received internationally and won numerous awards.
The commission was created to promote Jordan as a place
where people from the Middle East can freely make films in collaboration with
the world's most talented filmmakers. Although Jordan lacks significant support
services such as studios, labs and film equipment vendors, the country has
recently been used to recreate many areas in the Middle East which might be too
unpredictable to film in, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and the Palestinian
territories. Director Brian De Palma said that choosing Jordan to fill in for
Iraq made sense; "The terrain is very similar to Iraq; plus they have
close to a million Iraqi refugees there."
2007 was a big year for the Jordanian filmmaking
community, with 10 feature films having been shot on location there, three of
the films having been homegrown productions.
In 2008, Jordan created the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic
Arts, a graduate school offering a Master of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts.
In 2015, Jordan has received praise for its film called
Theeb directed by Naji Abu Nowar which talks about the Ottoman province of
Hijaz during World War I, when a young Bedouin boy experiences a greatly
hastened coming of age as he embarks on a perilous desert journey to guide a
British officer to his secret destination. In January 2016, for the first time
ever for Jordan, the film was nominated in the 88th Academy Awards for Best
Foreign Language Film.
Emerge Films Solutions
Jordan Film & Photography Production Services
Are you a media company, brand, ad agency or production
company looking for film / photography production support or shooting crew in
Jordan? We have fully vetted, locally based fixers, service producers, directors,
DP’s, videographers, cameramen, photographers, sound operators, production
drivers, and a range of other film crew. Contact us for referrals, questions,
cost estimates and references.
Want to know more about shooting in Jordan? See below for
an introduction to Jordan locations, permits, when to shoot, costs, talent,
crews, equipment, art department, studios, post facilities, visas and work
permits, film friendly hotels, transport, communications and safety advice.
Jordan Film Locations
Jordan is best known for its wealth of historic and
natural locations. There are also many locations that double well for filming
in countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Amman is the capital and main film production centre.
Parts of Amman look like Ramallah and other parts can be made to look like
Baghdad. Historic film locations of interest include a Roman amphitheater and
citadel, traditional Arab markets and the Temple of Hercules.
Jerash is a well preserved Roman city 45km north of Amman.
Bethany, the site revered as the place where Jesus Christ
was baptized by John the Baptist is 40km west of Amman.
The Christian city of Madaba is 40km south of Amman. Mount
Nebo Moses Memorial Church is the presumed site of The Prophet Moses’ death and
burial place. A small square church was built on the spot by early Byzantine
Christians. St. George Church, built in 1884 over the remains of a Byzantine
church has a famous Byzantine mosaic map of the Holy Land and Jerusalem dated
around 560 AD. Machaerus, the hilltop stronghold of Herod the Great where John
the Baptist was beheaded.
The Dead Sea is 45km west of Amman. Sitting at 400 meters
below sea level is believed to be the site of five biblical cities: Sodom,
Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar (Bela). Lot’s Cave – The cave is on a hill
near a tiny spring, overlooking the Dead Sea. Desert castles – Scattered
throughout the various deserts in Jordan. Built mostly under the Umayyads (AD
650-750). Ajloun Castles are 60km north of Amman. Karak Castle and Al-Shobaq in
the south built by the crusaders. All the above mentioned castles are well
preserved.
Wadi Rum. The land of the Bedouin and Lawrence of Arabia,
Wadi Rum offers an outstanding desert landscape 300km outside of Amman. Rum
Farm cultivation in the desert landscape offers some interesting aerial
photography.
Petra. The ancient city of the Nabataeans. Built more than
2000 years ago. It can be found 250km south of Amman.
Aqaba. Located on the Red Sea Aqaba offers sandy beaches,
coral reefs and world class diving. Aqaba is 350km from Amman.
Wadi Moujeb Reserve. Hot springs inside a gorge. The
reserve area is located in the deepest point on earth. This is 50km west from
Amman.
Parts of Salt look exactly like Jerusalem and have been
used to double for that location.
Umm Qais also boasts the most undisturbed ruins in the
Kingdom (the city was never resettled like Gerash). They have had less
reconstruction work than the ruins in Gerash, but the view of the Sea of
Galilee makes up for it.
Jordan also offers a variety of beautiful natural scenes
such as rivers, canyons, natural spas and valleys. The Jordan Valley doubles
well for Afghanistan.
Agricultural locations of interest include plantations of
dates, olives, figs, almonds, grapes and apricots.
Jordan has played host to an array of big Hollywood
features including The Martian, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Zero Dark
Thirty, The Hurt Locker, Lawrence of Arabia, Indiana Jones and the Last
Crusade, Prometheus and Brüno.
Jordan Film Location Permits
Most public locations are free to permit. Filming b-roll
around Amman usually takes no more than a day to permit. Shoots that require
exclusive use of public space or large equipment setups take no more than a
week to permit. Drone filming is possible but strictly controlled. Permits take
around 2 – 3 weeks to process. Filming at refugee camps is highly restricted,
so plenty of lead time is required. On the whole though, Jordan is a very
film-friendly country. The Royal Film Commission is active in making sure your
shoot is a safe, easy and inexpensive experience. Compared to other countries
in the region, Jordan also offers relatively easy access to full military
rental services. Please contact us for location specific information.
When to Shoot?
Jordan’s climate has regional variations with higher
elevations experiencing cold winters and lower lying areas experiencing very
hot summers. From March to May the weather is temperate and everything is
green. June to August has the longest days for shooting although temperatures
can get very hot in desert areas. September to November has cloudy, cooler
weather. December to February can get very cold and rainy with snow a
possibility. For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Festivals and events of interest to filmmakers and
photographers include:
• Muharram, the start of the Islamic New Year, in January…
• Aqaba Traditional Arts Festival in February celebrates
Bedouin culture…
• Jerash Festival in July…
• The Jordan Rally takes place in October…
It’s best to avoid filming during Ramadan as many services
close during this period.
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs.
See here for public holiday dates in Jordan.
Costs & Tax Incentives
Costs. It’s all job specific but on average Jordan is at a
similar price point to other service centres in the Middle East. Compared to
Egypt for instance, key crew and talent in Jordan are more expensive but on the
other hand public locations are free of charge. Supporting crew in Jordan are
inexpensive. Hotels are much cheaper in Jordan than Egypt or UAE. Jordan is
also overall less expensive and has less red tape than Israel. Equipment in
Jordan is more costly as most of it needs to be brought in from abroad. Our
Jordanian fixer / service producer will negotiate local deals and provide the
appropriate level of production support to match every budget.
Tax Incentives. Since the film negative (or hard drive) is
considered an export, foreign productions are exempt from the 16% sales tax.
Other than that there are no specific rebates or other tax incentives offered.
Film Crew & Talent
Crews. Jordan has a small pool of local directors,
videographers and stills photographers. Jordan has professional,
internationally experienced crews that speak fluent English. Often visiting
crews will bring in their own focus puller and clapper loader to ensure a more
cohesive team. All other crew including a sound operator, grip, gaffer, hair
and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, are available locally.
Contact us if you are looking for a director, DP,
photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant
(focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA /
runner, production driver, or any other film crew for your shoot in Jordan.
Talent both union and non-union but mainly the latter.
Jordan offers mostly Middle Eastern looks from dark
Bedouin looks to almost Caucasian European looks. Its close proximity to other
major European production centers allows easy access to those multicultural
pools of talent should you ever need to look further.
Jordan has several talent agencies and street casting is
also common.
Jordan Film Equipment
Jordan offers complete grip and lighting kits but camera
equipment needs to be brought in from abroad. Lebanon is the closest production
centre an hour flight away. Dubai also has all of the standard and specialized
equipment you might need for a shoot.
For productions intending to bring in equipment Jordan is
not an ATA carnet country. Bringing in gear is an easy process. You provide a
list of gear you are bringing in including serial numbers and the passport
information on the crew member responsible for the gear. Our local fixer /
producer arranges for an official to meet you at the arrival gate and take you
through customs. Note for aerial drones, the government policy is that a
representative of the army will collect your drone once you arrive, deliver it
to set, and then return it to you at the airport when you leave.
Art Department, Studios, Backlots, & Post Production
Art department and set construction are skillful but tend
to require creative guidance. There are some very talented Jordanian set
designers as well as a great pool of impressive talent from Egypt and Iraq.
Studios. There are several smaller studios all based in
Amman.
Post Production. Jordan offers basic post-production
services but for more complicated work the closest places to post are Tel Aviv
or Beirut which are both a short one hour flight away. Dubai also has
sophisticated post production facilities.
Visas & Work Permits
There is no need for work permits. Film crews travelling
to Jordan on western passports can obtain a visa on arrival at any point of
entry except the Wadi Araba and King Hussein / Allenby Bridge land border
crossings. Visas are valid for stays of up to 30 days.
Transport & Accommodation
Transportation Infrastructure is all up to known and
expected world standards. Jordan is widely considered as having one the more
developed transport infrastructures in the Middle East.
Accommodation. Recommended film friendly hotels in Jordan
include:
Amman:
Four seasons
Grand Hyatt
Canyon Boutique Hotel
Aqaba (Red Sea):
Kempinski Hotel Aqaba Red Sea
Moevenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba
Please contact us for corporate rates.
For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.
Final Notes
Safety. See here for up to date travel advice.
Projects. For an example of TV commercials, stills
campaigns, online content, corporate videos, virtual reality 360 content,
feature films, TV series and documentaries shot in Jordan
Sources,
References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked
In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The
Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media Match, Quora, Creative
Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily Variety, The Film
Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend, Producer's Code of
Credits, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Variety, Emerge Film
Solutions, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Jordan News, "Jordan's Film
Industry Aims for the Stars", The Royal Film Commission,
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Logo The
Royal Film Commission Jordan / Photo Credit: The Royal Film Commission Jordan
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