HRH Princess Rym Ali, member of the board of commissioners of the Royal Film Commission (RFC), attended the opening of the Jordan Cinema Academy (JCA) on Tuesday evening at the academy's building on the campus of the German Jordanian University (GJU) campus in the Jabal Amman neighborhood.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Princess Rym toured the JCA's facilities and was briefed on their functions.
In a speech during her announcement and ribbon-cutting ceremony, Princess Rym expressed her thanks to the GJU for embracing the JCA project and to the RFC for contributing to the establishment of the academy.
Princess Rym received the GJU's honorary shield from its president, Ala'aldeen Al-Halhuoli.
In a speech during the ceremony, Al-Halhuoli said that the JCA is the result of a strategic partnership between the GJU and the RFC, noting that this partnership and cooperation is a step towards promoting cinematic creativity and supporting ambitious young energies that seek to provide new visions that contribute to enriching the Jordanian and global cultural scene through the lens of the seventh art.
He added that the GJU believes in the importance of supporting artistic innovation and always seeks to enhance cooperation with leading institutions that share the same vision and values with the GJU through this JCA, and aspires to empower a generation of young people with advanced skills in various aspects of filmmaking.
He pointed out that this opening comes as part of the GJU's commitment to expand the scope of academic and cultural cooperation and provide specialized educational programs that meet the needs of the local and regional market in partnership with the RFC and aims to provide a learning environment that combines theoretical knowledge and practical application, which enhances the skills of students and qualifies them to engage in the film industry and media production with high efficiency and professionalism.
Al-Halhuoli said that the JCA is a qualitative addition to the initiatives that aim to promote creativity in various fields, noting that students will work with local and international experts, which opens wide opportunities for them to achieve success in their careers, and reflects the GJU's commitment to providing education that keeps pace with global developments and enhances the role of youth in building a creative and prosperous society.
RFC Director General Mohannad Bakri, said that thanks to the constant support of HRH Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, RFC Chairman, and HRH Princess Rym, who closely follows all RFC's activities and supports its march, the JCA project was realized.
He added that this project would not have seen the light without the GJU, thanking the university and the Ford Foundation for their support in establishing this project.
RFC capability-building Director Abdulsalam Al-Haj gave a presentation on the steps to establish the JCA, its importance and necessity, pointing out that the film industry is renewable, hence its imperative to provide it with specialists.
Al-Haj highlighted the JCA's academic educational program, explaining that it includes four semesters, lasting 16 months, combining theoretical and practical education and granting a technical diploma accredited by the Technical and Vocational Skills Development Commission (TVSDC).
The curriculum, designed by specialists from Jordan and Arab countries, is diverse and targets high school graduates in the age group (18-30 years), Al-Haj added.
At the ceremony, which was attended by a large number of stakeholders, an introductory film about the academy and its students was shown by students of the first batch of the JCA.