NOTICE OF FESITIVAL SUSPENSION

27 September, 2011

Dear Friends of the Jordan Short Film Festival,

After careful consideration we have decided to suspend the 2011 session of the Jordan Short Film Festival as a statement of protest.

Since the start of the Arab Spring, two Jordanians have been murdered in cold blood by pro-regime agents. Mr. Khairy Jameel (57) and Mr. Mohammad Ajouri (23) have paid a heavy price for their love for freedom and justice in Jordan. A courageous young man, Jalal Ashqar (22), was left paralyzed. A government-imposed media gag has kept their stories in the dark.

Since these horrific tragedies, not one film about the Arab Spring in Jordan has been produced, to the best of our knowledge. Jordanian filmmakers are either too afraid to touch this subject or too complacent, considering the only Jordanian film fund is governmental.

At the JSFF, we think it would be intellectually dishonest for us to have an independent Jordanian film festival in a cinema environment where stories about poeple and events that shape the future of our country cannot be told.

We will review our decision next year to decide if we should continue or if we should suspend the festival indefinitely.

Furthermore, films produced by the Amman Filmmakers Cooperative, the entity coordinating the festival, will not participate in local cinema events that promote a false sense of business as usual.

Until the situation improves markedly or until those who committed the crimes are brought to justice, we see no reason to change our decision.

We wish to thank our fellow filmmakers who were patient with us and beg their forgiveness and understating.

Regards,

Hazim Bitar

JSFF Founer & Director