The Joy Awards, which will take place on January 2, 2023, is organised by MBC Group.
After being released in more than 23 theatres in Saudi Arabia, Jordanian filmmaker Zaid Abu Hamdan’s debut feature, Daughters of Abdulrahman will compete for the General Entertainment Authority’s Joy Awards — the largest ceremony to recognise and honour artistic achievements in the Arab world — which is scheduled to be held on January 2, 2023.
The Joy Awards, which are organised by MBC Group, feature 13 awards that will be handed out to nominated female and male celebrities across various genres and categories.
The four-time-award-winning film is gearing up for an international tour at several prestigious film festivals, such as the Arab Film Festival in Zurich on November 17 and 20.
Additionally, it featured in the Arab Film Festival in Germany, the 10th edition of the Calgary Arab Film Nights Festival in Canada, and the Lebanese Film Festival in Canada. Furthermore, it was commercially released in Egypt.
Daughters of Abdulrahman also had a successful commercial tour in the Arab world that included screenings in the UAE, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. It is also the first Jordanian film to screen for 10 consecutive weeks in Jordanian cinemas, in addition to another two weeks of special screenings.
Previously, the movie received the Audience Award at four prestigious festivals – the Middle East Now Film Festival in Italy, the FEST – New Directors/New Films Festival in Portugal, the Arab Film Festival in San Diego, and the Cairo International Film Festival, where it held its world premiere.
The film follows the storyline of Zainab who wakes up to a shocking discovery that could defame her in the neighbourhood. She quickly calls for her sister’s aid. Yet, fiery Amaal has her own secret struggle and is not having her sister Samah, who is too busy to be there. Meanwhile, Khitam tries to focus on her own mission.
Written and directed by Zaid Abu Hamdan, Daughters of Abdulrahman stars Saba Mubarak, Farah Bsaiso, Hanan Al Hilo, Mariam Al Basha, and Khalid Al Tarifi. It is produced by Pan East Media (Saba Mubarak & Aya Wuhoush), Lagoonie Film Production, Wika Production and Distribution, and Arab Media Network. MAD Solutions handles the film’s distribution in the Arab world.
The film received several funds, including the Doha Film Institute development fund, the Jordan Film Fund of the Royal Film Commission development and production funds, as well as a fund from CineGouna Platform (post-production) at El Gouna Film Festival. The film was also selected among the finalist projects at the Tribeca Film Festival – All Access programme, and selected for RFC Rawi Screenwriters Lab.
