The 6th edition of Karama Human Rights Film Festival was held in Amman on Dec 5-10, 2015. Over the course of 6 days, the festival screened 67 human rights films from all genres and durations. It also presented a specialized panel discussion entitled “Art confronting extremism”, musical concerts, and a dance performance, as well as an extensive outreach program that was mounted in Jordanian universities, community centers and refugee camps.
Karama held outreach screenings in governorates mainy Karama Irbid’s screenings, in addition to major sessions in al Za’atari camp for Syrian refugees in the north of the kingdom.
This edition also featured the Karama Feather Award for Best Feature documentary, of which the winner was “A Flickering Truth” from New Zealand, and the Karama Feather Award for Best Short Fiction, was awarded to “We could have, we should have, we didn’t…” from Germany, and finally the Karama Feather Award for Best Animated Film which went to “Dinner for Few” from Greece and USA.
The festival also hosted 35 Arab and international festival guests of directors, producers, critiques, who all participated in the various festival activities.
The theme of the year came as a cultural and artistic action towards the transformations that occurred to the Arab region in the last several decades, which transformed it into a state of unrest, instability, insecurity and tragically, converted it into death grounds. Understandably, individuals and societies have been searching desperately for an exit from this existence. Some have turned to religion, others to activism, some moved out of the region and unfortunately, several have chosen the path of extremism and terrorism.
Further on, the festival came as a response to the massive rise in extremist ideologies and subsequent atrocities has led to a rise in sectarianism and hate affecting communities and youth especially, already suffering from major problems within the region to additional terror.
As art can erode the pillars of extremism, through the audio-visual discourse, and the space of freedom that it gives to transmit true feelings and opinions.
For these reasons, Karama Human Rights Film Festival acknowledged the importance of getting back to the core of what it means to be human: our spirit, breeding compassion, love, peace and reawakening our human ethics and moral values. Thus, Karama HRFF has chosen ‘Back to the Human Spirit vs. Extremism’ as the main theme for its 6th edition.
Under this theme, and through the screening of 67 films, dance and music performances, student programs, discussions and other cultural activities, Karama HRFF is creating a platform and a safe space where artists and audiences can communicate and address their individual and collective concerns through art.