OPPORTUNITIES FOR JORDAN'S GROWING FILM INDUSTRY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003326 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/PPD, ECA/PE/C/CU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON KIPR SCUL JO SUBJECT: OPPORTUNITIES FOR JORDAN'S GROWING FILM INDUSTRY REF: AMMAN 3159 ¶1. (U) Summary: After several years with few major film productions, Jordan has been the site of eight feature films in 2007, bringing in approximately $10 million and creating thousands of freelance jobs. The Royal Film Commission (RFC) hopes to benefit from the number of Iraq War-themed movies and has plans to develop a film-related infrastructure in support of this expanding industry. RFC markets Jordan as a location based on its range of desert and urban locations; its ability to double as Iraq; and the availability of the Jordanian Armed Forces' equipment and personnel for shooting. Despite the growth, American industry personnel say that Jordanian film services remain uneven. End Summary. Feature Films -------------- ¶2. (U) In a July 25 meeting with EconOffs, George David, acting General Manager of the Royal Film Commission (RFC),said that 2007 to date has been "incredible," with eight feature film productions in Jordan from the United States, Europe, and the Arab world, including the first Jordanian feature film in 50 years, "Captain Abu Raed." He added that this represented a dramatic increase from the one feature film shot in 2006 and zero in 2005, noting that historically, Jordan has been used for documentaries. David credited Jordan's new success as a film location to the interest in Iraq War movies, as three of the eight have a war theme. Brian De Palma finished shooting "Redacted" in May, while "Hurt Locker," directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce, is currently shooting in several Jordanian cities. Creating Jobs and an Industry -------------- ¶3. (U) David estimated that these eight films have brought in $10 million of revenue to Jordan this year, $4.5 million from "Hurt Locker" alone. He said each production has hired up to 250 Jordanians - nearly half as extras and the others as crowd control, builders, and for transportation. (Freelance work on films can often pay two times the going-rate for a salaried worker.) Many of these freelance positions have gone to the youth and locals at the various filming sites, which has created community buy-in. David commented that very few Jordanians are able to work exclusively in film, but the movies this year have helped to create skills and build a cadre of recommended companies in catering and other craft services. David said one of Jordan's biggest barriers to recruiting other films is its lack of rental transportation, such as make-up trucks and high-end trailers. Jordan also has neither cameras, which must be rented from Europe or Lebanon, nor film processing facilities. ¶4. (U) On August 2, EconOff met with Fadi Sarraf, President of Sandbag Productions, a Jordanian company which produces films and supports international productions shooting in Jordan, including "Hurt Locker" and "Captain Abu Raed." Sarraf agreed that the number of Jordanians working full-time in film was small but growing. He added that no one in Jordan was qualified to serve as the head of a department, i.e. head of photography or sound engineer, but that the number and experience level of the support staff are growing. ¶5. (U) To build film skills, Jordan signed a deal in September 2006 with the University of Southern California (USC) to establish the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts (RSICA) in Aqaba - the Middle East's first film school. Construction is expected to begin soon, with the first students to matriculate in September 2008. A film-making workshop for Jordanian film-makers with USC instructors is currently occurring in Amman. The workshop includes theoretical as well as practical lessons on screenwriting, shooting, producing, editing and directing. ¶6. (U) Embassy Amman's Public Affairs section is also supporting the growing film industry. PA Amman is planning an International Visitor program for ten young Jordanian filmmakers, tentatively scheduled to take place in February, 2008. The three-week program will give up-and-coming Jordanian filmmakers, nominated by the RFC and selected by PA Amman, the opportunity to learn firsthand about all aspects of filmmaking through observation and training with American film experts. Selling Jordan -------------- ¶7. (U) David said that the RFC markets Jordan as a film location by describing its range of desert and urban Arab settings and its ability to double for other locations, including Iraq, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. One of Jordan's key selling points, according to David, is the support of the King "to put Jordan on the film map," which has translated into support by the Jordanian Armed Forces. Army vehicles, weapons, and personnel have been used in five of the recent productions at a minimal cost to the production companies. David mentioned that casts and crews who are initially apprehensive AMMAN 00003326 002 OF 002 about filming in the Middle East typically end up finding Jordan to be a pleasant and secure place to film; he recounted a tale that Natalie Portman only agreed to come to Jordan after being assured protection by the Royal Guards, but then called three days after arriving in country to say that such protection was not necessary. ¶8. (U) The RFC does not, however, promote shooting in preservation sites such as Petra. Since the shooting of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", Petra has been protected as a UNESCO Heritage Site and was recently named a New World Wonder (Ref A). ¶9. (U) Jordan competes most frequently with Morocco and Spain as a film location. Currently, insurance companies will not back productions in Lebanon and are increasingly anxious about Morocco, according to Sarraf. This has benefited Jordan, which has seen a growing interest since De Palma's work here. In order to increase Jordan's visibility, the RFC participates in film festivals and trade shows, particularly the annual trade show sponsored by the Association of Film Commissioners International in Santa Monica. It is also currently applying to become part of the Asian Film Commission Network. ¶10. (U) Other efforts to encourage producers to select Jordan include a proposed sales tax exemption for film production expenditures if producers meet certain conditions, such as hiring more Jordanians. David noted that the RFC is still compiling industry data that will be crucial for selling the draft proposal to the Ministry of Finance and Prime Ministry. ¶11. (U) Post has observed that the RFC has made great strides in film scouting and shows terrific enthusiasm, but still has weaknesses. According to American film industry personnel, the RFC's day-to-day delivery of services - such as catering and arranging location shoot permits - is uneven and can be frustrating. Much of the work that the RFC and Jordanian crew members have done this year, they have done for the first time. One location scout visiting Jordan said that RFC does not have a complete understanding of what types of sites are useful to a film crew. He named for example Karak Castle which is attractive but can only be used as ruins. The same scout said that Wadi Rum, a desert area with tall sandstone monuments, has a great deal of potential as a location. COMMENT -------------- ¶12. (U) Jordan is attempting to take advantage of the interest in Iraq-themed movies to develop its film industry, just as Thailand benefited from the many Vietnam War-themed movies in the 1980s. While the Iraq theme may fade in popularity, it could last long enough to enable Jordan to strengthen its infrastructure of craft services and film professionals. This period is not without growing pains as Jordan's industry learns better what international film crews need, but the increased activity of American and European film crews seems to be helping counter misconceptions of Jordan, as they see for themselves the hospitality of the Jordanian people and the country's relative stability in a volatile region. Visit Amman's Classified Website at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman HALE