MAD Short THE WOODLAND wins Amman’s Black Iris Award

Firas Al-Taybeh’s THE WOODLAND just won the Black Iris Award for Best Short Film — an honor it is sharing with Ahmed Alyaseer’s OUR MALES AND FEMALES — at the closing ceremony of the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film, where it held its Jordanian premiere only a few days prior.

THE WOODLAND follows two estranged brothers who find themselves in the untamed wilderness as they embark on a journey to bury their father.

Reunited in the wake of tragedy after years of tense separation, the two brothers find themselves at a crossroads where they need to confront their shared past before making a pivotal decision.

The film is written and directed by Al-Taybeh; produced by Majd Hijjawi and Ahmed Amer; lensed by Ghassan Nazmi; edited by Eyad Hamam; and stars Khaled Al-Ghwairi and “O” Oday Fawaz. Meanwhile, MAD Solutions’ international sales arm MAD World is handling the movie’s distribution worldwide.

Firas Al-Taybeh is a Jordanian filmmaker and actor who initially pursued his passion for the arts at Jordan University, before honing his skills in filmmaking at the prestigious Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts.

With over five years of experience teaching at SAE College Jordan, Al-Taybeh has written and directed a number of acclaimed fiction and documentary short films, including AL WADI and AN INVISIBLE FACE. As an actor, his diverse filmography spans features, drama series, and shorts such as FARHA, WHEN I SAW YOU, and KABREET 45.