Under the theme “Youth Wellbeing,” Mentor Arabia, in partnership with Zain Jordan, Anghami, the Royal Film Commission – Jordan, and the Royal Health Awareness Society, held the awards ceremony for the third edition of the “Youth Empowerment Films & Songs Competition” on Monday, October 24, 2022, at the King Hussein Business Park Theatre in Amman, Jordan.
The ceremony was attended by Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, President of Mentor International, and took place in the presence of H.E. Mohammad Al Nabulsi, Jordan’s Minister of Youth. The event welcomed over 500 young people, alongside cultural, artistic, social, and media figures, as well as representatives from partner institutions and organizations.
During the ceremony, 15 talented young men and women, aged 18 to 30, from across the Arab region were honored for their outstanding creative work, selected from more than 3,000 film and song submissions. The awarded works reflected powerful youth voices addressing wellbeing, mental health, resilience, identity, and pressing social and humanitarian challenges.
The third edition of the competition aimed to raise awareness around youth wellbeing, promote healthy lifestyles, and encourage young people to express their fears, aspirations, and lived realities through artistic and creative storytelling. It also sought to inspire youth to pursue excellence in their professional journeys while benefiting from mentorship and guidance opportunities provided through the initiative.
Launched in 2017, the Youth Empowerment Films & Songs Competition has grown into a regional platform dedicated to supporting and empowering young Arab talents in film and music. Beyond recognizing creative excellence, the competition provides a safe and inclusive space for youth to voice their perspectives on issues that matter to their communities and societies.
More than an awards program, the initiative incorporates capacity-building workshops and professional mentorship, delivered by established artists and industry experts, helping participants develop their technical skills and creative confidence while strengthening the social impact of their work.
The success of the third edition reaffirmed Mentor Arabia’s commitment to youth empowerment through creativity, wellbeing, and cultural expression, reinforcing the role of art as a powerful tool for social change across the Arab region.
The competition jury includes esteemed artists, celebrities and industry professionals respectively as follow: Abdelsalam El Hajj, Ahmad Khatib, Amin Dora, Bernadette Shramm, Chaker Khazaal, Dhafer L’Abidine, Darin J. Sallam, Essam Youssef, Fayez Al Saeed, Ghida Majzoub, Hamad Al Sarraf, Hend Sabri, Lamia Guiga, Melhem Zein, Michel Fadel, Miled Abi Raad, Mohamed El Bassiouni, Mohammad Mashish, Nizar Francis, Qays Sheikh Najib, Ramy Koussa, Rahma Soliman, Rasha Salib, Said El Marouk, Sam Lahoud, Sharif Abdunnur, Souad Massi, Sophie Boutrous, Thuraya Ismail.
