Doha: The EU Youth Short Film Festival is back for its highly anticipated second edition, taking place on November 24–25, 2025 at the vibrant Doha Sands Beach.
This year’s festival promises another unforgettable celebration of creativity, cultural storytelling, and youth voices from Qatar and the European Union. With a special thematic spotlight on “Women in Focus: Empowerment Through Storytelling” on the second day, the festival will continue to explore bold ideas and human stories through the lens of young filmmakers.
The Delegation of the European Union to the State of Qatar in a statement has invited Qatari filmmakers under the age of 35 to submit their short films for consideration.
As part of the festival, a panel of international and local experts will award prizes in two categories: Best Picture and Best Screenplay.
Last year’s Best Picture award went to Olayan by Qatari filmmaker Khalifa Al Marri, a touching story of a young Bedouin boy and his camel. The Best Screenplay award went to It’s Nice in Here by Dutch filmmaker Robert-Jonathan Koeyers.
Two Qatari films, Through Her Eyes by Lolwa Al Jassim and A Simple Cut by Maha Al Jufairi, received Honourable Mentions for their powerful storytelling and social themes. This year’s winners will be celebrated during an award ceremony on the closing night of the festival.
Application is open to Qatari nationals or residents under 35 years of age and films must be 20 minutes or less. It must include English subtitles if not in English and all genres are welcome including fiction, documentary, animation, experimental.
Films must be submitted by email to: [email protected] and the deadline for submissions is August 30, 2025.
More exciting programming will be announced soon, including opportunities for youth engagement and expert-led masterclasses.
