Doha Film Institute (DFI) is showcasing 17 ‘Made in Qatar’ films at the fourth Ajyal Youth Film Festival to be held at Katara from November 30 to December 5.
Made in Qatar programme is one of the most popular segments of Ajyal which was conceptualised in 2009.
This year, Ajyal brings two programmes of short films that include narratives, documentaries and essays, and marks a milestone with the world premieres of the first completed projects from the 2015 Qatar Film Fund recipients; Al-Johara and Amer-An Arabian Legend, and The Waiting Room and Kashta, recipients of the Institute’s Grants Programme.
The dedicated showcase curates an annual slate of films conceptualised and produced by the new generation of filmmaking talent including Qatari directors and filmmakers based in the country. Several of these films are made by independent filmmakers, students of Qatar University or Northwestern University in Qatar, or with the support of the Doha Film Institute’s workshops and funding programmes.
An eminent jury of film industry professionals will evaluate the ‘Made in Qatar’ showcase to award the Best Film. This year, the jury comprises Bahraini actress Haifa Hussain, Director of the Fire Station Gallery Khalifa Al Obaidly and Emirati director and producer Nayla Al Khaja. DFI CEO Fatma Al Remaihi, said: “The ‘Made in Qatar’ films are our national pride. They reflect the founding aspiration of DFI and our continued focus on film education, funding and support to nurture a new generation of filmmaking professionals, right here in Qatar.
“This year’s focus on short films was led by our vision to not only extend the opportunity to more talents but also to challenge the creativity and executional brilliance of our filmmakers. Short films are a tough medium to execute; their brevity makes the effort more challenging and we wanted our young filmmakers to bring out their best.
The selection of this year’s ‘Made in Qatar’ films includes 9956 directed by Zaki Hussain, Amer: An Arabian Legend by Jassim Al Rumaihi, Ben Al Alam w Al-Din (Between Science and Religion) by Hamida Issa, Daz by Shoog Shaheen, Al-Johara by Nora Al-Subai , Kashta by AJ Al Thani, Shishbarak by Bayan Dahdah, Makh’bz by Aisha R. Al Muhannadi, Caravan by Suzannah Mirghani, Dana’s Kite by Noor Al-Nasr, Dunia by Amer Jamhour, Love Blood Test by Mostafa Sheshtawy, Fragile by Khalifa Al Marri, More Than Two Days by Ahmed Abdelnaser Ahmed, Passport by Dana Al-Meer, Um Khalifa by Alanood Al-Kuwari, and The Waiting Room by Hend Fakhroo.
The films will be screened with a Red Carpet ceremony to be attended by the young filmmakers on Thursday, December 1 at 7pm at Katara Drama Theatre. Tickets are priced QR25 and are available at the Ajyal Box Office from November 16 at 2pm.
