A still from Ari
Twenty-four short films from 19 countries are competing at the fourth Ajyal Youth Film Festival from November 30 to December 5 at Katara Cultural Village.
From political statements to heartwarming tales of love and loss, the shorts include international film festival award winners, that invariably make an emotional connect with audiences.
The films will be evaluated by the Ajyal Jurors during the six-day festival. Jurors aged 8 to 12 will watch and discuss films under the Mohaq category with nine short films to be screened. Jurors aged 13 to 17 comprise the Hilal jury, who will watch six short films. The Bader jury comprising young people aged 18 to 21 will watch nine short films.
Each of the three Ajyal Juries will choose the Best Film from their categories, and the directors of the winning films will receive funding support for their next film. This year, four short films that are part of the Ajyal Competition will also vie for the top honours in the Made in Qatar awards open for filmmakers from Qatar or those who call Qatar home.
Fatma Al Remaihi, Festival Director and CEO of Doha Film Institute, said: “We are proud of our selection of films in the Shorts category, one of the most difficult formats. We sourced films from across the world to present our jurors a vivid cross-section of movies that present new perspectives on life and contributes to their development as responsible global citizens. In line with the theme of our festival, we focused on films that inspire our audiences with the lighter as well as profound side of life, and encourages them to contribute to positive social change.”
The short films in the Mohaq category include Dana’s Kite directed by Noor Al-Nasr, Fish by Andrew Ruiz, Heer by Honey B. Singh, I Don’t Even Like Her by Christelle Al-Kayssar, I’ve Just Had a Dream by Javi Navarro, Kashta by AJ Al Thani, The Moustache by Anni Oja, Riceballs by Shingo Usami, and Tangency by Bashi Kasawneh.
The films in the Hilal category are Ari directed by Alex Murawski, Gaurav and the Kites by André Hörmann, King’s Day by Steven Wouterlood, More Than Two Days by Ahmed Abdelnaser, Pien, Queen of the Bees by Ellen Vloet, and The Rifle, the Jackal, the Wolf and the Boy by Oualid Mouaness.
Bader section comprises 2016 Oscar-nominated Ave Maria by Basil Khalil, Damaged Goods by Nermin Hamzagi?, Mariam by Faiza Ambah, The Silence by Ali Asgari and Farnoosh Samadi, Dry Hot Summers by Sherif Elbendary, A New Home by
