Iran's official entry to the 2017 Academy Awards The Salesman is one of the must watch movies at Ajyal 2016.
DOHA: Six critically acclaimed films comprise the first line-up of films which will screen at the fourth Ajyal Youth Film Festival to be held from November 30 to December 5, Doha Film Institute (DFI) announced yesterday.
The selected films include films of acclaimed filmmakers such as Ken Loach, Gianfranco Rosi, Asghar Farhadi, Taika Waititi, Michaël Dudok de Wit and newcomer Babak Anvari, who are some of the most powerful voices within the international film community.
DFI CEO Fatma Al Remaihi said that, “We are delighted to announce the first selection of films that will screen at Ajyal Youth Film Festival this year, featuring a diverse and captivating showcase of award-winning feature films and documentaries, including four Middle East premieres. The six films present a wonderful showcase of how today’s filmmakers use the medium to present stories that touch a chord within you. The emotional context of these movies is intense while their visual aesthetics present new perspectives for emerging filmmakers.
“Each of the six films that arrive in Doha has made its mark for their impactful content, cinematic treatment and compelling narrative, and have won critical acclaim. They will provide extraordinary insights on global cinema for our young jurors and audiences in Doha.”
Described as a ‘wordless wonder’ and a touching cinematic ode to the cycle of life, acclaimed Dutch-British animator Michaël Dudok de Wit’s The Red Turtle (La Tortue rouge) will be the closing gala of this year’s Festival, marking the film’s MENA premiere. It premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize.
Also making a beeline for Doha following a critical acclaim at international film festivals is I, Daniel Blake, the winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, and the Audience Award at the Locarno International Film festival.
Not to miss is Fire at Sea (Fuocoammare) directed by Gianfranco Rosi. Iran’s official entry to the 2017 Academy Awards, and winner of the Best Screenplay and Best Actor Awards in the official competition section at Cannes 2016, Asghar Farhadi’s The Salesman will make its MENA debut at Ajyal 2016.
Also screening at Ajyal is Hunt for the Wilderpeople directed by Taika Waititi. DFI-grantee Under the Shadow, a thriller by Babak Anvari will mark the opening of the Ajyal’s first Midnight Screening. The festival includes the Ajyal Competition with entries in the Mohaq (New Moon), Hilal (Crescent), and Bader (Full Moon) segments evaluated by young Ajyal jurors aged 8 to 21 years. It also features the Bariq (Sparkle) programme for jurors-in-training, aged 4 to 7 and their families, Special Screenings, Thematic Tributes, Cinema Under the Stars, and the Creativity Hub.
