A scene from the film ‘Bachir in Wonderland’, which will be showcased at the Ajyal Film Festival.
DOHA: The Ajyal Film Festival competition, this year, will showcase 33 shorts from over 18 countries, including eight ‘Made in Qatar.’
From the first hand-drawn animated film to be produced by DreamWorks Animation since over 15 years to searing tales from the region as well as inspiring ones on hope, resilience and courage, the short films will be evaluated by the young Ajyal Jurors in each of the three categories.
The Ajyal Film Festival competition, which honours the Best Film in each category, is central to the annual cinema event hosted by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) to be held this year from November 28 to December 3 at Katara.
Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of DFI, said: “The diversity of the short films in our competition section highlights the bold new faces of emerging cinema, with talented young people pushing the boundaries of storytelling techniques. The films selected reflect the themes of the festival that celebrates the values of courage, hope and resilience.
In each of the short films, a genre that requires a strong command over the medium, the filmmakers present insights that will surely inspire audiences to reflect on their own lives, communities and the world in ways they may not have done before. We are confident that the short films, including a proud showcase of national films made by Qatari talents, will resonate with our audiences and jurors alike.”
Jurors aged 8 to 12 will watch and discuss films under the Mohaq category which has 12 short films this year, while Hilal Jurors aged 13 to 17 will watch 10 short films. The Bader Jurors, aged 18 to 21, will evaluate 11 shorts. The directors of the Best Film will receive funding support for their next film. The short films in the Mohaq category are Antouni, Bachir in Wonderland, Gubgub, Gummy Gas Crisis, Nasser Goes to Space, Odd is an Egg, Post No Bills, Sh’hab, Siblings, The Elephant’s Song, Two Balloons, and Two Trams. The short films in the Hilal category are As My Father Was, Bird Karma, Changyou’s Journey, Drop by Drop, Killing Hope, Last Stop is the Moon, Millennials, One in 50 Million, Radiance, and Sirocco.
The short films in the Bader category are Amphitheater, Brotherhood, Carlotta’s Face, Commodity City, I Don’t Believe In You But Then There is Gravity, Inanimate, Negative Space, The Bleaching Syndrome, The Craft, The Reason, July 2017, and Transformation.
Tickets for Ajyal Film Festival screenings are priced at QR25 for general screening and are available online or in-person at Ajyal FNAC Ticket Outlets (located at Doha Festival City and Lagoona Mall) or from the Ajyal Katara Main Box Office in Katara Building 12.
