By Raynald C Rivera
DOHA: A total of 147 films from 50 countries will be screened at the 11th annual Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival from November 26 to 29 at the Ritz-Carlton Doha.
The films include 30 long, 50 medium, 47 short and 20 new horizon ones. They were chosen from among 775 submitted by TV channels and production companies, independent filmmakers and international institutes from 90 countries.
They will be viewed and judged by a 15-member jury from different countries who will choose the finest films for Al Jazeera awards, including Al Jazeera Golden Award, Jury Award, Best Director Award, Best Camerawork Award and New Horizon Award.
Special awards, including Al Jazeera Documentary Channel Award, Public Liberties an Human Rights Award, and Child and Family Award will also be given during the closing ceremony on November 29. A total of QR600,000 will be given to the winners. With 17 entries, Spain has the most number of films, followed by China (16) and Qatar (13). “We received some good films this year from Qatari filmmakers, some of them from Qatar TV and Al Jazeera. I feel there are good and promising young directors in Qatar,” Festival Director Abbas Arnaout told a press conference yesterday.
Three countries are participating for the first time - Guinea-Bissau, Jamaica and Cape Verde.
The themes of the films are varied, but most common among the entries from the Arab world is the Palestinian issue as in the past editions of the festival, said Arnaout.
Organised under the patronage of Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, Chairman, Al Jazeera Media Network Board, the festival carries the theme ‘Horizons.’
“We look at the first year of the second decade of the festival as a search. We try to go beyond what we did before, new horizons, new places, new ideas, new films, hence this year’s theme is Horizons,” said Arnaout.
He foresees a good future for documentary films he believes are relevant in the world today more than ever. “Documentary films are becoming so important in education and culture, so I’d like to invite people to come and watch the films during the festival.” The festival will also feature an exhibition in which 27 production companies and institutes from 14 countries are taking part.
The Peninsula
