DOHA: The National Health Insurance Company (NHIC) and the Doha Film Institute (DFI) have launched a filmmaking competition for young Qatari filmmakers on the theme “Tradition of Care” in Qatari society.
“As a social health insurance scheme providing all Qataris with access to healthcare, the concept of ‘caring’, of supporting people, is at the very core of what Seha does. Our objective in partnering with the DFI is to explore the tradition of care that has long existed in Qatar and to reflect what this means in our society and to the public. Doing so through the eyes of aspiring young filmmakers is a fantastic opportunity to support local talent and the burgeoning cultural scene in the country,” said Dr Faleh Mohamed Hussain Ali, acting CEO of the NHIC.
Fatma Al Remaihi, Acting CEO of DFI said: “We are delighted to partner with Seha on this project which we believe will draw attention to an important aspect of our community minded society. It is through partnerships such as this, that we can harness young talent in our community and give them the tools they need to share stories from their own perspective. I thank NHIC for the opportunity to collaborate for the benefit of local filmmakers and look forward to sharing the results with the community of Doha at the upcoming Ajyal Youth Film Festival in December.”
Participants in the filmmaking challenge will write, produce, shoot and edit compelling short films with the support of mentors from the Institute. The challenge kicked off with an intensive five-day workshop led by acclaimed Emirati screenwriter Mohammed Hassan Ahmed known for such films as Sea Shadow. More than 15 script ideas were pitched by the workshop participants and six were selected to progress to the production phase. The completed films will be viewed by a panel of judges consisting of NHIC and DFI representatives, with the best three selected for screening at the “Made in Qatar” section of Ajyal Youth Film Festival.
The Peninsula
