Ajyal Youth Film Festival opens in Doha

Doha, Nov 29 - The fifth Ajyal Youth Film Festival, organised by the Doha Film Institute (DFI), was launched with a red carpet ceremony to mark the MENA premiere of Nora Twomey’s animated film, The Breadwinner (Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg / 2017). The film is an animated Afghan tale that follows a young girl’s will and determination. It conveys Ajyal’s mission to use power of cinema to shed light on global issues as they affect the young. Fatma al Remaihi, Festival Director and CEO of DFI, welcomed jurors from around the world, of over 550 youth from 45 countries at the official opening of the jurors’ hub. This year, Ajyal has a selection of 103 films from 43 countries, including 20 feature films and 83 short films that address issues ranging from women’s empowerment and the loss of a parent, to cultural resilience and the survival of traditional storytelling, coming-of-age drama and personal achievement. The films have been selected for their messages of hope as well as their depiction of the power and beauty of the human spirit in the face of adversity. The festival will run until December 4. The festival also features special screenings, a Made in Kuwait section, Sony’s Cinema Under the Stars, family weekend activities, including a magical blue carpet event for the youngest cinemagoers, Ajyal Talks and a creativity hub. Partners for the festival are: Katara Cultural Village (Cultural Partner); Qatar Tourism Authority (Strategic Partner); Occidental Petroleum Corporation and Ooredoo are Principal Partners. Zainab al Nassri