DOHA: Ajyal Youth Film Festival 2014 will today celebrate the culmination of Qatar-Brazil 2014 Year of Culture and the start of the 2015 Qatar-Turkey Year of Culture with the screening of two films that will appeal to all ages.
Throughout 2014, Doha Film Institute (DFI) has presented monthly screenings of moves by acclaimed Brazilian filmmakers in partnership with Qatar Museums to mark Qatar-Brazil Year of Culture.
Today, the successful initiative will feature a red carpet ceremony and a special screening of the award-winning Brazilian film The Boy and the World.
Directed by Ale Abreu, the silent film is about Cuca, who lives a happy, simple life in the countryside. One day, his father leaves for the capital in search of work, marking the end of Cuca’s childhood. He then decides to take the journey to reunite with his father, an adventure that opens his eyes to the harsh reality of a hostile world.
An extraordinary feast for the eyes that captures the heart and the mind, the animated film draws inspiration from 19th and 20th century art. It will be screened at 7pm at Katara Opera House.
Also to be screened is Ice Cream, written and directed by Serhat Karaaslan, to mark the beginning of 2015 Qatar-Turkey Year of Culture.
The film is about Rojhat, 11, who is incorrigible at the best of times and goes on overdrive when an ice cream man makes a rare visit to his remote Turkish village. The short film is a charming, comic statement to the determination of youth. Karaaslan will attend the screening.
Meanwhile, the first Doha Giffoni Youth Media Summit began, highlighting the need for ‘thinking digitally’ to engage with youth more effectively.
It also stresses that the fundamental challenge is to understand what young people need.
The summit aims to draft an action plan over the next six months to manage cultural events and initiatives for children and youth. An integral part of the second Ajyal Youth Film Festival, the summit is attended by over 36 film industry professionals from around the world to exchange views on the state of cinema for youth with a focus on how new media and social networks are affecting it. The Peninsula
