by Raynald Rivera
The Ajyal Youth Film Festival (AYFF), a unique festival that brings to the fore the best in international youth cinema, will see an expanded third edition, Doha Film Institute (DFI) has announced.
The event will be extended by one day to allow for an expansion to the competitive sections voted on by the youth jury, DFI said yesterday, while announcing the third edition will be held from November 29 to December 5.
‘Ajyal’, Arabic for ‘generations’, brings people of all ages together through screenings and events that inspire creative interaction and stimulate cinematic dialogue. Youth participation is at the heart of the Festival and its jury programme provides young people between the ages of 8 and 21 with an opportunity to watch, analyse and discuss films from all over the world, developing critical thinking, self-expression, and an appreciation of cinema.
The second edition of the festival took place in December 2014, and hosted 450 young jurors of 45 nationalities who viewed and critiqued 61 short films, documentaries and narrative features under four categories based on age groups namely Bader category for ages 18-21, Hilal (13-17), Mohaq (8-12) and Bariq (4 years up).
The jury selected five best filmmakers for awards — one short film each from Bader, Hilal and Mohaq categories and two feature films from Hilal and Bader categories. Registration for the youth jury opens in September.
Last year’s AYFF also held public screenings and events which included the world premiere of Palestinian racing documentary, Speed Sisters, and the regional premiere of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet attended by producer Salma Hayek and directors Roger Allers and Mohammed Saeed Harib.
The film programme featured 90 films from 43 countries including critically acclaimed award-winners Whiplash by Damien Chazelle, Theeb by Naji Abu Nowar, Gente de Bien by Franco Lolli and Macondo by Sudabeh Mortezai along with a programme of 20 films by Qatar-based filmmakers screening in the popular Made in Qatar section.
The films in the Made in Qatar section were made by Qataris and residents, including independent Qatari productions as well as winners of DFI’s filmmaking challenges. The ‘Made in Qatar’ programme is a highlight of the festival as it underlines DFI’s mandate of supporting a home-grown film culture in Qatar.
Twelve short films from the ‘Made in Qatar’ programme last year are screening at the Short Film Corner at the ongoing 68th Cannes Film Festival.
Although it is a very young event, the festival has seen great strides from its inaugural edition which was held for five days and screened 42 films.
DFI CEO and AYFF Director Fatma Al Remaihi, said: “In just two editions, we have defined a unique niche for Ajyal in the international film festival landscape. The first two editions have shown us that we can make a positive impact on young people’s lives through cinema, and the feedback we have received from festival-goers both young and old, reinforces our belief that there is a need for a cultural event of our own that addresses the creativity of our youth.“
The third edition of the Festival will welcome back popular initiatives including The Sandbox digital exhibition space, outdoor screenings and the Doha Giffoni Youth Summit industry gathering.
Katara Cultural Village continues as the ‘Cultural Partner’ to the Festival for the third year running. Occidental Petroleum Corporation will serve as a ‘Principal Partner’ marking its third year of partnership with the Institute.
The Peninsula
