DOHA: Doha Film Institute (DFI) is set to develop its ongoing partnership with Italy’s Giffoni Film Festival to provide extensive film experience for the young audience.
With Ajyal Film Festival for the Young taking place in November, DFI is formalising collaboration with Giffoni by signing a cultural partnership agreement.
DFI and Giffoni will benefit from each other’s experiences in programming for younger audiences. DFI will create and launch the Doha Film Experience, an expanded youth jury programme modelled on the previous Doha-Giffoni Experience, to put hundreds of young people in the jury to decide Ajyal’s prize winners.
CEO of DFI, Abdulaziz Al Khater, said: “DFI is moving forward in a new direction, focusing its support on emerging international filmmakers and galvanising the culture of cinema appreciation in Doha. Devising collaborations with like-minded organisations from around the world is part of this thinking.
“The Giffoni Film Festival has firmly established reputation for excellence and lengthy experience in exploring cinema for young people. This makes Giffoni an especially effective partner for DFI in enhancing cinema appreciation among Qatar’s youth.”
The cultural partnership aims to provide a fun and engaging mechanism to facilitate exchange of cultural knowledge and experiences between young audiences from Qatar, Italy and the rest of the world.
Fatma Al Remaihi, Director of Ajyal and DFI’s Head of Programmes, said: “We are excited to have this opportunity to work closely with Giffoni, as we see tremendous potential to design programming and experiences that will strengthen awareness around cinema and give young people space to express themselves creatively and honestly. With Giffoni’s help, we will continue to encourage today’s young people to take on the challenges of the future, so they can become the artists and professionals of tomorrow.”
DFI has had a very productive and successful relationship with the Giffoni Film Festival since 2010. For four years, DFI and Giffoni collaborated on programming for younger audiences, and brought international youth jury members to Doha for the Doha-Giffoni Experience during DFI’s annual film festival, while DFI sent young people to Giffoni to sit on jury there.
Founder and Managing Director of Giffoni Experience, Claudio Gubitosi, said: “We have been working closely with DFI on various initiatives and we are excited to broaden our collaboration through this cultural partnership. DFI shares our dedication to engaging and inspiring younger audiences through film and together we can provide stronger platforms for young people from all over the world to share their experiences and discuss film.” The Peninsula
