BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
DOHA: Emerging filmmakers from Qatar are keen to contribute to building the country’s film culture by making more films. 
“We have very limited production in the Gulf… Maybe because of lack of support, young filmmakers give up. But we will continue as long as we are breathing; we will produce new films,” Abdullah Al Mussaifri, Assistant Director of the film Razfa, told the media yesterday.
The short film is one of the seven which emerged from a seven-day Filmmaking Challenge organised by Doha Film Institute (DFI). 
It is a major part of the ‘Made in Qatar’ segment at the Ajyal Youth Film Festival. “We made the film in the very hot summer and we did it because filmmaking is something we love,” added Al Mussaifri, who has a line-up of short films to shoot next year.
Without any formal background in filmmaking, he honed his craft by attending DFI workshops in the past three years.
Razfa, which is about a teenage Qatari boy who attempts to emulate his father’s sporting achievements, is a celebration of an important aspect of Qatari culture and the country’s efforts in the world of sports, said Ali Al Mehdi, Director of the film.
Al Mehdi, who has directed four short films, including Razfa, said other cultures would be able to appreciate the film which is a combination of Qatari tradition and modern themes.
Dana An Natsheh, who is making her directorial debut with the short film Sweet Violence, said, “DFI has provided me with assistance to understand filmmaking and develop my idea into a film.
“The idea of producing a three-minute movie was really a very old idea in my mind, but it was not very clear, it was ambiguous but as time evolved and I worked with DFI, I was able to understand better the film industry and filmmaking.”
Her film delves into domestic violence which she considers prevalent around the world.
Amal Al Muftah, 18, who directed the film Al Koora also expressed keenness to continue making films.
Her film Split Seconds won the National and Audience awards at this year’s THIMUN Qatar Northwestern Festival. Al Koora tells about a young boy and his sister who attempt to retrieve a lost football in an old Qatari village.
“Time constraint and keeping the enthusiasm of the two main characters,  aged seven and nine, in the film were challenges we faced in making it,” said Mohammed Nairoz, Cinematographer.
Made in Qatar films will be shown tomorrow at 7.45pm at the Katara Drama Theatre. Other films to be screened include My Hero directed by Nora Al Subai, One in Five by Jawaher Al Khater, Sonder by Ali Al Thani and Tooth Fairy by Shaikha Ali.
Batal Wa Resalah (The Hero and the Message), produced by Al Rayyan TV production for Qatar National Day 2012, will also be screened along with two winners of DFI’s 48-hour online Family Film Challenge.
The Peninsula

Ajyal Youth Film Festival: Today’s schedule

DOHA: Wajma (An Afghan Love Story), Afghanistan’s official entry to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, is among the films to be screened today. The film, which won the Screenwriting Award at Sundance 2013, is an unapologetic look at the reality of women caught in situations from where there is no escape. 
Directed by Barmak Akram, Wajma stands out for its vivid settings and naturalistic performances. It will be screened at 10.15pm at Katara 12 Theatre B. 
Other films to be shown today include On the Way to School at 7.15pm at Katara 12 Theatre B; A Shout from Within (10pm, Katara Sony Open Air Cinema); The Way Way Back (6.30pm, Katara 12 Theatre A); When I Saw You (8.45pm, Katara 16 Drama Theatre) and Side by Side (7.30pm, Katara Opera House).