Qatar- 2015 Ajyal Youth Film Festival opens tonight

11/28/2015 10:51:17 PM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula)

DOHA: The 2015 Ajyal Youth Film Festival opens tonight at Katara with the Middle East premiere of The Idol from Academy Award-nominated Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad.

The third edition of the annual festival organised by Doha Film Institute (DFI) will screen 80 films from 36 countries along with 50 public screenings and interactive panels master classes and workshops to educate engage and entertain.

Hany Abu-Assad and Arab Idol champion Mohammed Assaf whose life story the film is based on will attend opening night activities and participate in a special ‘In Conversation’ session on November 30. Assaf will perform a selection of his well-known songs along with new tracks written especially for the film for opening night guests at Katara Opera House.

The week-long festival will end with the world premiere of Bilal an animated feature film by directors Ayman Jamal and Khurram Alavi involving creative talents from 22 countries. The Ajyal Family Weekend will feature the Middle East premiere of Pixar Animation Studios latest release The Good Dinosaur in cinemas on December 10 in 3D included in the line-up along with one of the final anime sensations from Ghibli Studios When Marnie Was There.

Other Middle East premieres include Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear-winner Jafar Panahi’s Taxi DFI grantee Lamb by Yared Zeleke and Cannes Un Certain Regard opener An by Japanese director Naomi Kawase.

The festival will also mark the Qatar premiere of Tigers by Bosnian director Danis Tanovic and the Gulf premiere of Mia Madre by Italian director Nanni Moretti.

The festival will again celebrate talents of Qatar-based filmmakers through its Made in Qatar section presented with the support of Tarsheed featuring 17 films including nine narrative shorts and eight documentaries.

The competition line-up comprises feature films from 20 countries and short film programmes. More than 500 young people aged 8-21 who make up the jury will watch and analyse a dynamic programme of films under three competitive sections – Mohaq Hilal and Bader – followed by discussions and events including panels workshops and Q&A sessions with filmmakers.

The jury includes a delegation of 24 international experts from 12 countries including Australia Bahrain Bosnia and Herzegovina Iraq Italy Kuwait Lebanon Oman Serbia Turkey and the UAE.

The ‘Ajyal Creativity Hub’ will offer guests an opportunity to explore an out-of-cinema experience helping them discover the latest in technology media arts and world cultures.

Running from November 30 to December 5 the Ajyal Creativity Hub will host specially curated workshops performances and fun activities to spark imagination and promote creativity.

Key components of the hub which is free for the public include the popular Sandbox digital exhibition space Family Weekend activities and the festival’s special 2015 initiative – Geekdom: Video Game Exhibition.

The Peninsula

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