Ajyal Film Festival to screen over 80 films and spotlight local filmmakers

Ajyal Film Festival to screen over 80 films and spotlight local filmmakers

Oct 27, 2021 – 9:12 AM

The Doha Film Institute (DFI) will host the ninth Ajyal Film Festival from November 7 to 13, officials said yesterday.

The festival will feature a diverse range of activities that will bring the community together to celebrate film and culture, marking a return to in-person events under the theme “Press Play!” ”

“The Ajyal Film Festival returns with this year’s theme, ‘Press Play’, to get out of pause mode and rekindle people’s passion for play, exploration and discovery through shared cultural experiences”, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, festival director and CEO of the Doha Film Institute, said.

This year’s festival will open with A Hero (Ghahreman), directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker and DFI collaborator and Qumra master Asghar Farhadi.

This fascinating slice of life won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

The public can participate in the various offers at four sites, including Katara, Sikkat Wadi Msheireb, Lusail and Vox Cinemas Doha Festival City. The program will present 85 films from 44 countries, including 31 feature films and 54 short films, 22 Arab films, 32 films by directors and 13 films supported by the Institute.

“Ajyal has a great impact on the culture and the community. We showcase films that have been made locally, which is important for the community’s art scene, and that is growing every year, ”Alremaihi added.

Films supported by DFI will include recipients of Spring / Fall, Qatari Film Fund and Mentorship grants. The films date from 1982, And Then They Burn the Sea, Border, Costa Brava, Lebanon, Don’t Get Too comfortable, Fever Dream, Land of Dreams, Little Palestine, Diary of a Siege Night, Olayan, Orca, School of Hope , and virtual voice.

The Made in Qatar program will cover ten films showcasing the growth of local talent. The selection includes A Lens Under Water; Don’t be too comfortable; Olayan, and then they burn the sea, when Beirut was Beirut, Border, Fever Dream, Kan Fe Nas, Remnants and Virtual Voice.

“We have appreciated the people who contribute to this program. The festival also aims to promote cinema in Qatar. Several films made in Qatar have appeared at several film festivals, and we look forward to making more. The public is very eager and passionate to see these films, ”noted Alremaihi.

According to the organizers, the drive-in cinema in Lusail will make a comeback. Films like 101 Dalmatians, Annabelle, Child’s Play, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, The Conjuring and Maya the Bee – The Golden Orb, will be screened.

The festival will show its solidarity with Palestine through an art exhibition inspired by the Al Jurd family in the besieged neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. The exhibition in Sikkat Wadi Msheireb will draw attention to the daily struggle of the Palestinian people.

The Ajyal Creativity Hub will serve as a destination for film, art and music lovers. Taking place at Sikkat Wadi Msheireb, main activities include Geekdom, Qatar’s largest and only pop culture event; Ajyal Tunes, celebrating the musical talents of the country with three thematic musical concerts and the multimedia art exhibition.

“The most important value is to coexist, and it’s an opportunity for people to come together again to watch movies together,” Alremaihi said. “We would like to entertain the audience but also deliver strong messages in the process.”

Tickets for the festival are available for purchase online on the DFI website.

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