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Noted Turkish actor to visit Ajyal Festival

Published: 27 Nov 2017 - 08:47 am | Last Updated: 01 Nov 2021 - 03:35 am
The Turkish actor from a still.

The Turkish actor from a still.

By Raynald C Rivera | The Peninsula

Famous Turkish actor Engin Altan Düzyatan, who stars in the television series Diriliş: Ertuğrul, is coming to this year’s Ajyal Youth Film Festival which opens on Wednesday, Doha Film Institute (DFI) announced yesterday.

“We are happy to announce for the first time that we have a special guest attending the opening night-Turkish actor Engin Altan Düzyatan who is the lead actor in the famous TV series Diriliş: Ertuğrul being shown on Qatar TV,” Fatma Al Remaihi, Festival Director and CEO of DFI, said at a media gathering yesterday.

The 38-year-old actor plays the title role in the legendary Turkish historical adventure Diriliş: Ertuğrul (Resurrection: Ertuğrul) which is now in its fourth season. The long-running series, which started three years ago, has been broadcast in 30 countries including Qatar.

In its fifth edition, Ajyal marks the largest number of participating films, most of which are from the Arab world and by women filmmakers.

The festival will open with the Middle East premiere of The Breadwinner, an animated film by Nora Twomey and executive produced by Angelina Jolie. It is an Afghan tale of a young girl’s will and determination and is based on the best-selling novel by Deborah Ellis.

“This year, we are presenting the largest programme with more than 100 films, 55 of which are from the Arab world, 52 by women filmmakers and 16 by Qatari filmmakers and those who call Qatar home,” said Al Remaihi, stressing the diversity of participating films in the festival which provides an excellent platform to support the industry as a whole.  Ajyal 2017 will see a large gathering of 550 young jurors from more than 45 countries.

The festival will offer fresh and important features such as ‘LeBlockade’, an exhibition which will showcase films, digital artworks and installations created by citizens and residents in response to the ongoing blockade, and a Made in Kuwait section which will present a showcase of six short films from the State.

Other highlights of the festival are the Ajyal Creativity Hub which includes among others Geekdom – a hub for music, games, competitions, talks and films and Ajyal Talks – intimate and in-depth dialogues on relevant issues that impact youth across the globe.