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Qatar

Ajyal presents 81 films from 36 countries

Published: 13 Nov 2018 - 11:42 am | Last Updated: 08 Nov 2021 - 03:07 am
Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Ajyal Festival Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, during the press conference at Al Jazeera Media Cafe yesterday. Pic: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula

Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Ajyal Festival Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, during the press conference at Al Jazeera Media Cafe yesterday. Pic: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula

By Raynald C Rivera / The Peninsula

DOHA: Marvel superhero Evangeline Lilly, Harry Potter actor Tom Felton and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi are among the special guests for the sixth Ajyal Film Festival which opens on November 28 at Katara Cultural Village, organisers Doha Film Institute (DFI) announced yesterday.

Lilly plays the Wasp in Marvel movies while Felton is known for his role as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series. Satyarthi is an Indian children’s rights activist who won Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 alongside Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai.

This year’s special guests comprise key personalities in films, arts and humanity and also include director Nadine Labaki, producer and music composer Khaled Mouzanar, artist El Seed and actors Tuba Unsal, Engin Altan Duzyatan and Bulent Inal.

Eighty-one films from 36 countries are participating in the six-day festival set to inspire audiences and stimulate discussions about real and relevant issues that affect them. Drawn from distinctive milieus from around the world, the diverse programme consists of 23 features and 58 shorts, including 24 from the Arab World and 44 by women filmmakers.  

“With resilience comes courage – a reality artistically reflected in the films programmed at this year’s Ajyal Film Festival. In this sixth edition we continue to celebrate film with our community, and to build on what our festival has always stood for: the power of cinematic voices to help transform minds, people and communities,” said Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Festival Director and Chief Executive Officer of DFI, at the official press conference yesterday.

She added: “Ajyal is a festival of cinema for all generations. The festival firmly believes in the courage of honest representation from as many perspectives as possible, respecting and valuing a global outlook. Ajyal plays a significant role in the advancement of a thriving creative community in Qatar and the region, with programming and dialogues that accurately represent and impact our communities.”

The programme includes festival favourites and award winners such as Cannes Jury Prize winning Capharnaüm by Nadine Labaki; Berlinale Amnesty International Film Prize winner Central Airport THF by Karim Ainouz and Sundance winner The Price of Free by Derek Doneen.

In honour of the late Qatari actor and national icon Abdul Aziz Jassem, Ajyal 2018  will be giving out the Abdul Aziz Jassem Award for acting as part of the Made in Qatar awards.

The 2018 Made in Qatar programme presented by Ooredoo comprises 16 inspiring films, including the world premieres of next completed projects from the Qatari Film Fund recipients, Mahdi Ali Ali’s Amphitheatre, Amal Al Muftah’s Sh’hab, Nasser Goes to Space by Mohamed Al Mahmeed and Naif Al Malki’s I Am Not My Father.

The Jury Competition line-up consists of 13 feature films and a series of short programmes. The jury comprises over 550 jurors from 55 nationalities including 25 international jurors from Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Fourteen films supported by the Institute through its Grants programme will also be screened at the festival.

This year, public screenings will also be held at Novo Cinemas in the Pearl in addition to Katara.

To celebrate UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Ajyal 2018 brings back the inclusive cinema experience with a special ‘trans-adapted’ screening of Naji Abu Nowar’s Theeb, a DFI-supported film that won a BAFTA and was nominated for an Oscar in 2016.

An interesting feature of the festival is the Ajyal Creativity Hub which offers cultural and creative activities which includes Qatar’s largest pop-culture event Geekdom  and Ajyal Talks featuing insightful discussions on a broad range of social impact topics.  

Tickets for screenings are available from today in FNAC stores (Lagoona Mall and Doha Festival City) and on November 17 in Ajyal Katara main box office, Building 12. Online ticket sales start today.