By Anand Holla
It was appropriately called the Artists’ Night. Featuring an ode to late actor Mohammed al-Lingawi, and a performance by Qatari singer Soud Jassem, the special Monday evening at The St. Regis Doha turned out to be just the right curtain-raiser of an event to the third Ajyal Youth Film Festival that begins on Sunday.
To acknowledge and encourage nationals associated with the filmmaking and creative industries in Qatar, the Doha Film Institute (DFI) hosted its annual gathering for the Qatari creative community.
But the event not only brought together more than 120 home-grown talents who have contributed to the growth and development of the industries, and thereby strengthened Qatar’s rich cultural fabric and regional presence within the art and cultural space, it also presented highlights of Ajyal 2015 and invited them to actively participate in it and support the next generation of local creative talent.
A key highlight of the evening was a special tribute to the late Mohammed Lingawi, a popular children’s television host and performer, who has inspired generations of Qataris with his talent and will always be remembered for his kindness, integrity and commitment to the development of the local film scene.
Headlining key events planned for Ajyal 2015 are the premiere screenings of four interesting films supported by the DFI including the Middle East Premiere of The Idol, from Academy Award-nominated Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad, world premiere of animated feature film Bilal, the regional premiere of Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya’s impressive debut feature Very Big Shot and the Middle East premiere of Yared Zeleke’s first feature Lamb, Ethiopia’s official entry to the 88th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and the first Ethiopian film to screen at the Cannes Film Festival.
Kickstarting the 2015 Ajyal Youth Film Festival, The Idol, which will be screened on Sunday, tells the inspirational true story of Mohammad Assaf, an amateur singer from Gaza, who became a worldwide sensation after winning the live-singing competition Arab Idol in 2013.
Abu-Assad and Assaf will attend the opening night will also participate in a special ‘In Conversation’ session on the following day. The duo will provide an in-depth discussion about bringing Assaf’s life story to the big screen and highlight the power of combining music and cinema and the challenges facing Arab artistes today.
Lebanese first-time feature director and DFI grantee Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya’s Very Big Shot is a dark comedy that takes a sly look at organised crime and political corruption. The film premiered at 2015 Toronto Film Festival and screened in competition at the 59th BFI London Film Festival. The film screens as part of the Bader competition segment at Ajyal for jurors aged between 18 and 21.
Lamb by Yared Zeleke, which screens as part of the feature films competing in the Hilal section at Ajyal, is a beautifully crafted portrait of a young Ethiopian boy trying to find his way in the world.
The festival will close with the world premiere of Bilal, a fresh-flavoured animated feature film by Dubai-based Barajoun Studios. Involving creative talents from 22 countries, Bilal by Directors Ayman Jamal and Khurram Alavi is an inspiring adventure story of faith, hope and self-discovery.
The third annual Ajyal Youth Film Festival will be held from November 29 to December 5 at Katara. For more information on movie timings and the Ajyal Youth Film Festival, visit ajyalfilm.com
A still from The Idol.
