By Anand Holla
After winning the hearts of young cinema lovers twice over, Qatar’s home-grown Ajyal Youth Film Festival is now welcoming entries for its third instalment that is set to wow the region from November 29 to December 5.
Poised to charm children, youth and families alike, all through the week, Doha Film Institute’s Ajyal, now in its third year, looks more upbeat and promising than ever. With each edition, the festival seems to be building on DFI’s reputation of community-based film programming and a year-round screening series.
“Feature-length and short films from around the world will inspire cultural dialogue among young audiences in Qatar. The seven-day festival will bridge gaps and bring generations together – Ajyal is Arabic for ‘generations’ – through activities and events designed to inspire creative interaction among the various sectors of the regional community,” the DFI says, in its note on throwing opens its doors for Ajyal submissions.
The festival’s format includes the Ajyal Competition as well as the Made in Qatar section, apart from cool add-ons like special screenings, thematic tributes, cinema under the stars, and the Sandbox – an interactive digital playspace. The soul of the festival is, of course, the Ajyal Competition that presents hundreds of young people from around the world with the opportunity to sit on the juries that decide the Festival’s competition winners.
The official selection for the Ajyal Competition is divided into two categories: the Feature Film Competition showcases a selection of narrative and documentary films from around the world, for or about youth; and the Short Film Competition features short narrative and documentary films from around the world, for or about youth.
The Ajyal Competition and Made in Qatar juries are comprised of young men and women 8 to 21 years of age. For those unaware of how the Ajyal Competition sections are structured, here’s a run-through: Mohaq (New Moon) is for jurors 8 to 12 years of age and this one is a Feature and Short Film Competition (documentary and narrative). Hilal (Crescent) is for jurors 13 to 17 years of age – this, too, is a Feature and Short Film Competition (documentary and narrative). Bader (Full Moon) is for jurors 18 to 21 years of age, and this one is a Feature and Short Film Competition (documentary and narrative).
The interesting element is the Made in Qatar section which showcases films shot in Qatar or made by individuals of any nationality who currently reside in Qatar. Then there is Bariq (Sparkle) for jurors-in-training (aged 4 to 7) and their families – this one is a short film programme dedicated to Ajyal’s youngest audience members.
For budding filmmakers, what could be a better prize than being awarded a film development award through the Ajyal Film Fund? All development awards are open to documentary and narrative films and here’s a quick dekko at them: Mohaq (New Moon) Short Film Competition Best Filmmaker Award: USD5,000. Mohaq (New Moon) Feature Film Competition Best Filmmaker Award: USD15,000. Hilal (Crescent) Short Film Competition Best Filmmaker Award: USD5,000. Hilal (Crescent) Feature Film Competition Best Feature Filmmaker Award: USD15,000.
Then there is Bader (Full Moon) Short Film Competition Best Filmmaker Award: USD5,000; Bader (Full Moon) Feature Film Competition Best Feature Filmmaker Award: USD15,000; and finally Made in Qatar Award: USD5,000.
The final date for submissions for the Ajyal Competition is August 13, while those entering Made in Qatar section have a little more time on hand – the last date for this section is September 30. By mid-October, applicants will be advised of the status of their entry, and for a week starting November 29, it’s show time, folks!
PRESS CONFERENCE: The cast of Speed Sisters, a documentary on the first all-woman rally-racing team in the Middle East, at a press conference in Ajyal
