The final day of the inaugural Ajyal Youth Film Festival, organised by the Doha Film Institute, will feature a selection of award winning films that show uplifting tales of youth, as well as movies that would appeal to children from the age of four.

The specially curated selection of films under Bariq, aimed at young audiences, will be screened today at 3pm at Katara 12 Theatre A. It includes 11 films from across the world, depicting captivating stories and brilliant animation.

Big Mouth (Canada, 2012), directed by Andrea Dorfman, narrates the story of Trudy, whose inability to lie or even to keep quiet becomes a big problem when she starts school.

The Candy Tree (India, 2012), by Somnath Pal, is a about a little boy who saves his last candy and plants it in the backyard. Although nothing happens for a long time, eventually dreams do come true.

Directed by Hamad Alawar, Daddy ABC (UAE, 2012) is about a totally inexperienced ‘househusband’ who feels he can take care of his newborn baby.

Marcopolis (UK, 2012), by Joel Simon, narrates the story of a cat with a missing eye and a dog with a missing leg, both discarded from the production line of a toy factory, who join forces to unite with their fellow toys on the store shelf.

Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She was Extinct (US, 2012), directed by Pete List, is a charming short film based on the popular book by Mo Willems.

Notebook Babies: Smile (US, 2012), by Tony Dusko, is a cute reminder that a very small thing, such as smiling, can go a long way.

A quick-witted short tale about two horses who laugh at a unicorn because of its distinct appearance is the theme of
Recently in the Woods (Germany, 2013), directed by Daniel van Westen.

Shame and Glasses (Italy, 2013), by Alessandro Riconda, investigates the inner world of a youngster, where mental projections and lack of self-esteem can grow out of proportion.

A winner of 12 international awards, Snap (Belgium, UK, 2012), directed by Thomas G Murphy, is about a little underwater creature that is taught by a frog to catch fish and beat his bullies.

Two (Egypt, 2012), is a stop-motion animated picture, with no dialogues, about a busy father and his playful daughter, and how they make peace after an impatient exchange. The film is directed by Mokhtar Talaat.

Also without dialogues is Yum Yum Yummy (Belgium, 2012), directed by Gwendoline Gamboa.

Among other key screenings of the day is Flying Paper (US, Palestine, 2013), the winner of the Award of Excellence for Best Documentary Feature at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality. Directed by Nitin Sawhney and Roger Hill, it is an uplifting documentary that portrays the quest of a group of youths in Gaza, who attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most kites ever flown. It is also a metaphor for the power of imagination confronting the constraints of a difficult reality. Flying Paper will be screened at 5.45pm at Katara 12 Theatre B.

Another award winner is Kauwboy (The Netherlands, 2012), directed by Boudewijn Koole, a coming-of-age drama and an emotional character study about a boy, who lives with his emotionally detached father. The boy finds solace is an unexpected friendship with an abandoned baby jackdaw that he keeps hidden from his father. The film will be screened at 5.30pm at Katara Drama
Theatre.

A discussion on ‘Media Violence & Our Children: How Much is Too Much?’ will be held at 1.45pm at Katara Drama Theatre. A number of experts will take part presenting views on how content can be controlled and the rules of access applied more effectively.

Tickets are available at the Box Office of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival, in Katara - The Cultural Village and City Center Doha. More details on the programme could be had from www.dohafilminstitute.com Page 20

 

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