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The National Health Insurance Company (NHIC) and the Doha Film Institute (DFI) have teamed up to challenge young Qatari filmmakers to develop a series of short films that explore themes linked to the “Tradition of Care” in Qatari society. |
Up to six films will be produced, with the best three selected for screening at the Ajyal Youth Film Festival in December.
“As a social health insurance scheme providing all Qataris with access to healthcare, the concept of ‘caring’, of supporting people, is at the very core of what Seha does,” said Dr Faleh Mohamed Hussain Ali, acting CEO of the NHIC.
“Our partnership with the DFI is to explore the tradition of care that has long existed in Qatar and to reflect what this means in our society and to the public,” he added.
Participants in the filmmaking challenge will write, produce, shoot and edit compelling short films with the support of mentors from the Institute.
The challenge kicked off with an intensive five-day workshop led by acclaimed Emirati screenwriter Mohammed Hassan Ahmed, known for such films as Sea Shadow.
More than 15 script ideas were pitched by the participants and six were selected to progress to the production phase.
The completed films will be viewed by a panel of judges consisting of NHIC and DFI representatives. The best three will be selected for screening at the “Made in Qatar” section of Ajyal Youth Film Festival which takes place from December 1 to 6.
“Doing so through the eyes of aspiring young filmmakers is a fantastic opportunity to support local talent and the burgeoning cultural scene in the country,” said Ali.
Fatma al-Remaihi, acting CEO of DFI echoed the statements of Ali saying such partnerships can harness the talents of young filmmakers in the community by giving them the tools they need to share stories from their own perspective.
A key component of Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and the National Health Strategy, Seha provides Qatari nationals with comprehensive health insurance coverage for the full range of basic health services through a quality network of public and private providers.
Coverage includes both in-patient and out-patient services including preventative care, emergency treatment, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, long-term care, radiology, ophthalmology, laboratory testing and prescription medicines as well as dental and optical services.
