There are memorable events for children at the second Ajyal Youth Film Festival’s Family Weekend celebrations presented by the Doha Film Institute. 

The Sandbox, an interactive digital environment, is now open and continues from 10am to 10pm today and Saturday. Tomorrow, it will run from 2pm to 10pm.

The Sandbox presents the latest digital gadgets used in filmmaking and gaming in an interactive digital environment. Anyone fascinated with technology and movies, regardless of their age, will have something to look forward to at Katara Building 3.

Along with The Sandbox, Katara – the Cultural Village will also come alive on Dec 5 and 6 to myriad performances by local youth and international talent. It will be staged at the Ajyal Stage and Family Village on Katara Esplanade.

There will be more gaming fun at the Ajyal Game Centre while visitors can watch behind-the-scenes of how a TV studio operates at Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) Media Centre.

NU-Q will give families, friends and media enthusiasts a chance to experience the rush of presenting the news in a real TV studio. 

The NU-Q newsroom is open to local community members who would like to test their skills in front of the cameras. The activity is also a chance to learn about the university’s education programmes and cutting-edge  facilities that cultivate top media talent in Qatar.

The Sandbox was a highlight of last year’s festival and returns this year with even more digital activities for young and old.

Participants can have a full-blown 3D immersive roller-coaster experience and  can discover 3D in motion at the Sandy Station, where fuming volcanoes and molten lava flows through sand scoops. A virtual ecosystem features a wide assortment of visual beetles and spiders, daring the little ones to step on their path.

For the design savvy, video mapping will serve as a delightful stop where they can turn any building of their choice into a visual image and design facades, letting the imagination run free.

For those who have always wanted to star in their own movies, or even enact their favourite scenes from their most-loved movies, there is GigaRobo. Here, children can become instant celebrities as they dress in their favourite costumes and star in their own movies.

The green screen technology will lend further authenticity to their endeavour, which they can share with friends and family.

Mutant Me, is a must-visit stop for the young and young at heart. The Magic Mirror likewise serves as a digital take on the funhouse mirror opening up umpteen options for their own imagery.

Dancing Puppets serves as the stop-over for those who want to create their puppets, scan them on to a big screen and make them dance. Adults and children can also play to their heart’s content on a wide range of apps provided for free on iPads.