Families and children in Qatar, as well as visitors, will have the opportunity to watch fun-filled films and enjoy an array of activities today at the fourth Ajyal Youth Film Festival at Katara – the Cultural Village.
The third day of the festival will see a ‘kids’ red carpet screening’ at 3pm, at the Katara Drama Theatre, of the classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, (US) directed by Mel Stuart.
In keeping with the theme of the film, children can come dressed up as oompa-loompas, chocolate bars or blueberries and more to attend the screening.
Another equally delightful film for the family is Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople (New Zealand). Screening at 7pm, the film about a young boy’s last chance to settle down with a foster family is marked by brilliant performances and a heartwarming story.
For thriller lovers, there is enough edge-of-the-seat excitement in store with the midnight screening of Colm McCarthy’s The Girl with All the Gifts (UK), screening at 11pm.
A compelling showcase of Made in Qatar films by home-grown talents will screen at 8pm, including Suzannah Mirghani’s Caravan. Trapped in a traffic jam, the minds of Doha residents meander in a state of dreamlike suspension.
Shouq Shaheen’s Daz is a clear-eyed look at the passion many young Qatari men have for high-speed drag racing. Amer Jamhour’s Dunia depicts nine year-old Dunia’s mother, who is on some kind of mission, but she won’t share the details, and an already strange night becomes a life-or-death struggle.
Mostafa Sheshtawy’s Love Blood Test has Baghat and Waneesa passing their love blood test and all they need now is her father’s blessing but realise that the path to true love is never simple.
Aisha R al-Muhannadi’s Makh’bz shows how the actions of men and machines in making bread become a graceful dance while Ahmad Abdelnaser’s More Than Two Days explores how difficult it can be to speak about emotional and physical trauma.
Dana al-Meer’s Passport is a funny short about Reem and Mahmoud, who want to go to America but circumstances keep getting in their way.
Alanood al-Kuwari’s Um Khalifa is about 10-year-old Khalifa, born with Down syndrome, in a frank conversation with his loving mother, who shares her experience raising him.
In The Waiting Room, Qatari filmmaker Hend Fakhroo tells a story of two young women to explore the universality of caring for a loved one in distress.
An uplifting take on the power of storytelling and the resourcefulness of the human mind is evident in Life, Animated (US, France) directed by Roger Ross Williams. It will screen at 8.30pm at Katara 12 Theatre A.
A subtle take on the displacement issue is Niam Itani’s Twice Upon a Time (Lebanon), screening at 9.15pm at Katara 12 Theatre B.
A former child refugee herself, Itani attempts to document the meaning of childhood through the eyes of nine-year-old Khalil.
Philippe Faucon’s Fatima (France) about an Algerian immigrant to France, will screen at 10.30pm at Katara Opera House.
There is more in store for the family-viewing experience with the free screening at 8pm at the Katara Esplanade of Naledi: A Baby Elephant’s Tale (US, Botswana) under Ajyal’s Sony Cinema Under the Stars. Directed by Geoff Luck and Ben Bowie, the film puts the spotlight on the battle to protect the elephants of Africa.
The festival also offers family activities as part of the Family Weekend, open from 3pm to 10pm.
In addition, visitors can take part in Geekdom: Time Machine Exhibition from 2pm to 10pm that assures a trip down nostalgia lane as visitors will be transported to the time of ‘Snakes & Ladders’, handheld gaming, hangman and other childhood favourites of yore.
Qatar-based filmmaker Suzannah Mirghani (fourth left) and other talents on Ajyal Red Carpet yesterday. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil
