The fifth Ajyal Youth Film Festival, presented by the Doha Film Institute (DFI), will launch today with a red carpet ceremony to mark the Mena premiere of Nora Twomey’s animated film, The Breadwinner (Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg / 2017).
The film is an animated Afghan tale following a young girl’s will and determination, and perfectly conveys Ajyal’s ongoing mission to use the power of cinema to shed light on global issues, particularly as they affect the young. Festival director and DFI CEO Fatma al-Remaihi is set to welcome jurors from around the world of more than 550 youths from 45 countries at the official opening of the jurors’ hub (powered by Ooredoo) today.
This year’s Ajyal, which opens today and will run until December 4, has a carefully curated selection of 103 films from 43 countries, including 20 feature films and 83 short films that address various issues. These range from women’s empowerment and the loss of a parent, to cultural resilience and the survival of traditional storytelling, coming-of-age drama and personal achievement.