Signalling the vibrancy of a strong national film industry, the 7th Ajyal Film Festival, presented by the Doha Film Institute (DFI), will present 22 captivating films by Qatari directors and Qatar-based filmmakers in this year’s Made in Qatar programme presented by Ooredoo.
A highly-anticipated highlight of the Festival, Made in Qatar serves as a unique platform for aspiring filmmakers to showcase their works on a global stage, drawing on the immersive power of cinema to tell their stories and establish a creative dialogue with audiences from around the world. The films will vie for the Made in Qatar Awards, chosen by a jury that includes Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala; British actor Kris Hitchen; and Qatari architect and urbanist Fatma al-Shelawy.
Made in Qatar will once again shine a spotlight on home-grown talents with two film programmes of narratives and documentaries that include the world premieres of recently completed projects from Qatar Film Fund recipients: Ahmad al-Sharif’s End of the Road and Kholood al-Ali’s Fragile.
“Undoubtedly, Made in Qatar holds a special place in the Ajyal Film Festival programme, highlighting our local creative talents and inspiring young filmmakers to find their ambitions in Qatar. This year’s impressive slate of 22 accomplished films stands out with bold subjects and brilliant narrative styles, and we are proud of the contributions of our emerging talents to building a vibrant creative industry in Qatar and inspiring their peers,” Festival director and DFI CEO Fatma Hassan al-Remaihi said.
“The quality of the films being produced in Qatar demonstrates an exciting path that our young filmmakers are taking, and we are excited to present films this year that were shot internationally, attesting to the ever-expanding influence of Qatar’s burgeoning film industry. Ajyal Film Festival is pleased to celebrate filmmaking in our country and help audiences find themselves in the stories that form our narrative,” she said. The 2019 Made in Qatar section at Ajyal once again presents two programmes of shorts that include narratives, thought-provoking documentaries and reflective essays, inspired by the values that define the nation — its culture, heritage, people and places. On November 19, Programme 1 will take place at Katara Drama Theatre (8pm) and at VOX Cinemas, Doha Festival City (8.30pm) on November 21.
Films that will be screened include: End of the Road (2019) by Ahmad al-Sharif – set in 1990’s Doha, follows the story of Munir, an honest and God-fearing taxi driver whose journey to his daughter’s birthday celebration is disrupted when a mysterious man appears on the road – and he is torn between being a good Samaritan or a good father; Tick Tock (2019) by Awad Karrar, which details the story of Ahmed, who is elected president of the student body, only to discover deep administrative corruption that presents him with a troubling ethical decision; The Artist: Yacoub Missi (2019) by Tony El Ghazal, which depicts the inspirations that led the Syrian painter and sculptor to pursue his passion for art; Mariam al-Dubhani’s In the Middle (2019) —  a poignant portrayal of Ali who is forced to pick up arms depicting the harsh reality of the ongoing war in Yemen; Falling Leaves (2019) by Dimitri Yuri, which follows a young girl’s induction to the inner workings of her family’s unusual business — embalming dead bodies; Refuge (2019) by Maha Essid – an insightful short about two Palestinian expats’ connection to their homeland, and the ways they try to stay close to their identity, history and culture; Abdulanaser Hassan al-Yafei’s F-57 (2018) — a profoundly unsettling story about the nefarious power of social media — disturbed IT genius Yousef, targets kids in his wicked online game; Socotra — The Invisible Island (2019) by Ching Siew Hua — a sober portrayal of the often-overlooked island of Socotra, situated 400km off the coast of Yemen.
Suffering the indirect consequences of the conflict, the island is facing a devastating environmental crisis; AJ al-Thani’s The Black Veil (2019), which follows the story of a woman who puts her life at risk to find her freedom- highlighting the struggles of women around the world who suffer under oppression; and Fragile (2019) by Kholood al-Ali — an animated short film that follows a ceramic girl’s journey of self-discovery and reinvention as she sets off to conquer the mountains separating her from the world beyond her home.
Meanwhile, Programme 2 will take place at Katara Drama Theatre on November 20 (8pm) and at VOX Cinemas, Doha Festival City on November 22 (8.30pm). Films that will be screened include: Abdulaziz Mohammed Khashabi’s The Unlucky Hamster (2019), which follows hilarious misadventures of Fluffy — a cute hamster in a pet shop dreaming of a new home. But his dream soon turns into a nightmare when a mysterious man adopts him; Revive the Lira’s Glory (2019) by Alessandra El Chanti, which follows a young Lebanese artist, who paints portraits of national icons on his country’s banknotes in an effort to metaphorically give them back their value; Desert Bounty (2019) by Yassine Ouahrani — about a young girl’s journey in the Arabian desert in search of water to heal her mother; Sana al-Ansari’s Batch 10 (2019) — an enlightening look at the military service in Qatar, following two recruits and their personal experience in the service; Ana Bas (2019) by Tony El Ghazal and Ayah Awartani — about an Egyptian rapper, caught between his first-ever album release and his personal life; Beit Byoot (2019) by Mayar Hamdan, set in a dystopian dollhouse, little Jameela must choose between being odd and fitting in, tackles issues of conformity versus individuality; Dhabya al-Muhannadi’s Maha’mel (2018) — is a silent study on the precision engineering and expert craftsmanship involved in the creation of Qatar’s iconic Dhow boats; Nada Bedair’s Paper Kite (2019), which follows the story of two Catholic schoolgirls on a kite-making mission; Doubled (2018) by Rana al-Khouli — is a personal and inspiring portrait of a student as she tenaciously pursues her academic dreams between her two homes Damascus and Doha; Ghassan’s Green Door (2019) by Lubna Mohsin and Munera al-Dosari — an insight into Ghassan Hajar’s incredible antique collection; Majdy Naeem al-Sukhnii’s Oh Ya Maal (2019) takes viewers on a journey to discover Qatar’s rich maritime heritage, the festival of ‘Mahamel’, and the process of manufacturing traditional fishing boats; and Beyond Boundaries (2019) by Hemanth Madupu — a documentary about the cricket scene in Doha, and how the much-beloved sport manages to transcend national borders.