In a new achievement for Qatari cinema, 'Border' directed by Khalifa al-Thani recently won a Silver Award at the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards in the Short Films category.
The film won the award at a virtual ceremony held online on April 26, with films and television productions from 42 countries around the world participating in this year's edition. The festival's jury includes 200 producers, directors, writers and other creative media professionals from around the world.
In this context, director Khalifa al-Thani told local Arabic daily Arrayah: “I am very happy that my film won the Silver Award, especially as it discusses the issue of racial profiling, a topic that many in the region struggle with when travelling through international airports.
"The film belongs to the category of science fiction, through Mohamed, who is trying to cross the boundaries to see his family, but he must first understand the rules and regulations of the new world. In the context of events, he does his best to follow this complex system, but this journey is not an easy one. At every turn, Mohamed faces institutional indifference and growing doubts about his history and intentions. Judgments quickly become biased in a world where everyone has been reduced to colour codes."
The film is set in a dystopian future, where the wearing of masks is common, and where a strict regime is established that monitors individuals’ every movement. "I thought about this movie more than three years ago, before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The film won the Fall Grants 2018 cycle from Doha Film Institute. It was produced in partnership with Doha Film Institute and Edge, and its premiere was held within the activities of Ajyal Film Festival 2021. I plan to participate in a number of international festival in the coming period," the filmmaker said.
There is a new vision for the film industry that has emerged after the pandemic, as the shares of digital platforms increased. They have a strong presence in film festivals, and the lockdown period changed the form of festivals, and they have become completely dependent on virtual awards ceremonies.
“We need to learn and develop our skills in filmmaking, and here in Qatar we have a golden opportunity, as the most prominent filmmakers come here every year to provide us with their cinematic experiences. We must learn through them how we can market our work outside the regional borders - especially as there are many stories that circulate in our environment. They need to be told to the world in the form of cinematic works. So, we have to work on investing and developing these concepts that we learn to fulfil our aspirations in this field, and reach the best level and compete in international forums and global competitions," he added.
In this context, director Khalifa al-Thani told local Arabic daily Arrayah: “I am very happy that my film won the Silver Award, especially as it discusses the issue of racial profiling, a topic that many in the region struggle with when travelling through international airports. "The film belongs to the category of science fiction, through Mohamed, who is trying to cross the boundaries to see his family, but he must first understand the rules and regulations of the new world. In the context of events, he does his best to follow this complex system, but this journey is not an easy one. At every turn, Mohamed faces institutional indifference and growing doubts about his history and intentions. Judgments quickly become biased in a world where everyone has been reduced to colour codes."
The film is set in a dystopian future, where the wearing of masks is common, and where a strict regime is established that monitors individuals’ every movement. "I thought about this movie more than three years ago, before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The film won the Fall Grants 2018 cycle from Doha Film Institute. It was produced in partnership with Doha Film Institute and Edge, and its premiere was held within the activities of Ajyal Film Festival 2021. I plan to participate in a number of international festival in the coming period," the filmmaker said.
There is a new vision for the film industry that has emerged after the pandemic, as the shares of digital platforms increased. They have a strong presence in film festivals, and the lockdown period changed the form of festivals, and they have become completely dependent on virtual awards ceremonies.
“We need to learn and develop our skills in filmmaking, and here in Qatar we have a golden opportunity, as the most prominent filmmakers come here every year to provide us with their cinematic experiences. We must learn through them how we can market our work outside the regional borders - especially as there are many stories that circulate in our environment. They need to be told to the world in the form of cinematic works. So, we have to work on investing and developing these concepts that we learn to fulfil our aspirations in this field, and reach the best level and compete in international forums and global competitions," he added.