Doha, Qatar (Union)
At the tenth and special session of the Ajyal Film Festival 2022, nearly 600 judges are watching a bouquet of 12 feature films, including films by promising and prominent directors that have won many awards, and these films cover several topics ranging from dealing with grief, mental health, and light comedy regarding Brotherly affection, and how millennials cope with the pressures of social media.
Feature films are shown alongside 26 short films for Judgment in Ajyal in this edition, which takes place from 1 to 8 October, in three categories: Mohaq (8-12 years old), Hilal (13-17 years old), and Badr (18-25 years old). The judges will watch and discuss the films with their peers from around the world and evaluate the films to select the winners of the festival awards.
In this context, Fatima Hassan Al-Rumaihi, CEO of the Doha Film Institute and Director of the Festival said: “Featured films address inspiring stories of connectedness, optimism and the human spirit to overcome barriers through the use of impactful creative narratives, and are distinguished by their bold themes that resonate with young people around the world. And many films were made by young people who face challenges around them in a world full of complex issues, and these issues were dealt with carefully and carefully to continue to convey messages of hope and positivity and inspire our youth to build important relationships and gain a deeper understanding of common human experiences in this world.”
The list of (Mahaq) includes feature films: “Donia and Princess of Aleppo” (Canada, France / 2022), directed by Maria Zarif and Andre Qazi, “Apple Day” (Iran / Turkey / 2022), directed by Mahmoud Al Ghafari, “The Great Man” (Netherlands, Germany / 2022) directed by Camille Chouinard, and “The Dragon Princess” (France / 2022) directed by Jean-Jacques Denis and Anthony Roux.
As for the feature films in the “Hilal” category, they include: “After Yang” (USA / 2022), a science fiction drama written, directed and edited by Kogunada, “Queen of Comedy” (Sweden / 2021), directed by Sana Linken, “The Region” (Brazil, Denmark, USA / 2022) directed by Alex Pritz, and well-known director Ali Asgari presents his second feature film supported by the Doha Film Institute “Until Tomorrow” (Iran, France, Qatar / 2022).
Feature films in the “Badr” category include: “Our Brothers” (France / 2022), directed by Rachid Bouchareb, “Kishsh, without feathers, we cannot live” (Qatar, Lebanon, Germany / 2022) directed by Lea Najjar, “My Sister Liv” ( Australia, United States of America / 2022) a long documentary directed by Alan Hicks, and “Excavations” (Spain, Qatar, Jordan / 2022) directed by Alex Sarda.
The tenth and special session of the Ajyal Film Festival is a tribute to the homeland in a historic year that is an exceptional station for Qatar and the Arab world, and a shining example of the ability of ambition, dedication and commitment to succeed in transforming the dream into reality.