Tribune News Network
Doha
Nearly 600 Ajyal Jurors will assess a selection of 12 feature films, including several award-winning works by prominent and emerging film directors, at the Special 10th Edition of the Ajyal Film Festival to be held from October 1 to 8, 2022.
The feature films and a broad selection of 26 short films will be screened for the Ajyal Jury in the three competition categories – Mohaq (jurors aged 8 to 12 years); Hilal (13 to 17 years) and Bader (18- to 25-year-olds).
Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute (DFI), and Festival Director, said: “Delivering inspirational stories of bonding, optimism and the human spirit to overcome trials using powerfully creative narratives, this year’s selection of feature films stand out for audacious themes that resonate with young people around the world.”
Feature films in the Mohaq category include:Dounia & The Princess of Aleppo (Canada, France/2022), by Marya Zarif and André Kadi, is about young Dounia, who loves to play, learn and discover new recipes.
The Apple Day (Iran, Turkey/2022), by Mahmoud Ghaffari, is a tale of kinship, brotherly love and perseverance.
Bigman (Netherlands, Germany/2022) by Camiel Schouwenaar is a classic football tale and is based loosely on screenwriter Job Tichelman’s own life as a disabled football player.
Dragon Princess (France/2022) by Jean-Jacques Denis, Anthony Roux follows Bristle, a young girl with a very unusual childhood—she is being raised by a dragon!
Feature films screening in the Hilal category are:After Yang (USA/2022) a science fiction drama written, directed, and edited by Kogonada. The plot follows a family’s attempt to repair their unresponsive robotic child.
Comedy Queen (Sweden/2021) by Sanna Lenken, winner of the Generation Kplus Crystal Bear Award at Berlin International Film Festival 2022. The film is about 13-year-old Sasha, who wants to become a stand-up comedian.
Audience Award winner at the Sundance Film Festival 2022, The Territory (Brazil, Denmark, USA/2022), by Alex Pritz, follows the vital, inspiring fight of the indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people of Brazil to defend their land from non-Indigenous farmers intent on colonising their protected territory.
Prominent filmmaker, Ali Asgari brings his second feature supported by DFI, Until Tomorrow (Iran, France, Qatar/2022), a compelling portrait of the millennial generation and how they are re-examining the value system in Iran and many other countries
Feature films in the Bader category include:Our Brothers (France/2022) by three-time Academy Award nominee Rachid Bouchareb revisits the dramatic events of Paris in December 1986 when thousands of students took to the streets to protest the harsh higher education reforms.
Kash Kash - Without Feathers We Can’t Live (Lebanon, Germany/2022), by Lea Najjar, a DFI supported film, is set in Beirut, torn apart by a corrupt political elite, anti-government protests, and one of the biggest explosions of the 21st century.
My Sister Liv (Australia, USA/2022), a feature documentary directed by Alan Hicks, which follows the inseparable sisters Tess and Liv. Liv is a young girl growing up with the relentless pressures of social media, depression, body dysmorphia, and, often, suicidal thoughts.
Hafreiat (Spain, Qatar, Jordan/2022) by Alex Sardà is an empathetic documentary that chronicles a man’s relationship with his family as they attempt to find security in uncertain times.
