As many as 90 films showcasing the best in local and international filmmaking will screen at the second edition of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival in Doha, Qatar.

The festival will run from December 1 to 6 at the Cultural Village Katara.

An array of public screenings, jury screenings, premieres, red carpets, special events, exhibitions and family activities will make up this year’s festival programme, where 21 feature films will screen over six days.

Of these, 10 will feature first and second-time filmmakers including Macondo (Austria, Germany) by Sudabeh Mortezai, Antboy (Denmark) by Ask Hasselbalch, ‘#chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes On a Dictator’ (US, Syria) by Joe Piscatella and the opening night world premiere of ‘Speed Sisters’ (US, Qatar) by Amber Fares, underscoring the Doha Film Institute’s year-round support of emerging filmmakers from the Men region and around the world.

The highlights of this year’s feature film line-up include the world premiere of Palestinian motor racing documentary ‘Speed Sisters,’ an action-packed and insightful documentary about the Middle East’s first all-woman motor-racing team, and the Mena premiere of Kahlil Gibran’s ‘The Prophet’ (France, Lebanon, Qatar, US), produced by and starring Salma Hayek-Pinault.

The animated feature, which will be festival’s closing night gala presentation, is an adaptation of Gibran’s beloved book directed by Roger Allers (The Lion King) and featuring sequences by award-winning directors from across the globe, including popular Gulf animator Mohammed Saeed Harib.

A number of high profile Mena features which tackle modern-day social issues will also be showcased at the festival including Difret (Ethiopia) by Zeresenay Mehari, Ethiopia’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Academy Awards.

Produced by Angelina Jolie, the film tells the tale of the kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl on her way home from school. ‘#chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes On a Dictator’ follows the life of a young Syrian woman as she assists the revolution in her home country – from her bedroom in Chicago.

Animation will also continue to be a popular theme at the festival this year with the screening of the visual masterpiece ‘The Tale of Princess Kaguya’ (Japan), from acclaimed Japanese anime director Isao Takahata, co-founder with celebrated director Hayao Miyazaki of the legendary Studio Ghibli, and ‘Song of the Sea’ (Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, France) by Tom Moore, a captivating animated adventure inspired by the Ancient Irish legend of the selkies.

An eclectic shorts programme will see more than 40 short films screen to the public during the festival – 20 of these in the Made in Qatar section, which celebrates work by filmmakers who call Qatar home.

Additional short film programmes will screen exclusively to the young jurors participating in the Doha Film Experience.  

The highlights of the short film programmes include the Iranian black comedy ‘A Ceremony for a Friend’; the UK/Italian sci-fi short ‘The Nostalgist’; Finnish/Turkish short ‘Keys of Heaven’; ‘Hijabi Girls’ which celebrates the world of high fashion and ‘Shackled’ starring Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke.

Fat Al Remaihi, festival director and acting CEO of Doha Film Institute, said: “We are really proud of the line-up for this year’s Ajyal Youth Film Festival, which has truly become an event for all generations.

“Film lovers of all ages will find this year’s programme rich with opportunities to explore and engage with the many interesting films and subject matters that are highlighted – from magical tales of the sea and nature, to the world of music and contemporary issues of social change and transformation.

“We want to bring young people together in a creative and inspiring environment, and I think this year’s programme will really spark their imagination and allow everyone who takes part to celebrate the art of cinema in all its forms.”

The festival builds on the Doha Film Institute's history of community-based programming. ‘Ajyal’, meaning ‘generations’ in Arabic, invites people of all ages to come together to discuss cinema through events that inspire creative interaction, opening up a fun, collaborative environment where young people can express themselves.

Driven with the goal to inspire and create, Ajyal has been designed to empower the region’s youth and to inspire film enthusiasts of all ages in Qatar and the region. - TradeArabia News Service