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WATCH: Ajyal Film Festival 2019 begins with glittering red carpet event
One of the region's biggest and most popular film festivals, the Ajyal Film Festival 2019, is officially underway, after a magnificent red carpet event at Katara Cultural Village yesterday.
Presented by the Doha Film Institute (DFI), the seventh edition of the Ajyal Film Festival kicked off in style last night with the attendance of several dignitaries, celebrities, actors, prominent personalities in film and media from the region and around the world.
The Middle East premiere of ‘It Must Be Heaven’ by award-winning Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman marked the opening night of the festival. The film is a satirical comedy of identity, nationality and belonging that follows Suleiman’s personal story of leaving his homeland Palestine for the bustling metropolises of Paris and New York.
Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, chairperson of DFI; HE Sheikh Thani bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, member of the DFI Board of Trustees; Nasser bin Ghanem Al Khulaifi, chairman of beIN Media Group and member of the DFI Board of Trustees; Issa bin Mohamed Al Mohannadi, managing director of Barwa Real Estate and vice-chairman of the DFI Board of Directors; and HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari, Minister of State, also graced the occasion.
"This year’s films tell stories across multiple mediums, allowing audiences to experience powerful content. From here, we invite production companies to mentor our youth and contribute to the creation of compelling Arabic content that is of world-class standard," HE Sheikha Mayassa commented on the opening of the festival.
The glittering red carpet event also witnessed filmmakers and creative talents from the region as well as the special guest and actor Chace Crawford, Mohamed El Mustafa, and Kris Hitchen.
Renowned American actor Crawford told reporters that Ajyal’s tapping of young jurors is an opportunity for them to see cinema, short films, and independent films separate from big-budget ones.
"It’s nice to keep the independent spirit alive, storytelling at its finest in the way that it is accessible now to make a film,” Crawford told reporters at the event. "It is a storytelling process, which I think is important to introduce the young generation to. It is fun for me to come over to a different culture and experience it."
Qatar's homegrown talents including local filmmakers, producers and actors also walked the red carpet.
Moments from our #Ajyal19 Opening Night! Stars and filmmakers are arriving to find film, find life with our wonderful audience. pic.twitter.com/VhMfEyVz3I
— Ajyal Film Festival (@AjyalFilm) November 18, 2019
The seventh edition of Ajyal marked its official jury opening event recently at Katara, welcoming more than 450 jurors from 45 countries.
Under the program, the jurors will view, discuss and evaluate the films showcased at the festival and discover cinema as a medium of global positive change.
The six-day event will present a compelling slate of 96 films from 39 countries that demonstrate the power of storytelling to transform minds and will inspire audiences and stimulate discussions about relevant issues that affect them.
The festival will run from November 18 to 23 at Katara Cultural Village. It will feature public screenings, Ajyal jury screenings, interactive discussions, red carpet events, and community-oriented activities that will delight all ages.
Ajyal 2019 is expanding its public screenings beyond Katara to include screenings at Novo Cinemas in the Pearl and VOX Cinemas at Doha Festival City.
For more information regarding tickets and schedule, click here.
Qatar Living is proud to be a media partner for this event.
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