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Ajyal Film Festival 2018


Download Ajyal 2018 Film Guide


Ajyal brings the best of cinema from around the world to Doha audiences, and films for families and every age group are on offer throughout the Festival. There’s a special focus on films made right here in Qatar; short films for children as young as 4; brilliant examples of animation, drama, and comedy; and heavy-hitting documentaries for the serious cinephile.

All Days

Short Narrati…

All Venues

All Interests

All Sections Ajyal Competition Ajyal Competition, Made in Qatar Ajyal Competition, Special Screening Made in Qatar Special Event Special Screening

  • Amphitheater

    Ajyal Competition, Made in Qatar

    Sarah, a professional Qatari photographer, happens upon a rebellious young girl and her family.

    Mahdi Ali Ali / Qatar / 2018 / Short Narrative

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  • Antouni

    Ajyal Competition

    A personal look at the effect of displacement, this film centres on Lori, a young girl who is t…

    Alik Tamar / Armenia, United States of America / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • Aquathlon

    Special Screening

    A young man is not too pleased when he is dragged to swimming lessons by his well-meaning mothe…

    Alexey Shabarov / Russian Federation / 2018 / Short Narrative

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  • Bird Karma

    Ajyal Competition

    The fable-inspired ‘Bird Karma’ is the first hand-drawn animated film to be produced by DreamWo…

    William Salazar / United States of America / 2018 / Short Narrative

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  • Brotherhood

    Ajyal Competition

    Malik, an eighteen-year-old with flaming red hair, returns to his small village in Tunisia afte…

    Meryam Joobeur / Canada, Tunisia, Qatar, Sweden / 2018 / Short Narrative

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  • The Craft

    Ajyal Competition

    Envisaging international diplomacy as an alien conspiracy, ‘The Craft’ is a semi-autobiographic…

    Monira Al Qadiri / Kuwait, Lebanon / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • The Elephant's Song

    Ajyal Competition

    'The Elephant's Song' tells the true and tragic tale of Old Bet, the first circus elephant in A…

    Lynn Tomlinson / United States of America / 2018 / Short Narrative

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  • The First Thunder

    Special Screening

    A beautifully illustrated musical fantasy that depicts the awakening of Mother Nature after her…

    Anastasia Melikhova / Russian Federation / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • Flo

    Ajyal Competition

    One day a little flea makes a new friend, but their home is a strange place, and they must work…

    Nora Marie Back / Germany / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • The Gallant Little Tailor

    Special Screening

    An enchanting retelling of a Brothers Grimm classic about a clever little tailor who outwits tw…

    Lotte Reiniger / United Kingdom / 1954 / Short Narrative

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  • Gubgub

    Ajyal Competition, Made in Qatar

    After getting her first catch of the day while crab-hunting with her father and brother, bright…

    Nouf Al Sulaiti / Qatar / 2018 / Short Narrative

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  • Gummy Gas Crisis

    Ajyal Competition

    Gummy Gas Crisis tells the story of a space gasman, Ed, who must overcome various obstacles in…

    Rodrigo Díaz / Argentina / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • Hide and Seek

    Special Screening

    A young boy is preparing to bury his beloved cat. On the way to the pet cemetery, an unexpected…

    Anastasia Ostapenko / Russian Federation / 2018 / Short Narrative

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  • The Hunt

    Ajyal Competition

    While on the way to the woods one day, a shortsighted but well-meaning hunter mistakes a rambun…

    Alexey Alekseev / France / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • I Am Not My Father

    Made in Qatar

    Mansoor grew up believing that dreams can never come true – his aspirations destroyed by an ove…

    Naif Al-Malki / Qatar / 2018 / Short Narrative

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  • I Don't Believe in You But Then There Is Gravity

    Ajyal Competition

    A comedic look at the daily lives of the residents of a high-rise building, as their typical Su…

    Umut Subaşı / Turkey / 2018 / Short Narrative

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  • Inanimate

    Ajyal Competition

    Katrine lives an ordinary life, with a regular job, in a typical city. Or at least that’s what…

    Lucia Bulgheroni / United Kingdom / 2018 / Short Narrative

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  • Killing Hope

    Ajyal Competition

    At the heart of a war-torn Aleppo, in the midst of the civil war, twenty-four-year-old Al-Basha…

    Natacha Grangeon, Julia Retali / France / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • Last Stop Is the Moon

    Ajyal Competition

    A hauntingly beautiful story of a young girl as she is forced to come to terms with a tragic il…

    Birutė Sodeikaitė / Poland, Lithuania / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • Nasser Goes to Space

    Ajyal Competition, Made in Qatar

    Nasser is a highly-creative young boy who uses an imaginary world as a coping mechanism to deal…

    Mohamed Al Mahmeed / Qatar / 2018 / Short Narrative

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  • Negative Space

    Ajyal Competition

    Even though Sam’s father is often away on business trips, he is able to connect with his son by…

    Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata / France / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • Odd Is an Egg

    Ajyal Competition

    A young boy named Odd is so concerned about crushing his fragile head that he is afraid to join…

    Kristin Ulseth / Norway, Portugal / 2016 / Short Narrative

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  • An Old Lady Stepped Outside for Some Bread and Pastry

    Ajyal Competition

    Based on a poem by Anna Ignatova, this charming little animation is about how you never know wh…

    Anastasiya Jakulina / Russian Federation / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • Please Frog, Just One Sip

    Ajyal Competition

    It is a hot day in Africa, and Frog cannot stand the heat any longer. He takes a sip, but his t…

    Diek Grobler / South Africa / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • Post No Bills

    Ajyal Competition

    The life of a street flyer can get pretty lonely from time to time, and on an urban city wall p…

    Robin Hays / Canada / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • Radiance

    Ajyal Competition

    'Radiance' is a short, semi-autobiographical animation that uses an exquisite, almost otherworl…

    Chialing Yang / United States of America / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • The Return of Erkin

    Special Screening

    Erkin is released from prison after serving a lengthy sentence. Clearly changed from the experi…

    Maria Guskova / Russian Federation / 2015 / Short Narrative

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  • Sabaku

    Ajyal Competition

    A short but endearing story about making new friends and finding acceptance, as a little bird n…

    Marlies van der Wel / Netherlands / 2016 / Short Narrative

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  • Sh'hab

    Made in Qatar

    In the old village of Al Wakrah, a mischievous 8-year-old girl would do anything to spend time…

    Amal Al-Muftah / Qatar / 2018 / Short Narrative

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  • Sirocco

    Ajyal Competition

    Exquisitely animated in black and white, 'Sirocco' is set on the picturesque shoreline of Sicil…

    Romain Garcia, Kevin Tarpinian, Thomas Lopez-Massy, Avril Hug, Lauren Madec / France / 2016 / Short Narrative

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  • Transformation

    Ajyal Competition

    A young disabled man who lives with his mother struggles to come to terms with his limitations.…

    Yousef Al Bagshi / Kuwait / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • Two Balloons

    Ajyal Competition

    We join two very adventurous lemurs as they fly their majestic airships across the beautiful sk…

    Mark C. Smith / United States of America / 2017 / Short Narrative

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  • Two Trams

    Ajyal Competition

    Every morning, two city trams roam the streets of a bustling city serving local citizens and dr…

    Svetlana Andrianova / Russian Federation / 2016 / Short Narrative

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  • Where Are You Right Meow?

    Ajyal Competition

    A young artist, Ayako, struggles with creative block. Suddenly, her beloved cat Beru goes missi…

    Maysam Al-Ani / Qatar / 2018 / Short Narrative

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  • Where Are You Right Meow?

    Made in Qatar

    A young artist, Ayako, struggles with creative block. Suddenly, her beloved cat Beru goes missi…

    Maysam Al-Ani / Qatar / 2018 / Short Narrative

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