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• Special Screenings programme includes trans-adapted screening of the heart-warming film 1982 for people with different abilities to mark the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities
• ‘A World of Colour’ & ‘Under the Trees’ Cine-Concert is an audio-visual feast curated for the whole family to enjoy

Doha, Qatar; 2 November, 2021: The ninth Ajyal Film Festival presented by the Doha Film Institute, continues to highlight its unique strength as a celebration that is truly inclusively curated for all members of the community, young and old.

Upholding its tradition of making cinema an inclusive experience for all, the Institute worked with the Translation and Interpreting Institute of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University to bring a special trans-adapted presentation of the DFI-supported film, 1982 (Lebanon, USA, Norway, Qatar/2019) directed by Oualid Mouaness.

People with different abilities will be able to view the film through enhanced sound with audio descriptions of visual elements that are difficult to receive in the traditional film format. Viewers with hearing or speech comprehension challenges will benefit from enriched subtitles in Arabic and English as well as sign language interpretation.

In 1982, eleven-year-old Wissam struggles to pluck up the courage to reveal his true feelings to classmate Joanna. But before he can, and with his school in the midst of their final exams, the air invasions on Beirut begin, and the pupils are to be sent home. The film will be screened free of charge on Friday, Nov. 12, 8PM at Katara Drama Theatre. Please reserve a ticket for access.

Also set to delight all members of the family, is ‘A World of Colour & ‘Under the Trees’ Cine-Concert.’ Partnering with Forum des Images, the ‘Under The Trees’ cine-concert is an endearing musical show full of poetry and sweetness, accompanied live by talented musicians Leslie Bourdin and Rémi Foucard. Its Qatar premiere will take audiences on an incredible adventure into the woods, where every tree has a story to tell.

Screening on Sat. Nov. 13 at 11 AM at Katara Drama Theatre, ‘A World of Colour’ includes a curated selection of colourful short films that will delight all. These include: Little Snowman (Russia/2021) by Alexey Pochivalov, in which a little snowman keeps losing his carrot nose that his mother replaces every evening.

Orchestra Rehearsal (Russia/2020), directed by Tatyana Okruzhnova, is about a busy dad and musician who is late for his philharmonic orchestra concert. Kenya’s Symphony (USA/2019) by Carlos Douglas Jr is about Kenya, a young girl, who is reluctantly dragged into a symphony by her mother.

Colourful Feathers (Mexico/2021) by Maribel Suárez is about a family of blue chickens that are ostracized from their flock. Ink (Netherlands/2020) by Joost van den Bosch and Erik Verkerk, introduces us to an octopus that is also a neat freak. Under the Clouds (Russia/2021) by Vasilisa Tikunova features Walter the Lamb, who dreams of one day becoming a cloud.

In According to Birds (Netherlands/2008), director Linde Fas presents the story of a great owl who arrives as the leaves begin to fall. Racoon and the Light (USA/2018), directed by Hanna Kim, is about a curious racoon who discovers a mysterious new friend, while The Fox Who Followed the Sound (Iran/2012) by Fatemeh Goudarzi charts a curious little fox who goes to investigate aa sound and discovers the music within himself. The Last Day of Autumn (Switzerland, Belgium, France/2019), directed by Marjolaine Perreten, is about forest animals squirreling away parts to build their bikes for a big race.

Tickets for Ajyal 2021 and can be purchased at https://www.dohafilminstitute.com/filmfestival

The seven-day festival from Nov. 7 to 13, 2021 has a diverse mix of virtual and in-person events including film screenings, interactive discussions, multi-media art exhibit, Qatar’s largest pop-culture event Geekdom, and a drive-in cinema as part of a multisensory experience for all ages.