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• Hekayat Khaleejiya series highlights autism with Qatari Film ‘One in Five’ and Emirati Film ‘The Brain That Sings’
• Academy Award nominated documentary ‘The Square’ to screen at Katara Doha Film Institute Cinema
• Qatar Brazil Cinema Showcase continues with powerful documentary ‘Bus 174’

Doha, Qatar, April 27, 2014: Doha Film Institute will showcase a dynamic selection of documentaries to audiences in Doha this May. The month will begin with Hekayat Khaleejiya and a special focus on autism. Taking place on May 1st and 2nd at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium.

The films include short documentary ‘One in Five’ by Qatari director Jawaher Al Khater, which tells the story of a Qatari mother who tries to make connection with her young autistic son and Emirati feature documentary ‘The Brain That Sings’ by Amal Agroobi that follows the lives of six-year-old Khalifa and eighteen-year-old Mohammed, two autistic boys in the United Arab Emirates, as they go through three months of music therapy. The screenings of the films will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.

From May 15th to 21st Katara Doha Film Institute Cinema screens the winner of the Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Audience Award and Academy Award nominee, ‘The Square’ by Jehane Noujaim. The film follows a group of Egyptian revolutionaries who battle leaders and regimes and risk their lives to build a new society.

Docs in Focus continues with the screening of ‘Bus 174’ as part of the Qatar Brazil Cinema Showcase on May 29th and 30th in partnership with Qatar Museums Authority to celebrate the Qatar Brazil 2014 Year of Culture. ‘Bus 174’ is an intimate and shocking documentary about one of the most infamous and tragic crimes in Brazil’s recent history, when 21-year-old Sandro do Nascimento took several bus passengers hostage in broad daylight as the entire nation watched the events unfold on live television.

The MIA Exhibition Series on May 8th and 9th features the heartwarming documentary, ‘Brooklyn Castle’ that tells the remarkable and improbable true story of I.S. 318, a junior-high school in Brooklyn. Defying stereotypes, it has the highest-ranked junior-high chess team in the nation. The exhibition series features a selection of films to complement the Museum of Islamic Art’s current exhibition ‘Kings & Pawns: Board Games from India to Spain’

For ticket sales, film information and timings, please visit www.dohafilminstitute.com

Doha Film Institute connects local audiences with films all year-round through a robust programme of monthly screenings to enhance cinema appreciation and contribute to the diversity of screen culture in the region. The Institute’s year-round screenings programme is presented in partnership with several organisations, including Katara Cultural Village, the Museum of Islamic Art and Qatar Museums Authority. Programming includes contemporary independent cinema, filmmaker retrospectives, classic films and a regular presentation of works by Qatari and Gulf filmmakers. In partnership with the diplomatic community, the education sector and community organisations, these programmes are building audiences, providing interaction with filmmakers and increasing opportunities for dialogue around classic and contemporary cinema.