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• Ajyal Film Series debuts with screening of Made in Qatar short ‘Dana’s Kite’ and the heart-warming feature film ‘Paper Planes’ on April 12

Doha, Qatar; April 10, 2018: The Doha Film Institute has launched a new initiative to celebrate the spirit of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival, the annual celebration of cinema that showcases some of the best voices in contemporary cinema made in Qatar and from around the world.

The new Ajyal Film Series aims to keep alive the spirit of the popular film event by screenings films that received audience acclaim at the Ajyal Youth Film Festival. It also offers the public another opportunity to catch up with some of the fascinating new films that are not only family-friendly but also spark curiosity, bring joy and empower the next generation.

Fatma Al Remaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: “The Ajyal Film Series is our new initiative that will bring some of the most powerful works that were part of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival as well as some new works. It upholds the spirit of Ajyal, meaning ‘generations’ in Arabic, by bringing together all ages of the public to celebrate the power of cinema. Every film at the Ajyal fest is selected for its appeal to the family, which makes the Ajyal Film Series an event that fosters togetherness. Through this new initiative, we want to continue to build the culture of film appreciation and education that we drive year-round.”

The inaugural Ajyal Film Series will be held on April 12, 2018, from 6 PM at the Katara Drama Theatre. Two films will be screened including a Made in Qatar short, Dana’s Kite (Qatar, 2016), directed by Noor Al Nasr, and Paper Planes (Australia, 2015), a heart-warming feature film directed by Robert Connolly. The screening of Dana’s Kite will be followed by an audience Q&A with the director, moderated by two Ajyal Jurors from previous years.

Qatari director Noor Al-Nasr’s first short film, Health Invaders (2015) was part of a challenge for Seha health organisation; it premiered in the Ajyal Youth Film Festival and was featured in the market of the Festival de Cannes. Dana’s Kite was made as part of the Doha Film Institute’s Short Filmmaking Lab 2015.

Exploring love for family, mankind’s ever-increasing reliance on impersonal technology and the gorgeous Doha seaside, the short film is about Dana, who is playing with her kite on the beach at the water’s edge while her brother Ahmed sits on the sand messaging his friends on his mobile phone. She tries to get his attention but he is too busy to see the amazing shell she has found until suddenly he looks up and the young girl is nowhere to be found.

Robert Connolly’s Paper Planes is about 11-year-old Dylan, who discovers his exceptional talent for creating paper planes. He becomes obsessed with his new hobby and eventually competes at the national level in Sydney. Soon it looks like Dylan is on his way to the world championships in Japan – if he can come up with the money to get there. An endearing celebration of talent and encouragement, the film soars through a tale of friendship, creativity and the precious bonds of family and community.

Tickets to the screening are priced QAR25 per person, and can be purchased at the Katara Drama Theatre Box Office or online at www.dohafilminstitute.com.