culture>doha diary
DFI showcases Ajyal – a youth festival By Abigail Mathias
In an exclusive interview with Qatar Today, Fatma Al Remaihi, Festival Director of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival and Head of Programmes at the Doha Film Institute (DFI), shares what the festival means to her, personally and professionally.
90 > qatar today > november 2013
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atima Al Remaihi is no ordinary film buff. Besides working with the DFI since 2009, she is also a mother. One who takes her job very seriously. Her four children keep her equally busy at home, and it is easy to see that they have influenced her. How? you may wonder. They have orchestrated the need for a youth oriented film festival in Qatar, the Ajyal (Generations) Youth Film Festival, which will take place from November 26-30, 2013. Ajyal Youth Film Festival builds on the DFI’s history of community-based programming. Ajyal invites generations to come together to discuss cinema through events that inspire creative interaction, opening up a fun, collaborative environment where young people can express
themselves. The Festival engages families and educators through a celebration of the best in international youth cinema, and year-round activities that enrich film appreciation. Al Remaihi explains: “At the Doha Film Institute, we tried to incorporate everything into one event in the past. Sometimes it is hard for audiences to comprehend what you are trying to achieve during an eightday festival (the Doha Tribeca FilmFestival in 2012). We have noted some specifically popular days, the family day, being one of them. We then thought it would be nice to do a festival focused on a younger audience and families.” The Ajyal Youth Film Festival will run for five days, with the final two days marked as a family weekend. Activities exhibitions,