Doha: As Ajyal Film Festival returns in October, the Doha Film Institute announced that they are now looking Ajyal Jurors — people who are always the stars of the festival.
The jury programme will be from October 1 to 8. DFI said they will provide daily curated workshops, daily film screenings, jury discussions, and opportunities to interact with global film talent to inspire participants through meaningful creative interactions and cinematic dialogue.
Jurors are aged 8 to 25 who will have the opportunity to decide Ajyal’s competition winners. The directors of the winning films are granted funding toward their next film, so jurors are empowered to support and promote future content that is relevant and meaningful to them.
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“This year’s event will be held through a selection of engaging in-person events and online activations,” DFI revealed.
As a member of the Ajyal Jury, they will be able to watch films, discuss with fellow jurors and film experts, vote for the winners of the Ajyal Film Festival, and bring about positive change far beyond Ajyal. “The experience of being an Ajyal Juror is unparalleled: an inspiring and creative hands-on experience that instils not only a film appreciation capacity, but also the values of teamwork, critical thinking and leadership,” DFI said.
In 2021, Ajyal welcomed 500 jurors of over 40 nationalities. There are three Ajyal Competition juries in three age groups: Mohaq, Hilal, and Bader.
Mohaq means ‘New Moon’ in Arabic, and these are Ajyal’s youngest jurors, aged 8 to 12. The young people of this jury will watch a programme of short films and four feature-length films.
Ajyal’s jurors aged 13 to 17 make up the Hilal jury – the term means ‘Crescent Moon’ in Arabic. Four feature films and a programme of shorts make up the Hilal jury’s festival programme.
The most mature of Ajyal’s juries, Bader (Arabic for ‘Full Moon’) jurors are aged 18 to 25 and will select their favourite films from four features and a programme of short films.
To register interest to be part of Ajyal Jurors, visit DFI’s website dohafilminstitute.com/filmfestival/ajyaljury. A one-time fee of QR250 (Qatar-based) is needed to settle to participate.
Meanwhile, individuals who register before September 1 will have an early bird fee discount, sibling discount for multiple siblings participating together, and Qatar Museums Culture pass members will likewise get a fee discount.
“These fees are put to judicious use and enable us to bring you world-class film talent, industry experts, educational workshops and critically acclaimed, thought-provoking films,” DFI explained.
Ajyal Film Festival is an annual celebration of film that is designed to nurture minds across generations and support the development of thoughtful future leaders.
