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Doha, Qatar; December 3, 2014: A selection of 15 short films that will appeal to children from the age of four will be screened this weekend as part of the Bariq showcase at the 2014 Ajyal Youth Film Festival, presented by the Doha Film Institute. The Bariq selection screens at 2 PM at Katara Drama Theatre on Friday and at 11 AM on Saturday (Dec. 6). Both screenings are free for the public; they can reserve a ticket online at www.dohafilminstitute.com

Featuring films from around the world, Bariq is chosen to satisfy the excitement and curiosity of children. The programme is infused with inspiring messages and feel-good themes, all without dialogue ensuring that audiences can enjoy them without any language barriers.

Qatar’s own production Monsters (2014), directed by Nesma Sherif, is about saving water and conserving energy.

Chickens (Bulgaria, 2012), directed by Sotir Gelev is a clever animated film that shows anything is possible, while The Sunshine Egg (Germany, 2012), directed by Michael Haas, has a hen defying her never-ending daily routine and discovering the joy of freedom.

Kiburi (USA, 2013), directed by Justin Melillo, is about a lion cub lost in the wilderness. A simple act of kindness may be the key to finding his mother and family. The adventure of a little girl who travels to the moon in a paper boat is the theme of My Little Moon (South Korea, 2013) by So-Young Kim.

Caminandes: Llama Drama (The Netherlands, 2013), about a llama that comes to the side of a highway is directed by Pablo Vazquez and portrays an empty road jamming with speeding traffic every time the llama’s hoof touches the asphalt. Also from The Netherlands is Jack (2013), directed by Quentin Haberham, in which Jack, made of junk, is searching for parts to replace his missing arm.

Directed by Serin Inan and Tolga Yildiz, Little Matryoshka (Turkey, 2014) is about a little doll, the youngest in the family, in search of her own adventure. What happens when a rabbit goes to a vegetable patch in search of lunch and is overjoyed to find the carrot? Watch Carrot Crave (The Philippines/Canada, 2012), directed by Vernon James C. Manlapaz, for more.

From France are director Nicolas Deveaux’s 5m80 (2013) about a herd of giraffes let loose in an aquatic centre; The Giant Carrot (2013), directed by Pascale Hecquet, a vibrant animation and a funny story of dinnertime antics; Mr Grab Funfair (2014), directed by Julien Chery, that places viewers in the place of a funfair robot to show that in life there is always the possibility of a second chance; Roommates (2013), by Sandrine Minatchi, Maureen Rigaud and Fabien Leclerc, about a guitar-playing hare and a disco-loving grizzly bear sharing a house; and My Little Croco (2013), directed by Etienne Bagot-Caspar, Yohan Cohen, Francois Mancone, Maickel Pasta and Milian Topsy, about how Mr. Croc’s life changes when he finds himself looking after an unusual baby.

The final film in the selection is SuperBot – A Magnifying Mess (Argentina, 2013), directed by Gervasio Rodriguez Traverso and Pablo Alberto Diaz, about a robot that gets out his trusty magnifying glass to get a better look at a tiny creature. He, however, finds himself in a big mess that just keeps getting bigger.