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• Weeklong festival from Nov. 7 to 13 to present a diverse range of activities that will bring the community back together to celebrate film and culture
• Expanded programme marks return to in-person events at Katara, Msheireb, Lusail and Vox Cinemas Doha Festival City

Doha, Qatar; 4 November 2021: The 9th Ajyal Film Festival, presented by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) from Nov. 7 to 13, announced partnerships with leading national and international organisations to bring a spectacular line-up of films and community-oriented activities to Doha in an innovative hybrid model.

Returning to its beloved physical events, the seven-day festival will feature a diverse mix of virtual and in-person events including film screenings, interactive discussions, multi-media art exhibit, Qatar’s largest pop-culture event Geekdom, and a drive-in cinema as part of a multisensory experience for all ages. Audiences across the city can participate in the diverse offerings, with the Festival’s physical presence to include locations at Katara, Sikkat Wadi Msheireb, Lusail and Vox Cinemas Doha Festival City.

Fatma Al-Ghanim, Director of Marketing and Communications at DFI, said: “As the world slowly returns to a new normal, there are few places better equipped and prepared to restart, rejuvenate, and reignite a passion for the arts than Qatar. We are honoured and grateful that Qatar’s leading national and international organisations share our mission and vision for a vibrant film industry, and enthusiastically support our initiatives. The invaluable contributions of our partners play an instrumental role in ensuring the seamless operations of the festival and creating unforgettable festival experiences for our audiences. Their generosity enables Ajyal to promote more new and emerging voices in cinema, and to make a tangible positive impact on our society. It is our shared belief in the spirit of Ajyal that continues to shape its success.”

In key partnerships, Katara returns as the Festival’s Cultural Partner, hosting Opening Night ceremony and select film screenings and talks at Katara Cultural Village. Principal Partner, Qatar Tourism, continues to host the crowd-favourite Ajyal Drive-in Cinema at Lusail.

Ooredoo is the Festival’s ongoing Strategic Partner, presenting the Made in Qatar programme for the fourth year in a row to promote promising film talent in Qatar. Signature Sponsors Msheireb Properties are back on board to host this year’s art exhibition, We will not Leave as well as Qatar’s largest pop-culture event, Geekdom. Qatari Diar; Lusail and W Hotel join as Signature Sponsors for the festival.

Contributing Partners include SONY, Official Electronics Partner, Fifty-One East; FNAC; Talabat; Virtuocity and Vox Cinemas.

2021 Ajyal Media Partners include Qatar TV and beIN Media Group, with Qommunication coming on board as the Social Media Partner. The festival is Promoted By I Love Qatar; Qatar Living and What’s Going on Qatar.