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• Special Kids Red Carpet for the beloved childhood classic ‘The Wizard of Oz’
• Feel the energy of art, performance and film at Ajyal Creativity Hub
• Curated short-films programme lets audiences ‘experience’ the value of film

Doha, Qatar; 22 November 2019: Family-oriented activities and a special Kids Red Carpet delight young and old on the fifth day (22 November) of Ajyal Film Festival 2019, the annual cinema event hosted by the Doha Film Institute (DFI).

Ajyal 2019 will roll out the special Kids Red Carpet once again for a fun screening of the cherished childhood classic The Wizard of Oz (1939) by Victor Fleming at 3 PM at VOX Cinemas, Doha Festival City. The heart-warming fantasy musical continues to enthral generations of children as they follow Dorothy’s path down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City to see the Wizard.

Visit the bustling Ajyal Creativity Hub to catch Geekdom’s epic Cosplay Competition at Katara Building 18 from 4-6 PM, delivered in association with Qcosplayers. Gaming and cosplay enthusiasts are invited to craft their best costumes for a chance to win amazing prizes.

Ajyal’s interactive multimedia exhibition ARC invites audiences to Gallery 1 at Katara Building 19 from 2-10 PM, displaying eclectic artworks by 19 of Qatar’s most promising artists and creative talents. The exhibition follows the chronological path of narrative through multimedia art pieces divided into three distinct parts— Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution. An exclusive panel discussion featuring Yemeni artists Shaima Al-Tamimi and Ammar Al-Qamash on “Creativity Beyond Borders: The Yemeni Identity” will take place at 6 PM at Katara Building 19, Gallery 1 and is open to the public.

Underground musicians will take the stage at Ajyal Tunes – an exciting celebration of musical talents from every discipline. Entrance is free to the public.

Offering a unique cinematic experience to festival audiences, SONY Cinema Under the Stars presents a special screening of Brad Bird’s The Iron Giant (USA/1999) at 7 PM at the Museum of Islamic Art Park. The endearing family adventure about a giant metal robot that falls to Earth is open to the public with limited seating available.

The Experience short film programme will explore the power that can be derived from hardship with a curated selection of ten short films screening at 9 PM at VOX Cinemas, Doha Festival City, including Patision Avenue (Greece/2018), Ostrich Politic (France/2018), It’s a Long Way from Amphioxus (Germany/2019), Aziza (Lebanon, Syria/2019), Ambience (Palestine/2019), For the Sake of Yousef (Kuwait/2019), The Black Veil (Qatar/2019), Threads (Canada, Norway/2017), Middle (Yemen, Qatar/2019) and End of the Road (Qatar/2019). Please note the screening is rated PG-18.

Journey into their masterful stories of Qatari and Qatar-based filmmakers at Made in Qatar programme two. Twelve compelling shorts, including narratives, thought-provoking documentaries and reflective essays are screening at 8.30 PM at VOX Cinemas, Doha Festival City.

A wide selection of feature films will screen throughout the day:

• Suhaib Gasmelbari’s award-wining documentary Talking About Trees (France, Sudan, Germany, Chad, Qatar/2019) will screen at 5.30 PM at VOX Cinemas, Doha Festival City. Please note that the screening is rated PG-13.
• DFI-supported film 1982 (Lebanon, US, Norway, Qatar/2019) by Oualid Mopaneseen will screen at Novo Cinemas, the Pearl, at 2.30 PM.
• Philippe Lanfranchi and Stéphane Rossi’s Jean-Michel Othoniel, Artiste Enchanteur (France/2019) will play at the Katara Opera House at 7 PM and is rated PG-15.
• Winner of the Audience Favourite Award at the Sundance Film Festival: London 2019, The Farewell (USA, China/2019) by Lulu Wang will screen at 5.30 PM at Novo Cinemas, the Pearl, and is rated PG-15.
• Ken Loach’s Sorry We Missed You (UK, France, Belgium/2019) will screen at 8:30 PM at Novo Cinemas, the Pearl, and is rated PG-15.
• Three children are destined to play a crucial role in Children of the Sea (Japan/2019) by Ayumu Watanabe. It is screening at Novo Cinemas, the Pearl, at 3 PM and rated PG-15.
• Give Me Liberty (USA/2019) by Kirill Mikhanovsky will screen at 6 PM at Novo Cinemas, the Pearl. Please note the screening is rated PG-18.
• Karl Emil Rikardsen’s The Arctic Camels (Norway/2019) will be screened at VOX Cinemas, Doha Festival City at 6 PM.

Tickets for the 7th Ajyal Film Festival are available for purchase at the Ajyal Main Box Office located in Katara Building 10; at the Ajyal Box Office at VOX Cinemas Doha Festival City for screenings taking place at VOX Cinemas; and from the Novo Cinemas Box Office for screenings at Novo Cinemas, the Pearl. For ticket purchase and up-to-date information on the Ajyal Film Festival, please visit:
https://www.dohafilminstitute.com/filmfestival/ticketinformation
https://www.dohafilminstitute.com/filmfestival/films

2019 Ajyal Film Festival’s Official Partners include: Katara Cultural Village – Cultural Partner; Qatar National Tourism Council – Principal Partner; Novo Cinemas, Ooredoo – Strategic Partner, St. Regis Doha – Signature Partner