Ajyal Film Festival 2023

Ajyal Youth Film Festival 2015

MOHAQ: Best Feature Film

Paper Planes

Robert Connolly / Feature Narrative / Australia / 2014 / 96 min / Colour / DCP2K / In English / Arabic subtitles / Qatar Premiere

When 11-year-old Dylan discovers his exceptional talent for creating paper planes, he becomes obsessed with his new hobby and eventually competes at the national level in Sydney. Soon it looks like Dylan is on his way to the world championships in Japan – if he can come up with the money to get there. An endearing celebration of talent and encouragement, ‘Paper Planes’ soars through a tale of friendship, creativity and the precious bonds of family and community.

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MOHAQ: Special Mention

Celestial Camel

Yury Feting / Feature Narrative / Russian Federation / 2014 / 90 min / Colour / DCP2K

It’s hard for Bayir, a young sheepherder, to believe in wonders living in the desolate Kalmyk Steppe, a remote, drought-stricken region of Russia. Deeply in debt, Bayir’s father is forced to sell Altynka, the family’s beloved camel calf, Altynka, to a cruel film producer – even though the pure-white creature is a good omen. When Altynka’s mother runs off to find her offspring, Bayir heads off on an epic journey to find her, and discovers that wonders do happen in the most unlikely of places.

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MOHAQ: Best Short Film

The Red Thunder

Alvaro Ron / Short Narrative / Spain, United States of America / 2015 / 7 min / Colour / DCP2K

When Sarah steals her mother’s bright red Cadillac, she discovers her mom’s exciting double life.

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HILAL: Best Feature Film

Scarecrow

Zig Madamba Dulay / Feature Narrative / Philippines / 2015 / 90 min / Colour / DCP2K

Widowed, illiterate and terribly poor, Belyn lives with her three children in a rural town in the Philippines. To make ends meet, she works as a laundress for her late husband’s sister-in-law, who does what she can to support her poor relatives. When a gold watch goes missing, Belyn’s son Popoy is presumed to be the culprit, despite his protestations of innocence. ‘Scarecrow’ is a deeply moving film that explores the complicated relationship of social injustice, privilege and familial expectations.

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HILAL: Special Mention

Landfill Harmonic

Brad Allgood, Graham Townsley / Feature Documentary / United States of America / 2015 / 84 min / Colour / DCP2K

The Paraguayan town of Cateura functions as the garbage dump of the country's national capital. The people there seem condemned to a life of poverty, combing through the trash to salvage recyclable materials to sell. From this dreadful situation arises a youth orchestra, their instruments crafted from materials salvaged from the landfill. In a wonderful celebration of the soul-affirming joy of making music, ‘Landfill Harmonic’ tracks the astounding rise of a group of young people who were given the opportunity to make their mark on the world.

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HILAL: Best Short Film

wHole

Robert Banning, Verena Klinger / Short Narrative / Germany / 2014 / 8 min / Colour / DCP2K In No Dialogue / (No Subtitles) subtitles

When a husband helps his blind wife to see, a vain impulse is stirred within her, which has devastating consequences.

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HILAL: Special Mention

That Day in September

Karim Jaafar / Short Narrative / Lebanon / 2014 / 15 min / Colour / DCP2K In Arabic / English subtitles

A seamstress bonds with a client over her son, who was kidnapped during the Lebanese Civil War.

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BADER: Best Feature Film

Walls

Pablo Iraburu, Migueltxo Molina / Feature Documentary / Spain / 2015 / 80 min / Colour / DCP2K In Arabic, English, Spanish / English, French subtitles

‘Walls’ follows several subjects on both sides of three contemporary international borders, demonstrating that the barriers that line them signal a lack of camaraderie. Imposing and threatening, they define who is worthy– and who is not. Those who patrol the walls are determined to keep migrants out; those who wish to cross them are resolute in their desire to gain a better life for themselves. Between these irreconcilable attitudes, walls and razor wire stand as mean-spirited symbols of selfishness and the fear of those who are not like us.

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BADER: Special Mention

The Second Mother

Anna Muylaert / Feature Narrative / Brazil / 2015 / 110 min / Colour / DCP2K In Portuguese / Arabic, English subtitles

Jéssica’s arrival, however, immediately upsets the balance of the household. Unwilling to mimic her mother’s role as the help, she is soon sleeping in the guest room, eating whatever is in the fridge and having lunch with the man of the house. Tensions arise in all directions, the gap between classes widens – and when Val learns her daughter’s well-kept secret, it becomes clear that a fundamental change in the order of things is needed.

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BADER: Best Short Film

By Mutual Agreement

Rémy Cayuela / Short Narrative / France / 2014 / 12 min / Colour / DCP2K In French / Arabic, English subtitles

Guillaume and Caroline have decided to end their marriage and are busy determining who gets to keep what – including their five-year-old son.

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Made In Qatar: Best Documentary Award

The Palm Tree

Jassim Al-Rumaihi / Short Documentary / Qatar / 2015 / 14 min / Colour / DCP2K In No Dialogue / (No Subtitles) subtitles

‘The Palm Tree’ is an observational documentary that shows us how unnatural nature can be, and unearths the science fiction in reality.

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Made In Qatar: Documentary Jury Award

Heart of the House

Gabrielle Sol / Short Documentary / Qatar / 2015 / 20 min / Colour / DCP2K In English / Arabic subtitles

Go behind the scenes at the Oryx Rotana, a five-star Doha hotel, as this short paints intimate portraits of several of the people who keep the hotel running.

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Made In Qatar: Best Narrative Award

Asfoora

Mayar Hamdan / Short Narrative / Qatar / 2015 / 10 min / Colour / DCP2K In Arabic, English / Arabic, English subtitles

A strange bird mercilessly teases Jana after she is caught cheating on an exam. This stylish dark comedy shows us what happens when we act on our dangerous impulses.

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Made In Qatar: Narrative Jury Award

Man of the House

Khalifa AlMarri / Short Narrative / Qatar / 2015 / 8 min / Colour / DCP2K In Arabic / English subtitles

A teenager becomes the man of his house after his parents mysteriously leave. But one of his siblings is starting to behave erratically… ‘Man of the House’ touches on themes of responsibility with a clever genre twist.

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