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Doha, Qatar; November 9, 2017: The fifth Ajyal Youth Film Festival, presented by the Doha Film Institute from Nov. 29 to Dec. 4, has expanded its community outreach this year with the launch of ‘Al Ahali’ programme for parents. The programme aims to strengthen the interaction of the community with the festival by opening doors for the parents of the Ajyal Jurors to join in a variety of festival happenings.

Fatma Al Remaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: “The Al Ahali Programme is a first at Ajyal, where parents of our young jurors, who are at the heart of the event, can now join them in watching the films and attending various Ajyal Talks. This is part of our commitment to broaden the understanding of cinema, more so because by involving the parents, we can facilitate stronger familial bonding and encourage them to work together creatively.”

The Ajyal Jurors, nearly 500 of them this year, are in three categories: Mohaq (children aged 8 to 12), Hilal (13 to 17) and Bader (18 to 21). Parents of the jurors in all the three categories can enroll for Al Ahali programme and become active participants at this year’s Ajyal Youth Film Festival, where they will gain access to designated seats for parents at select screenings and talks. Parents interested in the programme must e-mail: ajyalparents@dohafilminstitute.com.

Parents can take part in the opening of Ajyal Juror’s Hub on Nov. 28 at Katara Cultural Village, the venue of Ajyal Youth Film Festival. Starting on Nov. 30 and for three consecutive days, they are invited to attend the Ajyal Talks series. Ajyal Talks provide an inspiring interaction with people who have a positive influence on youth, and highlight the issues affecting youth in the region and beyond its borders. The talks for this year include relevant and topical sessions on media’s influence on our daily lives, overcoming adversity through art, the horrors of child trafficking and human rights abuse, and an In Conversation with celebrated visual artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat.

On the closing day, parents are invited to attend the award ceremony to applaud the winners of this year’s festival, chosen by the young Ajyal Jurors.

Tickets go on sale from November 15 and are priced QR25 for general screening. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.dohafilminstitute.com or from the Ajyal Box Office in Katara Building 12 or Ajyal FNAC Ticket Outlet, FNAC Qatar (at Lagoona Mall).

Katara Cultural Village as its Cultural Partner; Qatar Tourism Authority is the Strategic Partner, and Occidental Petroleum Corporation and Ooredoo are the Principal Partners. For more details on the Ajyal Youth Film Festival, please visit www.dohafilminstitute.com/filmfestival.