Back to listing

Doha, Qatar; November 2, 2014: Setting the mood for the Ajyal Youth Film Festival in December and drawing on the pleasant evening weather in the city, Doha Film Institute is introducing family-oriented free outdoor pop-up cinema screenings, taking place until November 14, 2014, at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park and The Pearl. The innovative cinema experience, brought to film-lovers in Qatar for the first time, will feature Doha Film Institute’s signature mix of specialty film programming and unique cultural events.

The first screening took place on Friday evening with more than 400 people gathering in the MIA Park to attend a screening of the heart-warming Kurdish drama, Bekas, directed by Karzan Kadar.

Over the coming weeks, Doha Film Institute will present three family films at the MIA Park: Rio, Rio 2 and Amazonia, followed by a special Made in Qatar programme featuring work by local filmmakers which will take place at The Pearl. All films will have Arabic and English subtitles. Seating for the free screenings is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Rio (2011, 95 mins, G), directed by Carlos Saldana, narrates the story of Blu, a flightless macaw who acts more human than bird. When Blu, the last of its kind, discovers there is another – and that it is a she – it embarks on an adventure to magical Rio. There he meets Jewel and a menagerie of vivid characters who help fulfil Blu its dream to fly. Rio earned appreciation for its visuals, voice acting and music, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Catch this fun-filled flick at MIA park on November 6 at 7pm.

The sequel, Rio 2 (2014, 101 mins, G) features the same lovable characters – Blu and Jewel, this time with their three kids, living in Amazonian wild. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful Nigel, and meets his father-in-law. The film will be screened at Nov. 7 at 7pm.

Directed by Thierry Ragobert, Amazonia (2013, 83 mins, PG) is a Brazilian-French documentary about a capuchin monkey born and raised in captivity, finding himself alone and lost in the wilderness of the Amazon rainforest after a plane crash. Progressing through stages of fear, curiosity, defiance and love, the brave monkey undertakes an adventurous and sometimes perilous journey to adapt to this magnificent and unknown universe. Amazonia will be showcased on Nov. 8 at 7pm.

On Nov. 14 at 8pm, film-lovers can watch a selection of movies directed by Qatar’s own talent. The ‘Made in Qatar’ showcase will feature a collection of captivating short films by talented filmmakers who call Qatar home. The films were screened at the inaugural Ajyal Youth Film Festival and at other international film festivals.

The second Ajyal Youth Film Festival will take place from December 1 to 6 at Katara Cultural Village. The programme consists of daily public screenings of local and international films; family days; special events and exhibitions; the Sandbox interactive digital playground; school screenings; and the Doha Film Experience – Ajyal’s youth jury, where hundreds of young people between the ages of 8 and 21 will watch and discuss shorts and features and decide on the winning films.

For more information on Pop-up Cinema dates and timings and the Ajyal Youth Film Festival, log onto www.dohafilminstitute.com.