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Classics and Contemporary International Films to Showcase Every Month as Part of Katara DFI Cinema Screening Series

Doha, Qatar; December 24, 2013: Doha Film Institute’s year round film series launches a new programme of film screenings, the Ajyal Youth Film Series, as part of the Katara DFI Cinema Programme. Dedicated to engage the local community and further support film appreciation in Qatar, the series will open with the classic film ‘The Kid’ (1921 USA) on January 2nd and 3rd 2014, produced and directed by Charlie Chaplin.

The Ajyal Youth Film Series, which stems from the recent Ajyal Youth Film Festival, builds on the goal to inspire and create, as well as to empower the region’s youth and foster creativity. The aim is to encourage local youth and families with an opportunity to actively engage and participate in film appreciation in a fun and educational environment, create dialogue and learn about new cultures from around the world.

The Film Series will comprise of two screenings per month throughout 2014, showcasing a diverse selection of classics and contemporary international films. Screenings will take place on Thursday mornings free of charge, for schools only, which will also include educational learning activities, and Friday afternoons for the general public for regular screenings.

Mr Abdulaziz Al-Khater, Chief Executive Officer, Doha Film Institute, said: “The founding motive of the Ajyal Youth Film Series is simple, it is to instil the love of cinema among young people and families in our community. We want to inspire them through the medium of film and allow them to explore, discuss and create their own dialogue around storytelling.”

An archival treasure from 1921, ‘The Kid’ is comic drama produced, written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin himself stars as the beloved little vagabond, who finds an abandoned baby in an alley and takes him under his wing. As the child gets older, he becomes the Little Tramp’s partner in petty crime, scamming unsuspecting people to survive. Eventually, however, welfare services attempt to take the boy away, resulting in a desperate search and an emotional reunion. This was Chaplin’s first full-length movie and is widely considered one of his best works.

Actor, filmmaker and composer, Charlie Chaplin rose to fame in the silent movie era with his infamous pantomime and slapstick style of making films such as ‘A Woman of Paris’ (1923) and ‘The Circus’ (1928). His career has spanned over 75 years and along the way he gained numerous awards including a Special Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1972 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lincoln Center Film Society the same year.

Tickets will be on sale from 17th December and can be purchased at www.dohafilminstitute.com or from the Doha Film Institute Ticket Outlet at The Cultural Village Katara, Building 26. Tickets are priced at QAR 35 for general public and a special discounted rate of QAR 25 for students.

For more information, please visit www.dohafilminstitute.com and look out for the next installment of screenings for the coming months.