Bariq Short Films Programme & Cine-Concert

Ajyal Competition - Ajyal Film Festival 2024

Step into Bariq’s world of wonder! Curated especially for young children and family audiences, these heartwarming and whimsical films are bound to captivate and inspire.

I Lay For You To Sleep

Ajyal Competition | Made in Qatar - Ajyal Film Festival 2024

A man drifts through memories as women perform sacred washing rites. Through reflections on death and rebirth, he seeks peace and acceptance of life’s most profound truths.

Ali Al Hajri / Qatar / Short Narrative

Made in Morocco – Short Films Programme

Special Screening | Made in Morocco - Ajyal Film Festival 2024

Discover the vibrant voices of Moroccan cinema at the Ajyal Film Festival. In celebration of the Qatar-Morocco Year of Culture, these compelling short films offer an authentic view of Moroccan life and culture.

Made in Qatar Programme

Made in Qatar - Ajyal Film Festival 2024

This special film showcases and celebrates the work of Qatari filmmakers and those who call Qatar home. The programme presented this year features some internationally shown and critically-acclaimed short documentaries and narratives.

Matters of Existence – Short Films Programme (PG-15)

Ajyal at Vox - Ajyal Film Festival 2024

A thought-provoking collection of shorts, each revealing universal human themes like identity, rights, and resilience across cultures. These powerful stories explore how our shared experiences connect us all.

Matters of the Heart – Short Films Programme (15+)

Ajyal at Vox - Ajyal Film Festival 2024

Enjoy moving stories about the bonds that sustain us. ‘Matters of the Heart’ presents a cinematic exploration of relationships, capturing life’s most heartfelt moments with honesty and sensitivity.

Matters of the Mind – Short Films Programme (15+)

Ajyal at Vox - Ajyal Film Festival 2024

Embark on explorative tales of self-discovery and resilience—these acclaimed shorts reveal the nuances of identity and our collective journey toward true understanding.

Meeting with Pol Pot

Special Screening - Ajyal Film Festival 2024

Democratic Kampuchea (Cambodia) - 1978. Three French journalists are invited by the Khmer Rouge to conduct an exclusive interview of the regime’s leader, Pol Pot. The country seems ideal. But behind the Potemkin village, the Khmer Rouge regime is declining, and the war with Vietnam threatens to invade the country. The regime is looking for culprits, secretly carrying out a large-scale genocide. Under the eyes of the journalists, the beautiful picture cracks, revealing the horror. Their journey progressively turns into a nightmare.

Rithy Panh / Cambodia, France, Turkey, Taiwan, Qatar / Feature Narrative

Ode to Our Land - DFI Inclusive Cinema Screening

Special Screening - Ajyal Film Festival 2024

His Highness the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani was once a young man who lived in a city that would one day become a great metropolis and global centre.

Rawda Al-Thani, Amal Al-Muftah / Qatar / Feature Documentary

Requiem for a Tribe

Ajyal Competition - Ajyal Film Festival 2024

Hajar, a 55-year-old woman from the Bakhtiari nomadic tribe in southwestern Iran, faces betrayal by her family as they pressure her to leave her migratory lifestyle and settle in the city. Despite modern challenges such as climate change, urbanisation, and a patriarchal society, she refuses to relinquish her flock or her freedom. Through this empathetic portrait, director Marjan Khosravi presents a moving documentary on the clash between tradition and modernity in a rapidly changing world.

Marjan Khosravi / Iran, Spain, Qatar / Feature Documentary

Shadows

Ajyal Competition - Ajyal Film Festival 2024

Ahlam, a 14-year-old mother, escapes Baghdad’s shadows, confronting memories of trauma and her determination to reclaim her life.

Rand Beiruti / France, Jordan, Qatar / Short Animation

Thank You For Banking With Us!

Ajyal Competition - Ajyal Film Festival 2024

After their father’s death, two sisters, Mariam and Noura, devise a scheme to claim his substantial inheritance before their estranged brother, who is entitled to half, finds out. Set in Ramallah, the story follows their desperate, comedic efforts to circumvent patriarchal inheritance laws while dealing with personal crises. As their plan unravels, the sisters rediscover their bond, confronting gender discrimination, family obligations, and the limits of societal expectations.

Laila Abbas / Palestine, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt / Feature Narrative