Doha Film Institute launches Ajyal, a film festival judged by young viewers

The Doha Film Institute, Qatar's state-backed film body set up in 2010, created the Ajyal Film Festival as a showcase for young audiences. The name means "generations" in Arabic, and the event was designed around the idea that young people should not only watch films but also judge them.

Unlike most festivals, where critics and filmmakers decide the prizes, Ajyal handed that role to juries of young viewers, split by age group. Participants watched the programme, discussed the films with each other and voted for the winners. The lineup mixed Arab and international titles, with screenings, workshops and meetings with filmmakers alongside the competition.

The festival mattered because it linked Doha's wider effort to build a regional film industry with the development of audiences, not only of producers and directors. It gave young people in Qatar and neighbouring countries a direct voice in a cultural event.

Ajyal was later folded into the Doha Film Festival, where it continues as a competition, which is why its annual lineup and young juries are now announced as part of the larger festival.