Opening new avenues to creative development and education, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education has partnered with the Doha Film Institute (DFI) to deliver the recurring ‘School Stars’ short film competition for public and private school students in Qatar.

The recurring short film competition will present a new theme in every edition and will launch on 12 April 2020. The subject of the first edition will be ‘The Bright Side’ and students are invited to submit short films that explore and express their views, observations and their experience in relation to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The open community-wide initiative invites Arabic and other language-speaking students to participate by creating 30-60 second films that capture the essence of the presented theme and reflect their opinions and ideas on the proposed topics. Submissions across the three categories: 1^st – 4^th Grade (Category 1), 5^th – 8^th Grade (Category 2), and 9^th – 12^th Grade (Category 3) will be evaluated by separate juries appointed by the DFI based on script quality, storyline, cinematography and originality.

Open to all currently enrolled public and private school students in Qatar, the ‘School Stars’ short film competition will present new themes every few weeks with online film submissions through the competition website on
https://www.dohafilminstitute.com/pages/school-stars-short-film-competition in Arabic and other languages, provided there is a translation. Submitted films will be featured across the Ministry’s and DFI’s social media platforms, in addition to Qatar TV educational channels 1 and 2.

Three winning films from each category will receive cash prizes in addition to complimentary access to DFI youth workshops and the exclusive opportunity to participate in the Ajyal Jury programme (age-appropriate) in the upcoming edition of the Institute’s annual celebration of culture and art – the Ajyal Film Festival.

Film submissions should summarise the students’ creative interpretation of an item related to the ongoing theme. Parents can assist in filming, and in current circumstances, all filming should be completed at home with family members only to ensure the health and safety of all.

As a regional hub for education and community, the Doha Film Institute aims to partner with national organisations and governmental entities to empower the next generation, promote an environment of creativity and dialogue, and make learning accessible through the power of film.

More information about the competition conditions, can be found via the following link https://www.dohafilminstitute.com/pages/young-voices-short-film-competition

Source: Press release

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Binu Cherian

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