To get the latest on what’s happening on Qatar’s movie scene, we caught up with Mohana Rajakumar, Founder and Director of a unique project, Shorts by Shorties.

What exactly is Shorts by Shorties?
It’s a free film lab for young women based in Qatar between 15 and 23 years old. We are a Community Service Organisation in Doha that teaches teen girls how to make their first short films. We have two annual programmes – a 12-week mentorship lab from September to December for women only, via application and interview, then the 48 Film Challenge that is always the same weekend as International Women’s Day, open to all ages and genders.
To date we have:
● trained 20+ female filmmakers
● had our films screen at seven international film festivals
● received two honourable mentions
● had films named Best in Category for two awards
● been ‘official’ selections 32 times

Where did the name come from and how was the project first initiated?
Shorts is the nickname for short films and shorty is slang for young women; we started with a community small grant from the US Embassy Doha and have been supported by Chevron as well as other regional entities like Canon Middle East, Msherieb, Doha Design District and Raffles Doha.

Can you guide us through the process from walking through the door of the lab to getting a short film made and ready for release?
With the lab, you write a script, get lots of feedback, then cast, put together a crew, film it and hopefully find a good editor to make your idea shine; with lots of enthusiastic friends and family helping you along the way!
Our 12-week mentorship programme admits 10 to 15 Shorties a year. Applicants must pitch with a film idea related to the theme of that session (so far, we have done mental health, family life and narrative medicine). Over the course of the programme they are mentored through the entire process, from writing to filming to editing and submitting their projects to film festivals.

Where are the films screened and can the public see them?
Our projects are submitted for competition at international film festivals and we also hold a few free public screenings a year – you can watch out for invites via our IG account
@shortsbyshorties

I understand your participants have won international prizes, please tell us about that.
Troll is one of our award winners; a film made in our first cohort about bullying and how bullies are made. It won Best Student Director and Best Short at the OTB (Only The Best) film awards. Another award winner is Truth From Lies, about the small untruths we tell in order to fit in, which took Best Student Film at the Hunter Mountain Film Festival.

What would be your message for young women wanting to get involved in filmmaking and how can people take part?
Start however small, with YouTube or IG reels, Facebook stories – however you’d like to tell your POV or an interesting take on a current event. Every year, in conjunction with International Women’s day – March 8 – we have a Weekend Film Challenge for all ages and genders. They can learn more here.

Anything else you would like to add?
I started the Film Lab to help support young filmmakers as I learned about film myself; I’m working on my first feature and as I made shorts, I wanted to pass it along as I am a professor of English and teaching is baked into me. ✤

GO: VISIT @SHORTSBYSHORTIES FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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About Mohana Rajakumar
My short, American Baby, is about an Indian expat couple ordering tacos for the first time. Watch the trailer @Instagram.com/p/CiFTm_2jL7S/
My first short, Me Against the World, was in the official selection at 15 international festivals, including Charlotte, Sarasota and Queens International. Now streaming via Shorts International TV and available via iTunes.