Qatar launches creative animation ahead of football tournament.

May 9, 2022

Qatar has a unique possibility to share the ancient and modern culture of its people with the whole planet as it hosts the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. And the creative people given the responsibility to showcase that culture are using every tool at their disposal. On innovative creation is a new animated series highlighting the area, its people and their culture.

The animated series follows the story of Kawkabani, a lost alien in Qatar and each episode runs to 11 minutes with 5 episodes set to air via Youtube.

With Doha and Qatar firmly in the spotlight during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, young and talented Qataris have launched this first locally animated series for distribution on the internet. The series is called ‘Kawkabani’, after the main character of the show. Kawkabani is a clever play on the word kawkab, which means planet in Arabic.

Qatar’s News Agency (QNA) reported that the five-episode series, which is in Arabic, aims to introduce the global audience to Qatari culture whilst simultaneously promoting this massive sporting event.

Nefaish Animation Studio produced the series and it was written and scripted by Qatari writer Amal Al Shammari and directed by Hossein Heydar.

Kawkabani is a lost alien in Qatar who has never missed a previous FIFA World Cup™, but misfortune befalls him and he crashes his spaceship in the Sealine Desert on his way to the tournament in Qatar.

But luck appears to be on Kawkabani’s side when he is discovered by three Qatari young men who take it upon themselves to guide him around the country and introduce him to the culture.

Commenting on the purpose of animation, Heydar said that:

“The stylistic approach itself is a global language that can be understood by people of all ages and nationalities.” He went on to say that “the series is the result of the creators’ cooperation with different local entities and talents in an effort to compete with a global market.”

Heydar is the co-founder and managing director of Nefaish animation studio and Al Shammari is the co-founder and creative director. According to them both, the purpose of the studio is to provide “creative story-telling methods to connect with a wider audience.”

The first episode will be available to view on Nefaish’s YouTube channel from the 2nd of May which coincides with the first day of Eid.

The show is supported by FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ organising body, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC). The project has also been backed by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) and other corporate sponsors. It has also received grant funding from the Spring 19 fund.

The Doha Film Institute describes Nefaish as “a creative animation studio specialised in producing high-quality animations inspired by Qatari Culture. They deliver messages in a meaningful and innovative way through stories, and no story can reach and affect people without proper execution. At Nefaish, they combine your message with their creative experience to tell your story.”

The intro song of the series was shared by Nefaish on 20th April on YouTube to teaser trail a glimpse of the Qatari production. It showcased a small pink alien whose eyes are agog and the cultural wonders encountered on his travels, including spending time at the ‘majlis’ with the men who found him.

For those keen to stay connected, Nefaish studio has also started a Twitter account for Kawkabani under the title KawkabaniQ for fans to follow his exploits.

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Source: qna.org.qa, gulf-times.com

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