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Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Doha Film Institute Launches Ambitious International Festival for Indie Cinema With $300,000 in Prizes
The Doha Film Institute has unveiled the shape of its upcoming Doha Film Festival, which looks poised to become a prominent event dedicated to auteur cinema from around the world in the Middle East and North Africa region. The fest transforms the DFI's existing Ajyal Film Festival dedicated to youth and family-friendly cinema into a more ambitious international event for a broader audience. It will have four competition strands: international feature film competition; short film competition; the Ajyal film competition, judged by the festival's unique youth jury; and the Made in Qatar competition, dedicated to projects made in Qatar, regardless of the director's provenance. More from Variety Searchlight Pictures Buys Alexander Payne's Next Film 'Somewhere Out There' for Worldwide Rights (EXCLUSIVE) Charlotte Gainsbourg Says 'I Don't Need to See My Movies Anymore' and Fighting for Acting Roles Is Better Than Getting Offers: 'You Feel Like You Own It' Dogma 25 Explodes at Cannes, Spearheaded by New Quintet Led by May el-Toukhy: 'A Rescue Mission and a Cultural Uprising' The reconfigured event is being endowed with a total prize pot of over $300,000 that places it on a monetary par with Saudi Arabia's more glitzy Red Sea Film festival in Jeddah. In the international sphere, the top prizes to be dished out will be best narrative, worth $75,000; documentary, worth $50,000; artistic achievement, worth $45,000; and the gender-neutral performance acting award, worth $15,000. The Doha Film Festival will run Nov. 20-28, a slot that adds to the already crowded Arab film festival calendar during that period. The Cairo fest runs Nov. 12-21, the Marrakech fest runs Nov. 28-Dec. 6 and Red Sea's fifth edition is set for Dec. 4-13. The announcement of the revamped festival, made at Cannes, comes on the 15th anniversary of the Doha Film Institute, which was first announced in Cannes in 2010 by Qatar's cultural leader Sheikha Al Mayassa, the DFI's founder and chairperson. 'We've had a huge collective experience,' Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi told Variety. 'We laid a lot of the groundwork and did a lot of the heavy lifting to create this industry in Qatar. Now we have a bigger movement for the film industry with Media City Qatar and Katara Studios, with different productions happening, either locally or internationally. 'The opportunities in Qatar now are huge,' Alremaihi continued, 'and we want to expose these opportunities to people from around the world who come to Doha.' Films will be selected by the DFI's in-house programming team led by Alremaihi. The Doha Film Festival will not have a structured market. The DFI already has a unique event called Qumra, an incubator and co-production market that helps foster first and second works, mostly by Arab directors. Qumra, which was conceived by the DFI following the failure of the Tribeca Doha Film Festival, which ran from 2009 until 2012, recently held its 11th edition. Qumra mentors this year included Johnnie To, Walter Salles and Darius Khondji. Lack of a structured market does not mean the Doha Film Festival will not have an industry aspect. 'There are so many markets around the world, I don't think another one is needed,' Alremaihi said. 'But organically there will be a market for opportunities and partnerships and deals that can happen during the festival and year-round,' she added, noting that other elements of the festival will be announced later 'that will be attended by a lot of industry [executives]. 'This is going to be an ongoing project' said the DFI's artistic advisor Palestinian auteur Elia Suleiman, who noted that the event will have a similar spirit to Qumra and has no desire to compete with the other fest's in the Arab world, at least not in terms of glitz and glamour. 'It's an event for the filmmakers. Ultimately, they are at the root and center of the DFI program,' said Hanaa Issaa, who oversees the institute's film funding programs and funding initiatives. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Broadcast Pro
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
ACC to honour DFI CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi during 78th Cannes
The award recognises influential industry leaders whose contributions have raised the profile of Arab cinema on the global stage. In honor of her contributions to the development of Qatari, Arab and international cinema, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) will present its sixth Arab Cinema Personality of the Year Award to Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute (DFI), at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, taking place from May 13 to 24. The ACC established the award to spotlight key figures in the industry who have played an instrumental role in elevating Arab cinema on the global stage. Since taking the helm of the DFI in 2014, Alremaihi has been at the forefront of its mission to develop a vibrant film culture in Qatar and the wider region. Her leadership has seen the creation of cornerstone initiatives such as the Ajyal Film Festival and Qumra, both designed to support and mentor emerging filmmakers. Alremaihi, a Doha native and English Literature graduate from Qatar University, joined the DFI at its founding in 2009. She has since been deeply involved in developing talent and fostering global industry partnerships. Her commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices in cinema has earned her a place on Variety International's list of the 500 most influential business leaders in global entertainment. In a joint statement, Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab, Co-founders of Arab Cinema Centre, said: 'We take immense pride in honouring Fatma Hassan Alremaihi with the Arab Cinema Personality of the Year Award. Since assuming her position, she has made noteworthy efforts to advance the Qatari, Arab, and global film industries.' DFI CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi added: 'I am deeply honoured by this recognition, which reflects the spirit of a young nation committed to building a dynamic film industry that captures the world's imagination. At the DFI, we believe in the power of storytelling to connect, inspire, and transform. This award not only strengthens our commitment to nurturing diverse voices and cultivating a rich cultural legacy but also reaffirms Qatar's unwavering dedication to championing global storytelling — narratives that transcend borders and unite communities around the world.' Beyond her role at the DFI, Alremaihi is also a member of the Advisory Committee for Qatar Museum's Lusail Museum and has served on juries at major international film festivals including Sarajevo, Antalya, Nara and Mumbai. In recognition of her cultural contributions, she was also awarded the Officier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. The DFI, an independent nonprofit cultural organisation, continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the region's creative industries, supporting over 900 film projects from more than 75 countries through grants and co-financing. Notable films backed by the institute include It Must Be Heaven, Capernaum, Theeb, Memoria, and The Salesman — all of which have garnered international acclaim. In previous years, the Arab Cinema Personality of the Year award has been given to prominent figures such as Mohannad Al-Bakri, Mouhamad Keblawi, Chiraz Latiri, Mohamed Hefzy and the duo Abdulhamid Juma and Masoud Amralla Al Ali.
See - Sada Elbalad
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Doha Film Institute Chief Reveals Plans to Launch New Film Festival in Qatar, Details to Be Unveiled in Cannes
Yara Sameh Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi has confirmed plans for a new film festival to be launched in the Qatari capital in November, details of which will be unveiled in Cannes. News that the DFI was planning a new film event surfaced last November during its Ajyal Film Festival dedicated to youth and family-friendly cinema. Al Remaihi mentioned it during Ajyal's opening ceremony, but she has never spoken about it since then. The new DFI event will take place during Ajyal's customary November slot and will be an evolution of Ajyal. November is a busy time on the Arab film festival circuit between Egypt's El Gouna in October, Marrakech in late November, and Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Festival in December. 'We are very excited about the upcoming edition,' Al Remaihi said. 'We will have new programming elements in the festival, both for the industry and the filmmakers, and also for the broader audience,' she added before underlining that further details will be unveiled on the Croisette. Ajyal, which has become a year-round program, will be partly incorporated into the new event. As for what prompted this move, Al Remaihi noted that the DFI is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and the new film festival is an organic part of the evolution of the organization which runs an important film grants and workshop program that regularly spawns films selected by major festivals and has become a top MENA region film industry driver. Al Remaihi spoke during the DFI's ongoing Qumra event, an incubator and co-production market that helps foster first and second works, mostly by Arab directors, now at its 11th edition, where this year's mentors include Johnnie To, Walter Salles, and Darius Khondji. Qumra was conceived by the DFI following the failure of the Tribeca Doha Film Festival, which ran from 2009 until 2012. The new festival will see the DFI 'evolving into something that's more needed for the industry, especially here in Doha, but also for the wider industry in the MENA region. So we are really excited about this,' she said. 'We are really happy to unveil it because I know that a lot of people are asking questions.' Two questions about the upcoming new DFI festival that have been swirling among attendees during Qumra are whether it will have an industry component and whether Qumra will be incorporated into the new fest. 'We don't have any plans to change anything in Qumra,' she said. 'We think it's important for it to remain the way it is,' she added, further noting that 'everything we do is part of an eco-system and is connected to the DFI,' Al Remaihi pointed out. At the same time, it appears clear that the new DFI event will indeed have a still-unspecified industry aspect. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Arts & Culture Arwa Gouda Gets Married (Photos)
