Latest news with #Qumra
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Oscar Winner Walter Salles Talks Impact of ‘I'm Still Here' on Brazilian Youths and Upcoming Project on Brazilian Soccer Player Sócrates at Doha Qumra Workshop
Oscar-winner Walter Salles, fresh from scoring the best international feature statuette for 'I'm Still Here,' discussed the impact of his political drama on youth audiences in Brazil and underlined the importance of cinema as 'an extraordinary tool of resistance' while attending the Doha Film Institute's Qumra workshop in Qatar. 'I'm Still Here,' the story of Brazilian activist Rubens Paiva's 1970 disappearance at the hands of the Brazilian military dictatorship and his wife Eunice Paiva's subsequent search for justice, recently marked a historic first Oscar win for Brazil. Salles also pointed out that the film has now been 'embraced by young generations of Brazilians' for whom it provided 'access to a part of their history that had somehow been hidden.' More from Variety Michelle Williams Shades 'Crash' Winning Best Picture Oscar Over 'Brokeback Mountain' by Asking: I Mean, What Was 'Crash'? Doha Film Institute's Qumra Workshop to Preview Timely Arab Films, Including Several Palestinian Projects, With Mentorship From Walter Salles, Johnnie To, Lav Diaz New York Film Critics Circle Sets January 2026 Awards Date 'The film has become their film,' Salles added, noting that Brazilian youths 'took possession' of 'I'm Still Here' and then 'went to social media to narrate their own stories and the stories of their families during the dictatorship in Brazil.' As for what's on the horizon, Salles, speaking to journalists, said he is editing a five-part doc series on Brazilian footballer and political activist Sócrates Brasileiro that he plans to finish by the year's end. 'He was born in the Amazon, in Pará, so it's really about internal migration in Brazil at the very beginning,' Salles said. 'Then it becomes a project about football, and then how he soon perceived that soccer was an extraordinary vehicle for political transformation and he blended all of that into one journey.' During a wide-ranging masterclass moderated by former New York Film Festival chief Richard Peña, Salles discussed other standout works in his filmography besides his Oscar-winner, including his first feature 'Foreign Land' – which marked the first time Salles worked with 'I'm Still Here' star Fernanda Torres – as well as 'Central Station,' that instead features Fernanda Torres' mother Fernanda Montenegro, and 'The Motorcycle Diaries' which stars Gael García Bernal as Che Guevara but also features quite a lot of non-professional actors. The latter film, Salles recalled, stemmed from an offer made to him by Robert Redford, who had purchased rights to the book with an eye on directing the film himself, but then proposed the project to Salles saying: 'I want to offer it to a Latin American director.' Salles' immediate reply was that he needed to think about it. Salles also recalled telling Redford that 'In order to be faithful to that book, you have to basically work with non-actors or actors who are starting out' and that 'you really have to do the long journey, which means that it was a complex project,' he said. Redford closed his eyes for 30 seconds and replied: 'OK, we either do it like this or we don't do it,' said Salles. 'And he embraced it. He embraced this idea, which was really, really great of him.' In closing the masterclass, Salles urged young Arab directors to follow his footsteps, urging them to make movies amidst injustices. 'Cinema is a way to construct memory and fight against erasing it,' he said. 'Whether you shoot it with an iPhone or make a feature film, it's an extraordinary tool of resistance.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
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)
See - Sada Elbalad
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
"Eddington" Is Heading to Cannes Film Festival
Yara Sameh Ari Aster's dark comedy "Eddington", starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, and Emma Stone, has been selected for the Cannes Film Festival. Speaking to Deadline at the Doha Film Institute's Qumra event this weekend, Cinematographer Darius Khondji, who is cinematographer on the title, said the pic was in the final stages of post-production. 'I'm going back to New York to do the color for Eddington that's going to Cannes, I hear,' said two-time Oscar nominee Khondji. 'Ari showed me the film. I heard it was going to Cannes two weeks ago.' 'It's a great film, a very interesting film. It's very raw, very, very strong, one of the strongest films that I've worked on that I really think is going to be fantastic.' Billed as a black comedy Western thriller, Phoenix stars as an ambitious small-town New Mexico sheriff who goes up against his mayor, played by Pascal, in a pandemic-era power struggle. The Cannes Film Festival is due to announce the bulk of its 2025 Official Selection at its annual press conference in Paris on Thursday. Other films expected to have made the cut include Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme, Kirill Serebrennikov's "The Disappearance of Joseph Mengele", and Kleber Mendonça Filho's "The Secret Agent". A24, which is financing and producing Eddington, rolled out sales on the film at the Berlinale's European Film Market in February, stoking expectations that a Cannes splash could be on the cards. Further cast members include Austin Butler, Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal Ward, Clifton Collins Jr., Luke Grimes and Amélie Hoeferle. Aster wrote, directed and is producing alongside Lars Knudsen under their Square Peg banner. It is his fourth feature after "Hereditary", "Midsommar," and "Beau is Afraid". 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 Israeli PM Diagnosed with Stage 3 Prostate Cancer 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
Khaleej Times
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Timothee Chalamet prepared 'for months' for 'Marty Supreme'
Timothee Chalamet has gone through intense training for his role in the upcoming film Marty Supreme, in which he plays real-life ping pong legend Marty Reisman, reported Variety. According to the film's cinematographer, Darius Khondji, Chalamet trained "for months and months" to prepare for the part. Khondji revealed this while speaking to Variety on the sidelines of the Doha Film Institute's Qumra workshop. Khondji said he hasn't seen the final film yet, but, "Everything I hear is spectacular. The shooting was so hard and crazy," he said. Ping pong legend Reisman was known for his unique personality and skills, having started out as a street hustler in New York before winning over 20 major ping pong titles between 1946 and 2002. Chalamet worked hard to look and move like a real professional. "...because you can do anything, any camera tricks you want, but you need to have a core. He wanted to be like a real [professional] ping pong player when he started shooting," Chalamet told Variety. Marty Supreme will also feature many non-actors, including some of today's top ping pong players, magician Penn Jillette, director Abel Ferrara, and French high-wire artist Philippe Petit. The film, directed by Josh Safdie and produced by A24, is expected to be released during Christmas this year.
Broadcast Pro
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Qumra 2025 screens six films supported by Doha Film Institute
The selection includes narratives and documentaries from emerging and established filmmakers supported by DFI. Doha Film Institute has announced a lineup of seven feature films supported by the Institute for the Qumra 2025 screenings programme, running until April 9. These critically acclaimed works represent some of the most distinctive and bold independent voices in emerging cinema. Now in its 11th edition, Qumra continues to serve as a dynamic incubator for cinematic talent, presenting 49 projects from 23 countries, including several from Qatari and Qatar-based filmmakers. The programme underscores Qatar's growing creative footprint and the Institute's commitment to nurturing emerging storytellers. The Qumra 2025 Screenings will be open to the public, with tickets available for individual events or Qumra Passes granting access to the full programme—including masterclasses by an esteemed group of Qumra Masters 2025: acclaimed filmmakers and artists Lav Diaz, Darius Khondji, Walter Salles, Anna Terrazas, and Johnnie To. Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: 'Qumra 2025 Screenings highlights our ongoing commitment to powerful storytelling that pushes creative boundaries and amplifies diverse perspectives. These films present the artistic vision and technical expertise of emerging filmmakers from across the world who are making significant contributions to cinema. We are honoured to have supported their journey and to open doors to a wider audience for their films at Qumra.' Rising Up at Night (Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium, Germany, Burkina Faso, Qatar) by Nelson Makengo examines the hope, disappointment and religious faith of Tongo Saa, a subtle and fragmented portrait of a population that despite its challenges is sublimated by the beauty of Kinshasa's nights. Moondove (Lebanon, Netherlands, Qatar) by Karim Kassem presents a poetic narrative set in a mountain village grappling with severe drought, where an annual theatrical tradition becomes a metaphor for broader societal changes. Red Path (Tunisia, France, Belgium, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Qatar) by Lotfi Achour tells the haunting story of young shepherd Achraf, whose life is forever changed after the traumatic death of his cousin. MA – Cry of Silence (Myanmar, South Korea, France, Singapore, Norway, Qatar) by The Maw Naing follows Mi-Thet, a young garment factory worker whose involvement in a labour strike awakens her political consciousness and connects her to Myanmar's complex history of resistance. East of Noon (Netherlands, Egypt, Qatar) by Hala Elkoussy weaves a satirical fable about artistic freedom and resistance through the story of Abdo, a musician challenging authority by creating art in a confined world. Demba (Senegal, Germany, Qatar) directed by Mamadou Dia charts how a man struggling with grief and depression with the anniversary of his wife's death nearing, finds solace reconnecting with his estranged son. The screenings will be held at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium.
