DFI supporting the Palestinian pavilion in Cannes this year, with Fatma Hasan Alremaihi, center, Elia Suleiman, third from left and Hanaa Issa, third from right.
And with a new upcoming international film festival announced for November 2025, the Gulf cultural organization plans to prove to the world what many of us already knew.
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Starting right here, right now, I’m kicking off a podcast that brings together film and fashion in a brand new way, where you'll find yourself sitting in the room with celebrities and artists, for some cozy conversations. Cultural events and world affairs decoded, from Cannes to Venice to London and across the pond, to NYC.
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Among the titles which stand out to me immediately are two beautiful projects, one selected for Critics’ Week and the other in the Fortnight line up, which participated in the recent DFI Qumra industry incubator. And I included the shorts in Critics’ Week!
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Also included in the extensive line up of projects participating in the upcoming industry incubator organized by the Doha Film Institute is the follow up by Algerian helmers Damien Ounouri and Adila Bendimerad to their award winning epic ‘The Last Queen’, as well as Suzannah Mirghani’s highly anticipated feature debut ‘Cotton Queen’.
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Clockwise from left: Walter Salles, Anna Terrazas, Darius Khondji and Lav Diaz
The list for the upcoming edition also includes César and Academy Award nominated DoP Darius Khondji, and Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To Kei-Fung.
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Ajyal young jurors sit during a screening of a film in their section
And, while watching films during this wondrous festival, I witnessed a second miracle in the making.
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Fatma Hassan Alremaihi and Her Excellency Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater surrounded by some of the Ajyal jurors
A documentary about the students’ movement in Sudan opened this year’s DFI Ajyal film festival. And the unusual, yet super welcomed refreshing choices didn’t stop there.
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A still from ‘Sudan, Remember Us’ by Hind Meddeb, courtesy of the DFI
With the theme of the 2024 edition of Ajyal Film Festival presented by the Doha Film Institute announced as ‘Moments That Matter’, the event will also see the participation of Palestinian stars Hiam Abbas, Saleh and Mohammad Bakri, along with beloved Egyptian actor Khaled El Nabawy, Turkish TV star Esra Bilgic and Sudanese musician Mustafa the Poet.
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A still from ‘Aïcha’ by Mehdi Barsaoui, courtesy of The Party Film Sales
This year there are 12 Doha Film Institute supported films in the lineup on the Lido, plus the DFI is hosting a special afternoon and even a gala dinner celebrating their achievements in the world of cinema and art.
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A still from ‘Salted Skins’ by Nicolas Fattouh, courtesy of the DFI
It’s all in a week’s work for the Doha Film Institute, the greatest cinematic organization in the MENA region.
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A still from ‘The Girl with the Needle’, courtesy of the Festival de Cannes
There is a trick to this festival. If you stand still long enough in Cannes — something a bit difficult to do on a weekend as crowds are bustling all around you — you’ll run into everyone who is anyone in the film universe.
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Poster by Takeshi Kitano, titled, appropriately by the Japanese actor, writer, comedian, painter and director “Takeshi”
And there are some must-watch films in there which cannot be missed.
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The Qumra class of 2024, captured in the courtyard of the Museum of Islamic Art
And no, I’m not talking about the bustling Souq Waqif on the eve of Ramadan!
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The power of music is undeniable. And no one harnesses it better than French filmmaker Leos Carax, one of the Qumra Masters at this year’s DFI industry event.
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Fatma Hassan Alremaihi at Qumra 2024, courtesy of the DFI
It is always great to be in Doha for their annual industry meetings, yet this time it feels extra crucial and important — as cinema is what I turn to in order to heal and help understand the world around me.
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A still from ‘The land was well past its zenith’ by Rita Mahfouz
Plus actress and producer Toni Colette, is confirmed as the sixth 2024 Master for the upcoming tenth anniversary edition of the industry incubator and the participating projects are announced.
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Plus Atom Egoyan fresh from the Berlinale and Academy Award nominated sound designer Martín Hernández, all to give Masterclasses while in Qatar.
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Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian announcing this year’s Competition & Encounters line up on Monday
While many of us may be concentrating on the awards announcements, the Berlin Film Festival reminds us where it all starts from, and why these worldwide events are so important. Dare I say, more than the awards…
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A still from ‘Disco Afrika: A Malagasy Story’, courtesy of the filmmaker
The highly anticipated announcement confirms the DFI’s commitment as the region’s longest-serving film development initiative, as the Institute has supported more than 800 films from 74 countries to date.
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A still from ‘Mornings in Jenin’, a series project participating in this year’s Qumra event
For film insiders the Qumra event — held once a year in Doha, Qatar and bringing together industry experts and filmmakers from all over the world — was always a highly anticipated time to put on our calendars. But in the age of pandemic, where we need all the inspiration we can get to simply continue onward, Qumra has become a lifeline.
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