DOHA HOME-GROWN talent will be the focus of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) 2012, the annual cultural event of Doha Film Institute (DFI), scheduled to be held from November 17 to 24.
With the spotlight on a selection of 19 films by Qatari and expatriate filmmakers based in the country, this year marks the largest showcase of ‘Made in Qatar’ films so far. These films highlight the significant strides made by the country’s emerging film industry. With 15 world premieres, the Festival has overall more than 87 films from across the world lined-up for screening.
The 19 films to be screened from 70 submissions include three feature films, all of which will make their world premiere at the Festival. The films will also compete for the Made in Qatar development award of $10,000. An independent jury will evaluate the films.
This year, Made in Qatar films will be screened under four programmes: New Hopes – with five films exploring themes around hope and pain; Through Their Eyes – featuring ten short stories of love and friendship as well as introspective documentaries; Angel in June – the story of a young, charitable girl based on real-life events and set in the Filipino community of Doha; and Thriller Night – a collection of three thrilling films by Qataris including a feature that offers a unique meditation on what is beyond life as we know it.
Pointing out that one of the founding mandates of Doha Film Institute and DTFF was to promote a culture of filmmaking in Qatar, DTFF Vice Chair Issa bin Mohammed al Mohannadi, said “Made in Qatar, the largest so far, demonstrates the success of the concerted efforts in creating a robust filmmaking industry locally by identifying and nurturing talent.” “The films in the selection will surprise viewers with their thematic intensity and narrative style. Most importantly, it offers glimpses of life in Qatar and will resonate with the local community”, he further said.
Among the three featurelength films in Made in Qatar are Lyrics Revolt, by Shannon Farhoud, Ashlene Ramadan, Melanie Fridgant and Rana Khaled al Khatib, a documentary that started as a student project at NU-Q and explores the Arab Spring through hip hop artists of the M-E; Lockdown, a thriller directed by Mohammed al Ibrahim and Ahmed al Baker and Angel in June, by Jan Xavier Pacle, the story of a young, charitable girl based on reallife events and set in the Filipino community of Doha.
The screening of Lyrics Revolt will be followed by a hip-hop concert at the Katara.
Resident Filmmaker and Programmer at DFI Chadi Zeneddine, reminded that the diversity in content and narrative styles demonstrates the strong evolution of local filmmaking over the past few years.
“Talented youngsters as well as experienced professionals are screening their films. The common thread in all these movies is the creativity of the filmmakers to push beyond the obvious and create heart felt moments from ordinary situations”.
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