The Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF), the once a year cultural celebration of Doha Film Institute (DFI), has announced the juries to choose the winners of the Arab Film Competition, the one competition at any regional film festival dedicated wholly to honouring Arab cinema talent.
The members of the four juries, drawn from around the world, include internationally acclaimed film professionals, authors and cultural thought leaders. They are going to evaluate the Arab Film Competition's three segments - Feature Narrative, Feature Documentary and Short Film - in addition to the 'Made in Qatar' segment of the festival, dedicated to films made by Qatar-based talent. The awards have total prize money of over US$440,000.
The Feature Narrative jury could be headed by renowned Tunisian actress Hend Sabry (The Yacoubian Building, Whatever Lola Wants and Asmaa). The opposite jury members are: Indian director Ashutoush Gowariker (Lagaan, Jodhaa Akbar); Dr. Emad Amralla Sultan, Deputy General Manager of Cultural Affairs of Katara Cultural Village; renowned Turkish filmmaker Yesim Ustaoglu (The Trace, Journey To The Sun); and critically acclaimed Algerian author Mohammed Moulessehoul, who writes under the pen-name Yasmina Khadra (The Swallows Of Kabul, The Attack).
The jury for Documentary Narrative comprises: Syrian documentary filmmaker, producer, and scriptwriter Hala Al Abdalla (I Am the one that Takes Flowers to Her Grave), Qatari director Hafiz Ali Ali (The Oryx Return, Scents of Shadows, Cab Driver), and renowned Iranian artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat (Women Without Men). The fast films on the competition could be evaluated by Joana Hadjithomas, Tahani Rached, and Nadir Mokneche.
Appraising the 'Made in Qatar' showcase, which features the biggest line-up yet this year with 19 films including 15 World Premieres, are: acclaimed Qatari author Wedad Al Kawari; Saudi Arabia's first female filmmaker, Haifaa Al Mansour (Women Without Shadows); and founding father of the Qatar Fine Arts Society and renowned visual artist Faraj Daham.
Mr Abdulaziz Bin Khalid Al-Khater, Chief Executive Officer, Doha Film Institute, said, "WE'RE thankful to the jury members, coming from across the world, to guage our Arab Film Competition entries. The jury members will evaluate the flicks to international standards thus ensuring that our films are benchmarked against the most productive. We're setting the bar high in order for the best Arab filmmaking talent get the due recognition and international recognition in the course of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival."
This year, Doha Tribeca Film Festival will feature over 87 movies from 34 countries, with numerous nations making their debut on the Festival throughout the Arab Film Competition. The fourth edition will open with Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist. This year, the Festival has expanded its scope to 8 days, providing audiences a comprehensive and enriching cultural experience with new screening venues in Doha.
Indoor and outdoor screenings will happen at Katara Cultural Village, Museum of Islamic Arts (MIA), and Souq Waqif. Public participation could be central with the Festival hosting an array of huge community events, including Family Day, in addition to panel discussions, networking events and academic filmmaking programmes including Doha Talks and Doha Projects.
The events and programme on the fourth Doha Tribeca Film Festival underscores Doha Film Institute's mandate to offer audiences with opportunities for education and entertainment in important community spaces.
