The Doha Film Institute (DFI) launched the inaugural Qumra film festival this past Friday in Qatar, with Mexican director Gael García Bernal hosting some of the proceedings. Held at the Katara Drama Theatre in Doha, the event will run through March 11.
The festival was founded following the demise of the former Doha Tribeca Film Festival. First announced at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013, Qumra was originally meant to launch in 2014, but was postponed until this year.
“We didn’t think we had a ready-enough product to share with the world last year,” DFI’s Chief Executive Fatma Al Remaihi told The National . “Now we’re in a much more confident state with a much more confident program and we’re all working really well together. I’m really glad we decided to postpone and make sure we have a product of real value for everyone.”
According to the DFI's website, Qumra endeavors "to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first- and second-time filmmakers, alongside a series of screenings for Doha audiences featuring films by international masters and recipients of support from the Institute."
Named after the word for camera in Arabic, many thought this would be the "new Tribeca." However, Qumra festival aims to focus on the practical side of filmmaking, by offering workshops in addition to screenings.
From across the Middle East, 25 film producers were preselected for mentoring and training from a film industry master during the event. There are screenings of films with several prominent film industry professionals, including as Leila Hatami ("The Separation"), Cristian Mungiu ("4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Day") and Abderrahmane Sissako ("Timbuktu "), along with Q-and-A sessions. All together, over 100 delegates from all sectors of the film industry will participate in the festival.
“The partnership that the business, cultural community and other stakeholders in Qatar has extended to Qumra plays an integral role in hosting a quality event for our participants – both the emerging talents and industry veterans who will share their insights on filmmaking and help pave the way for a strong culture of filmmaking in the country," Remaihi said, according to Gulf Times .
“This is not a replacement for Tribeca,” Remaihi told The National . “When the Tribeca contract finished, we wanted something that really fit in with the film institute’s objectives for the region. We realized that the missing link was a more professional industry environment where filmmakers can gain experience in all types of cinema."
"We want the filmmakers to own the event, make connections and hopefully keep working with the professionals they’re assigned to work with long afterwards.”
With five short-films funded and supported by the DFI winning audience applause after a Saturday night screening, it would seem that Remaihi and DFI are well on their way to supporting filmmaking within the region.