A still from the short documentary “To My Mother” directed by Amina Ahmed Al Bloshi.
DOHA: Doha Film Institute’s (DFI) ‘Focus on Qatar 2016’ to be held from October 5 to 7 at the Museum of Islamic Art will shine the spotlight on the country’s filmmakers, who actively pursue the art of documentaries.
Seven short documentaries directed by Qatari talent will be screened to the public on October 5, 7.30pm which include diverse stories inspired from the Qatari heritage, life in the country and the shifting trends in the socio-cultural landscape. All screenings and events at Focus on Qatar are free to the public on a first-come, first-seat basis.
Fatma Al Remaihi, Chief Executive Officer of DFI, said: “We are proud of the accomplishments by our young and emerging filmmaking talents, whose stories and vision have struck a chord with audiences in Qatar and the region. The sensitivity with which they explore diverse subjects reflects their creativity and their dedication to the craft, and highlights the progress made by the motion picture industry in Qatar.
“We have witnessed a welcome growth in the local industry in both the volume and quality of films we are seeing. The film selection for this year’s event presents compelling works from our young filmmakers who have embraced the art of documentary filmmaking, to reflect our stories on screen and provide a window to our world.”
‘Focus on Qatar’ 2016 will screen short documentaries that Qatar has produced in the past years, either through the Institute’s training programmes or by independent directors or by students of educational establishments the Institute has relationships with. The event highlights the achievements of the home-grown industry from an increasing talent pool of local creative professionals to a surge in film production activities (from 15 production houses in 2010 to 46 in 2016).
The documentaries to be screened are Bader which was directed by Sara Al-Saadi, Maaria Assami and Latifa Al-Darwish; Al 7amal by Amal Al Muftah; The Palm Tree by Jassim Al-Rumaihi; Inside Out by Fahad Al-Obaidly and Salwa Al Khalifa; To My Mother by Amina Ahmed Al Bloshi; The Notebook by Amna Al-Binali; and Mubarak Al Malik by Aisha R. Al Muhannadi.
‘Focus on Qatar’ will also foster insightful discussion on the art and future of documentary filmmaking. On October 6, a special ‘Al-Jazeera Documentary Network Showcase’ will be held at 7.30pm. It will present a special screening of the channel’s acclaimed feature documentary, Cities of Anxiety, to celebrate the contribution of the team at Al-Jazeera Documentary Channel in driving the documentary landscape in the region.
On the final day, ‘Focus on Qatar’ will host two industry panel discussions – on ‘The State of Documentary in the Gulf’ at 4pm and on the ‘Next Generation of Documentary Filmmakers’ at 7.30pm.
The discussions will highlight the opportunities for documentary filmmakers including the DFI workshops, grants and the Qatar Film Fund, which supports filmmaking in Qatar, and is a forum for local talent to discuss their experiences in filmmaking.
