DFI partners with French animation school to present workshops in Qatar

The Doha Film Institute (DFI) has partnered with Gobelins, l’ecole de l’imagein Paris, a leading animation school, to offer comprehensive animation workshops to Qatar-based talents.
A global reference in the fields of digital communication, interactive design and entertainment for more than 50 years, Gobelins – one of the schools of the Paris Ile-de-France Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry – is renowned for its exceptional depth of training in photography, animated filmmaking, 3D animation, motion design and video gaming.
In a first-of-its-kind partnership with DFI, Gobelins will lead four workshops of two weeks in length from April this year to next April.
The workshops will offer participants in Qatar invaluable hands-on training through the full production cycle of short animation, resulting in the delivery of a short-animated project at the conclusion of the workshops.
Gobelins will also conduct an annual one-week youth animation workshop in Doha that will include placement for one Qatari student at its summer school in Paris.
DFI CEO Fatma al-Remaihi said cultural shifts among the region’s young people have spawned a tremendous creative energy that is fuelling demand for local content.
“Through partnerships with the best institutions in the world such as Gobelins, we are offering our young talents the best opportunities for skills and career development in an industry that is undergoing a fascinating transformation,” she noted.
“By creating these opportunities for the Qatari animation industry in its formative stages, we empower local filmmakers and creators to establish a major presence in the global market,” al-Remaihi added.
DFI’s guiding principle is to ensure that students, apprentices and trainees at Gobelins receive the training needed to acquire the highest technical, creative and professional skills, according to Gobelins’ International Relations head Cecile Blondel.
“Our partnership with DFI is a new and exciting way for us to share our knowledge base in short film animation creation with young talents in Qatar,” Blondel said.
The Cinema Department of Animation at Gobelins was founded in 1975 by Pierre Ayma. Alumni have moved on to contribute to the world’s leading animation studios, including Disney, Universal, Hanna Barbera, Pixar, DreamWorks and Warner Bros.
Gobelins was ranked number 1 in the list of the Top 100 International Animation Schools by www.animationcareerreview.com for the past two consecutive years based on the overall quality of programme including technology and facilities provided, reputation within the industry and the quality of student and graduate animation works.
The first Gobelins animation workshop at DFI, held in partnership with the French embassy in Doha, will be led by Aida del Solar, pedagogical co-ordinator and titular teacher at the Animation Department at Gobelins, and programmer of Opening Shorts at Annecy International Animation Festival.
She has a Masters Degree in Filmmaking and Animation in ENSad and scriptwriting at La Femis schools.
Providing animation for narrative, documentary and interactive projects, key projects included developing an interactive gaming path for a museum of the famous cheese The Laughing Cow for Bel, video games for Sony, Philips and an animated TV series for Xilam Studios, Stupid Invaders.