Doha Film Institute (DFI) in partnership with Media City Qatar recently hosted the “Geekdom Game Development Workshop”, a key initiative to foster creative development among Qatar's youth. This collaboration between the two national organisations seeks to strengthen the foundation of a thriving creative industry and a robust media scene, aligning with the country’s vision for innovation and technological advancement.
The immersive game development workshop, in partnership with COREGAME and powered by Media City Qatar, was aimed at participants aged 13 to 17, and took place from August 12 to August 29 at DFI’s headquarters. Conducted over 12 immersive sessions, the workshop fused theory with practice and covered essential topics including Introduction to Game Development, Understanding Game Design, Creating Game Elements, Basic Movement, Enhancing Gameplay, Animation and Interactivity, Collectibles and Scores, and Level Design and Testing.
The workshop’s modules were delivered by leading industry experts from Geekdom and COREGAME Technology Solutions. Instructors included Fadi Soufi and Dave Andrew who delivered intensive and varied sessions to aspiring creative participants. Instructors provided practical lessons to support participants with becoming more familiar with industry-standard software like Unity, Visual Studio Code and Aseprite. Throughout the workshop, each participant demonstrated their passion for game development and their eagerness to bring their ideas to life.
Thair Khaled al-Anani, director of Business Development, from Media City Qatar commented, “We are dedicated to nurturing the next generation of creative talent. The ‘Geekdom Game Development Workshop’ is a perfect example of our commitment to providing young people with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. We are thrilled to see the passion and creativity these young participants brought to the table, and we look forward to supporting more initiatives like this in the future.”
Abdulla al-Mosallam, founder of Geekdom and chief administrative officer of DFI stated: “Qatar’s creative industries have experienced significant growth over the years, driven by local talent that continues to lead the way in inventiveness and ingenuity. Geek culture has become a dynamic and integral part of our creative community, providing a space where imagination thrives and new ideas are embraced.”
One of the sessions at the workshop