The Doha Film Institute (DFI) is to unveil a new film festival format at Cannes 2013, it was announced yesterday.
The DFI and Tribeca Enterprises, a diversified global media company based in New York City, have ended a cultural partnership, according to statements issued by both parties.
DFI CEO Abdulaziz al-Khater said: “Through the past four editions of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival, which were organised in cultural partnership with Tribeca Enterprises, we achieved our fundamental goals of creating a vibrant grassroots film industry in Qatar. We are thankful to them for their invaluable insights that helped elevate the film festival initiative of DFI to a truly global level. It was a rewarding experience to work with Tribeca Enterprises, and we will draw on this rich learning to create a new format for DFI’s film festival initiatives starting this year”.
Announcing the new format, he said: “With DFI having successfully formed strong community and industry bonds, the new festival format will build on the passion for filmmaking from talent in the region and around the world. We are defining a new niche for the film festival, which will serve as a platform for strengthening a home-grown film industry as well as continuing to build our international relationships to promote Qatar as a cultural hub.”
A statement issued by Tribeca Enterprises said: “We partnered with Doha Film Institute to help launch an event that would create a sustainable foundation for the growth of a film community and industry in Qatar and the Middle East. As exemplified by DTFF, we share a common goal with DFI: to engage, entertain and inspire in equal measure in a region with a profound and growing interest in film. After four years of successful cultural partnership, the festival has grown immensely and reflects our mutual vision for an event to promote cultural understanding and community through film and education. We are proud of everything DFI and Tribeca have achieved together, and we wish DFI the very best as they move forward with their festival and year-round initiatives.”
Further announcements will be made from Doha Film Institute regarding the new format for the film festival at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival in May.
Doha Film Institute (DFI) is an independent cultural organisation established in 2010 to incorporate Qatar’s film initiatives under one banner and support
the growth of the local film community.
