DFI partners with French animation school to present workshops in Qatar

TheDoha Film Institute (DFI) has partnered with Gobelins, l’ecole del’imagein Paris, a leading animation school, to offer comprehensiveanimation workshops to Qatar-based talents. A global reference inthe fields of digital communication, interactive design andentertainment for more than 50 years, Gobelins – one of the schools ofthe Paris Ile-de-France Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry – isrenowned for its exceptional depth of training in photography, animatedfilmmaking, 3D animation, motion design and video gaming. In afirst-of-its-kind partnership with DFI, Gobelins will lead fourworkshops of two weeks in length from April this year to next April.Theworkshops will offer participants in Qatar invaluable hands-on trainingthrough the full production cycle of short animation, resulting in thedelivery of a short-animated project at the conclusion of the workshops.Gobelins will also conduct an annual one-week youth animationworkshop in Doha that will include placement for one Qatari student atits summer school in Paris. DFI CEO Fatma al-Remaihi said culturalshifts among the region’s young people have spawned a tremendouscreative energy that is fuelling demand for local content. “Throughpartnerships with the best institutions in the world such as Gobelins,we are offering our young talents the best opportunities for skills andcareer development in an industry that is undergoing a fascinatingtransformation,” she noted. “By creating these opportunities for theQatari animation industry in its formative stages, we empower localfilmmakers and creators to establish a major presence in the globalmarket,” al-Remaihi added.DFI’s guiding principle is to ensure thatstudents, apprentices and trainees at Gobelins receive the trainingneeded to acquire the highest technical, creative and professionalskills, according to Gobelins’ International Relations head CecileBlondel.“Our partnership with DFI is a new and exciting way for usto share our knowledge base in short film animation creation with youngtalents in Qatar,” Blondel said. The Cinema Department of Animationat Gobelins was founded in 1975 by Pierre Ayma. Alumni have moved on tocontribute to the world’s leading animation studios, including Disney,Universal, Hanna Barbera, Pixar, DreamWorks and Warner Bros. Gobelinswas ranked number 1 in the list of the Top 100 International AnimationSchools by www.animationcareerreview.com for the past two consecutiveyears based on the overall quality of programme including technology andfacilities provided, reputation within the industry and the quality ofstudent and graduate animation works. The first Gobelins animationworkshop at DFI, held in partnership with the French embassy in Doha,will be led by Aida del Solar, pedagogical co-ordinator and titularteacher at the Animation Department at Gobelins, and programmer ofOpening Shorts at Annecy International Animation Festival. She has a Masters Degree in Filmmaking and Animation in ENSad and scriptwriting at La Femis schools. Providinganimation for narrative, documentary and interactive projects, keyprojects included developing an interactive gaming path for a museum ofthe famous cheese The Laughing Cow for Bel, video games for Sony,Philips and an animated TV series for Xilam Studios, Stupid Invaders.