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Doha Film Festival (DFF) 2025 opens Thursday, ushering in a week that highlights the power of storytelling, cultural exchange, and artistic courage.This year's festival begins with the deeply moving and urgent film The Voice of Hind Rajab, a powerful testament to human resilience by award-winning filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. Its selection as the opening film reflects the Institute's continued commitment to elevating voices that illuminate truth and inspire empathy.Over the festival, audiences can look forward to a dynamic lineup of world premieres, regional debuts, talks and discussions, industry sessions, youth programmes, music performances, Geekdom and other community initiatives across Doha.With prizes totalling over USD 300,000, DFF 2025 features four main competition sections; International Feature Film Competition, International Short Film Competition, Made in Qatar Competition and the Ajyal Film Competition for youth aged 16-25.Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Festival Director and CEO of DFI said, "For the past 15 years DFI has taken great pride in the accomplishments of extraordinary filmmakers whose journeys we have shared so far. As we begin this new chapter for Doha Film Institute, we continue to amplify voices that speak to our shared humanity and challenge us to see the world with greater compassion."Doha Film Festival is a platform for purpose-driven storytelling that is redefining the global film landscape with depth, nuance, and truth. The festival will offer a vibrant meeting point for film lovers to honour creativity, engage in meaningful dialogue, and discover stories that bring us closer together."The festival will welcome several special guests this year including filmmakers, artists and activists- whose work has inspired audiences all over the world. They include: Steven Soderbergh, Ramy Youssef, Michaela Coel, Mo Amer, Jamal Soliman, Golshifteh Farahani, Elia Suleiman, Engin Altan Duzyatan, Jassim Al Nabhan, Dorra Zarrouk, Saleh Bakri, Hiam Abbas, Mehdi Hasan, Rahma Zeina, Jim Sheridan, yasiin bey, Saint Levant, Annemarie Jacir, Misan Harriman among others.Taking place from Nov. 20-28, 2025, Doha Film Festival (DFF) marks the bold next chapter in Doha Film Institute's mission to nurture regional talent and champion urgent and authentic stories in cinema.Key Partners of Doha Film Festival include Katara, Film Committee at Media City Qatar and Visit Qatar. The festival will transform iconic locations across Doha, including Katara Cultural Village, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and the Museum of Islamic Art, into vibrant hubs of cultural exchange, bringing together filmmakers, storytellers, and audiences from every corner of the globe, to reaffirm art's power.

The Doha Film Festival, taking place from Nov. 20-28, announced that this year's edition will offer families an immersive cinematic experience featuring engaging film screenings for audiences of all ages.The festival will present family-friendly outdoor screenings and cine-concerts for children aged three and above, providing audiences with an exceptional blend of enjoyment and inspiration. From time-travel adventures to family stories and environmental tales, the program reflects the Doha Film Institute's commitment to expanding the creativity and knowledge of young generations and fostering global cultural understanding.Festival Director and CEO of DFI, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi said: "Community and the special moments we hope to inspire is at the heart of Doha Film Festival. Family-friendly programming has always been a priority in our mission at DFI because we believe in the important influence of cinema from a young age. These unique screenings create opportunities for families to discover powerful stories that will spark curiosity and creativity, and strengthen connection across generations".The festival's family-oriented events include Cinema Under the Stars, featuring outdoor screenings at the Museum of Islamic Art Park, and Cinema by the Sea, offering seaside screenings at West Bay Beach. The Bariq Shorts Program and the Cine-Concert: Wonderful Explorations, held at Katara Building 16, combine animation with live music to deliver a rich, multisensory experience.The outdoor screenings program includes Time Hoppers: The Silk Road (Canada), directed by Flordeliza Dayrit, a 3D animated time-travel adventure about four gifted children who journey along the historic Silk Road to save great scientists from an evil alchemist; Home (USA), directed by Tim Johnson, which tells the story of "Oh", a lovable alien who escapes to Earth and befriends a young girl searching for her displaced mother; and Monkey King: Hero Is Back (China/United Kingdom), directed by Xiaopeng Tian, following the legendary Monkey King-imprisoned for 500 years-who must save an innocent village from the evil Mountain Lord after being freed by a child.The Bariq Shorts Programme features A Small Garden by the Window (South Korea), directed by Lee Jonghoon; Mojappi - It's Mine (Japan), directed by Nijitaro; Lena's Farm: Full Nest (Germany/Croatia), directed by Elena Walf; De-Sastre (Spain), directed by Tommaso Mangiacotti, Marolyn Ávila, Constanza Melio, Maria Antonieta Fernandez and Kuang Yi Lee; and MU (Germany), directed by Malin Neumann.The cine-concert event includes performances by Lisa Portelli, bringing to life four short films: Luce and the Rock (2022), Koong Flap Flap (2013), Moshi Moshi (2021), and Snowflakes and Carrots (2010).The festival is supported by key partners including Katara, Media City Qatar / Film Committee, and Visit Qatar, and will transform major Doha landmarks-including Katara Cultural Village, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and the Museum of Islamic Art-into vibrant spaces of cultural exchange, uniting filmmakers, storytellers, and audiences from around the world.

Doha Film Festival unveiled the anticipated 'Made in Qatar' programme, which features homegrown creativity and storytelling excellence from the nation's emerging filmmakers.Presented by Doha Film Institute (DFI), this showcase reaffirms its unwavering commitment to nurturing Qatar's vibrant creative community and amplifying authentic voices that capture the essence of the nation's evolving cultural identity.A diverse selection of 10 short films from Qatari and Qatar-based filmmakers, 'Made in Qatar' highlights the depth, diversity, and bold imagination that define the country's cinematic landscape today. The programme is a launchpad for homegrown storytellers whose work gains international recognition and offer a fresh perspective on contemporary life in Qatar-that is imaginative, emotionally resonant, and deeply human.Festival Director and CEO of DFI, Fatma Hassan Al Remaihi said: "Supporting local filmmakers is not only a duty-it is a privilege and a source of great pride for the Institute. Our storytellers open windows to our world, share our unique culture, and connect others to our own narratives. Through the 'Made in Qatar' programme, we celebrate the courage and creativity of filmmakers who are defining our cinematic identity and shaping a cultural legacy that extends far beyond our borders."Underlining the evolution of Qatar's film ecosystem, 'Made in Qatar' includes films supported by the Institute's training programmes, Grants and the Qatari Film Fund.This year's 'Made in Qatar' Jury led by actress, director and producer Afef Ben Mahmoud, who alongside Head of Development at Katara Studios Fahad Al Kuwari and producer and distributor Alaa Alasad, will recognise this exciting new generation of home-grown talent.Films in DFF 2025 Made in Qatar are "Al-Aqiq: Darkness of Virtuality" (Qatar) by Mohammed Al Suwaidi and Kummam Al Maadeed; "Baba is Melting" (Qatar) by Karim Emara; "Fahad the Furious" (Qatar) by Justin Kramer; "Is This A Sign" (Qatar) by Maria Joseph; "Project Aisha" (Qatar) by FahadAl Nahdi; "Qadha' w Qadar" (Qatar) by Maryam Al Mohammed; "A Palm Branch" (Qatar) by Mahdi Al Ali; "Theatre of Dreams" (Qatar) by Fatma Al Ghanim; "Yom El Juma'" (Qatar) by Haya Al Kuwari; and "Villa 187" (Sudan/Qatar) by Eiman Mirghani.Taking place from 20-28 November 2025, Doha Film Festival (DFF) represents the bold next chapter in Doha Film Institute's mission to nurture regional talent and champion urgent and authentic stories in cinema.Key Partners of Doha Film Festival include Katara, Media City Qatar I Film Committee and Visit Qatar. The festival will transform iconic locations across Doha, including Katara Cultural Village, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and the Museum of Islamic Art, into vibrant hubs of cultural exchange, bringing together filmmakers, storytellers, and audiences from every corner of the globe, to reaffirm art's power to inspire, to unite, and to spotlight voices that deepen our shared understanding.Designed to reflect the diversity and ambition of the region through a wide selection of films, inspiring conversations and engaging events, DFF will provide a truly meaningful shared cultural experience in Doha.

Doha Film Institute (DFI) unveiled the full programme of Doha Film Festival (DFF) 2025, featuring 97 films from 62 countries and a wide range of creative community events from November 20-28.Key partners of DFF include Katara, Media City Qatar I Film Committee and Visit Qatar. The festival will be hosted across several venues, including Katara Cultural Village, Msheireb Downtown Doha, Lusail Boulevard and the Museum of Islamic Art.With prizes totalling more than $300,000, DFF features four main competition sections, special screenings, music performances, Geekdom and other community initiatives.The festival’s original theme song is composed by Qatar’s celebrated contemporary composer and songwriter Dana Alfardan, in collaboration with Katara Studios and Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.In a press statement, festival director and DFI CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi said: “This year’s Doha Film Festival reflects Qatar’s growing creative ambitions and our deep belief in the power of cinema to unite and inspire.The festival will open with The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania. A recipient of DFI’s grants programme, the film highlights the power of storytelling to illuminate truth and resist oppression.DFF’s International Feature Film Competition has 13 films, with 12 having their Middle East and North African premieres in Doha including festival favourites, The Presidents Cake; Once Upon a Time in Gaza; Khartoum and Divine Comedy among others.The festival will welcome several special guests this year including filmmakers, artists and activists- whose work has inspired audiences all over the world. They include: Steven Soderbergh, Ramy Youssef, Michaela Coel, Engin Altan Duzyatan, Hazal Kaya, Jassim Al Nabhan; Dorra Zarrouk, Saleh Bakri, Hiam Abbas among others.The festival’s dynamic music programme of live performances and discussions feature today’s most exciting regional and global artists, including Saint Levant; Yasiin Bey; Elyanna; Gustavo Santaolalla; Zeyne; Nooriyah; Nemahsis; Aisha al-Zaiani; Dana al-Meer and many more.

Qatar is experiencing an unprecedented wave of cultural, economic, and sports activities in November, as Doha prepares to host a series of international conferences, exhibitions, festivals, and championships, highlighting its position as a regional hub for innovation, sustainability, and excellence.From Sustainability Week to the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, Doha Film Festival, and Qatar International Exhibition For Travel and Tourism, the events cover sectors such as sports, economy, health, education, and culture, reflecting Qatar's vision of promoting international dialogue and supporting sustainable development.Nov 1-7: Qatar Sustainability Week led by Earthna, 10th edition of Qatar Sustainability Week will highlight sustainability efforts.Nov 3-27: FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 Qatar is set to host its third global tournament under the supervision of FIFA, after it has been awarded the hosting rights for the FIFA U-17 World Cup November 4-8: KIDS EXPO 2025 Under the theme "Our Children are the Greatest Treasure," the second edition of the Expo will be held to raise awareness about children's rights.Nov 5-8: Qatar Boat Show 2025 Held at the Old Doha Port, the second edition of Qatar Boat Show 2025 will combine heritage, luxury, and innovation in yachting.Novr 11-13: Qatar Medicare 2025 Qatar Medicare stands as Qatar's first International Healthcare and Medical Trade Exhibition and Conference, convening an extensive network of healthcare stakeholders.Nov 17-19: Rowad 2025 Conference Under the theme "Beyond Boundaries: Scaling, Sustaining, and Succeeding," Rowad Entrepreneurship Conference 2025 is considered the most influential event in the State of Qatar's entrepreneurship sector. This year's edition will focus on the requirements for international growth and expansion beyond local markets.Nov 20-22: 17th Gulf Heart Association Conference The conference will cover numerous topics of advanced and general cardiology. It aims to bring together leading experts, researchers, and healthcare professionals to share knowledge and research on all aspects of heart disease prevention, diagnosis, and management.Nov 20-23: 5th Qatar Taekwondo Open Championships The Championship will bring together international athletes.Nov 20-28: Doha Film Festival Doha Film Festival upports talent, promots cultural dialogue, and showcases innovative visions.Nov 24-25: 12th World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) The 12th edition of the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE 12) centers around the theme "Humanity.io: Human Values at the Heart of Education." WISE 12 aims to deepen discussions on the purpose of education and its pivotal role in serving humanity.Nov 24-26: Qatar International Exhibition For Travel and Tourism 2025 (QTM 2025) QTM 2025 is a prominent platform in the field of travel and tourism, bringing together leading global destinations to showcase the latest trends in sports tourism, conferences and exhibitions tourism, business and cultural tourism, and leisure tourism.Nov 25-26: MWC Doha 2025 MWC25 Doha is the first-ever edition of the GSMA's MWC Series to be held in the Middle East and North Africa. The event marks a key milestone in positioning Qatar as a regional hub for digital innovation and transformation.The conference will explore three key themes: AI Nexus, focusing on the role of artificial intelligence in powering innovation; Intelligent Economies, centered on secure digital infrastructure and next-generation networks; and Connected Industries, highlighting the growing impact of emerging technologies on daily life and economic systems.Nov 27-29: 6th International Primary Health Care Conference (IPHCC Qatar 2025) The Conference brings together specialists, policymakers, and researchers to exchange knowledge and best practices in the field of primary health care.Nov 28-30: 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship It is one of the season's most anticipated races.This vibrant calendar underscores the State of Qatar's commitment to solidifying its position on the global events map, attracting international expertise, and affirming its leadership in building a future driven by innovation and knowledge.

A gentle study of dysfunctional families by veteran American director Jim Jarmusch clinched top prize at the Venice Film Festival Saturday, while a harrowing docu-drama about the Gaza war took second. Jarmusch's *Father Mother Sister Brother starring Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver and Tom Waits, drew mostly positive reviews for its humourous portrayal of awkwardness and guilt. The *Broken Flowers director, who wrote the script for three family get-togethers in upstate New York, Dublin and Paris, had called it "a kind of anti-action film". "Thank you for appreciating our quiet film," he said during his acceptance speech. In a move that might disappoint campaigners against the Gaza war, the Venice jury under American director Alexander Payne did not reward *The Voice of Hind Rajab with the Golden Lion. Instead, the film about a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli troops last year, which reduced many festival viewers to tears, was given the grand jury second prize. Director Kaouther Ben Hania produced a dramatised re-telling of Hind Rajab Hamada's ordeal after she was trapped in a car that came under fire while she and her relatives were fleeing Gaza City. It was the most talked about movie on the Venice Lido and tipped by many as the likely winner after a 23-minute standing ovation at its premiere on Wednesday. Hind Rajab's story "is not hers alone", Ben Hania said as she accepted her award. "It is tragically the story of an entire people enduring genocide, inflicted by a criminal Israeli regime that acts with impunity," she added. Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix as well as Oscar-winning directors Jonathan Glazer (*The Zone of Interest) and Mexico's Alfonso Cuaron (*Roma) joined the film as executive producers after editing had been completed. Jarmusch signalled his opposition to Israel's continued siege and bombardment of Gaza by wearing a badge saying "Enough" on the red carpet for the Venice awards ceremony. BEST ACTORS Elsewhere Saturday, China's Xin Zhilei won the best actress award for her role in *The Sun Rises on Us All directed by Cai Shangjun. The 39-year-old actress plays a woman trying to make amends with her former lover, who served time in prison for a crime she had committed. Italy's Toni Servillo won the best actor award after wowing audiences in Paolo Sorrentino's *La Grazia, playing a principled politician facing a moral dilemma. The veteran film and stage actor portrayed an Italian president at the end of his career wrestling with whether or not to sign a bill to legalise euthanasia. Big-budget productions such as Netflix's *Frankenstein by Guillermo del Toro and *Jay Kelly by Noah Baumbach as well as Yorgos Lanthimos's *Bugonia with Emma Stone went home empty-handed. In the secondary *Orizzonti (*Horizons) section of the festival, Mexican truck driver drama *En el Camino by David Pablos scooped top prize. *Father Mother Sister Brother is the first Jarmusch film to compete at Venice. The American had previously opted to showcase his productions at rival festival Cannes. Film bible *Variety said his film had his "trademark wry humour but also new notes of mellow, generous wisdom". Screen called it a "tender family triptych". Critics were broadly positive about the line-up of films in Venice this year. The festival is an important launch platform for big-budget international productions and arthouse films. Several previous winners of the prestigious Golden Lion have gone on to Oscar glory, such as *Nomadland and *Joker. *The Smashing Machine by American director Benny Safdie, a touching film about late 1990s mixed martial-arts (MMA) pioneer Mark Kerr, picked up the third-place directing prize Saturday. *The Hollywood Reporter called the film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson a "compellingly gritty and offbeat biopic", while Johnson was even tipped by some for a best actor award. *Sotto le Nuvole (Below the Clouds), a sumptuous documentary about Naples by acclaimed Italian documentary maker Gianfranco Rosi, won a special jury prize. The Gaza conflict has been a major talking point throughout this year's festival and many prize winners mentioned the war while on stage on Saturday night. An open letter calling on festival organisers to denounce the Israeli government over its offensive in Gaza has been signed by around 2,000 cinema insiders, according to the organisers.

A gut-wrenching new film about a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year was given a 23-minute standing ovation after its premiere at the star-studded Venice Film Festival Wednesday."The Voice of Hind Rajab", a docu-drama about real events from January 2024, left much of the audience and many journalists sobbing as it screened for the first time.Franco-Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania and her cast, all dressed in black, were also in tears as they soaked in applause, cheers and shouts of "Free Palestine! at the 1,032-seat main festival cinema."We see that the narrative all around world is that those dying in Gaza are collateral damage, in the media," Ben Hania told journalists ahead of the premiere."And I think this is so dehumanising, and that's why cinema, art and every kind of expression is very important to give those people a voice and face." Her film tells the story of Hind Rajab Hamada who was fleeing the Israeli military in Gaza City with six relatives last year when their car came under fire.The sole survivor, her desperate calls with the Red Crescent rescue service -- which were recorded and released -- brief caused international outrage."The Voice of Hind Rajab" has plenty of famous names attached as executive producers -- from actors Joaquin Phoenix, who attended the premiere, and Brad Pitt to Oscar-winning directors Jonathan Glazer ("The Zone of Interest") and Mexico's Alfonso Cuaron ("Roma")."I'm very happy, and I never in my life thought that can be possible," Ben Hania said of her A-list backers.Its premiere came on the same day as a senior Israeli military official said one million Palestinians could be displaced by a new offensive around Gaza City."The Voice of Hind Rajab" makes chilling use of the real phone recordings of Hind Rajab, but tells the story through a dramatised Red Crescent team which is trying to coordinate her rescue."It is dramatisation, but very close to what they experienced," Ben Hania added.Hind Rajab was eventually found dead along with two ambulance staff who went to rescue her."Please come to me, please come. I'm scared," she can be heard sobbing repeatedly in the film while bullets fly in the background.She is described as six years old, but a death certificate viewed by AFP in Gaza showed her age as five.Deadline magazine said the film "could be the lightning rod that supporters of the Gazan cause are waiting for", while Vogue tipped it for Venice's top prize on Saturday.A critic in Variety magazine said the "shattering" audio footage "carries a brutal emotional wallop" but the mix of drama and documentary footage was "questionable."The Gaza conflict has been a major talking point at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, where thousands of protesters marched to the entrance of the event on Saturday.An open letter calling on festival organisers to denounce the Israeli government has been signed by around 2,000 cinema insiders, according to the organisers.Hind Rajab's mother, Wissam Hamada, said she hoped the film would help end the war."The whole world has left us to die, to go hungry, to live in fear and to be forcibly displaced without doing anything," Hamada told AFP by phone from Gaza City where she lives with her five-year-old son.Israel's bombardment has killed at least 63,633 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the United Nations deems reliable.Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said the circumstances of Hind Rajab's death were "still being reviewed", without giving further details.It has never announced a formal investigation into the case.The war in Gaza has regularly caused tension in the cinema world since Israel launched its offensive in October 2023 in retaliation for a storming of Israel by Palestinian Hamas group fighters.Hundreds of actors and directors signed an open letter during the Cannes film festival in May saying they were "ashamed" of their industry's "passivity" about the war.Cannes began under the shadow of the killing of Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, the subject of the documentary which was picked for a sidebar section of the festival.A day after Hassouna was told the film had been selected, an Israeli air strike on her home in northern Gaza killed her and 10 relatives.

The Doha Film Institute opened the 2025 Doha Film Festival Thursday at Katara Cultural Village with the screening of The Voice of Hind Rajab – dubbed as a deeply moving and urgent testament to human resilience directed by award-winning filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania.**media[384210]**The event brought together key government officials, filmmakers, and artistes, among other dignitaries. Her Excellency Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani presented acclaimed actors Jamal Soliman and Golshifteh Farahani with the DFF 2025 Creative Excellence Award for their outstanding artistic contribution to storytelling.**media[384213]**Over the course of the festival, audiences can expect a vibrant mix of world premieres, regional firsts, panel discussions, industry events, youth-focused activities, live music, Geekdom, and a range of community programmes taking place across Doha.**media[384214]**The festival will turn Doha’s iconic venues, from Katara Cultural Village and Msheireb Downtown Doha to the Museum of Islamic Art, into lively centres of cultural exchange, uniting filmmakers, storytellers, and audiences from around the world and highlighting the enduring power of art.