Doha Film Institute has shaped a strong film ecosystem by full-time careers in cinema

Over 15 years, Doha Film Institute has provided a gateway for emerging talents to “have the courage to pursue full-time careers” in cinema, observed the management team during a media briefing at Qumra 2025.

“With exciting new projects emerging on a regular basis, we have climbed over the hill,” said Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer. “Films are not an easy career but we are here to prove that it can be fulfilling work for young people and for the community. The interaction between the participants and the mentors at Qumra is truly inspiring, and we are happy to see more productions happening, be it features, documentaries or series.”

Alremaihi shared the Institute’s legacy of strong support of women filmmakers. “We never set quotas, and while currently we have more women statistics-wise, this has always been the case. We always focus on the quality of stories and the dedication of the filmmakers. We are equally proud of all our filmmakers, who are doing great things.”

She shared that Doha Film Institute has big plans for the future. “We are still a young industry, and we are trying to move as fast as we can. We want our filmmakers to gain more experience and build careers around cinema, which is already happening. From day one, our goal has been to support the Arab film industry because we have always suffered from being misrepresented. It’s time for us to tell our stories.”

“We don’t set unreasonable standards for films, and there are no limits to storytelling,” said Alremaihi. “We don’t interfere in the content of the films submitted, nor do we own them –ee simply support them unconditionally. We are an organisation whose sole goal is to support Arab cinema and bring films from the region to light.”

“Our vision for Qumra was clear from the beginning. We designed Qumra to focus on the work rather than the spotlight. It is unique as an incubator for films and filmmakers in connecting them with industry specialists and we continue to maintain the close connection between filmmakers and masters,” she said.

Elia Suleiman, Artistic Advisor at Doha Film Institute, said Qumra shows that the region’s film industry has moved from just hope for the future to receiving strong solidarity from international filmmakers. He said, personally, he immerses into the event, listening from the Qumra Masters, who have a wealth of knowledge to share with emerging filmmakers.

Hanaa Issa, Director of Strategy and Development at Doha Film Institute, and Qumra Deputy Director, said Qumra’s success is the “intimacy of the event; filmmakers are not distracted with different things. It is very focused and curated. Over the course of the past days, more than 700 meetings with industry experts have already been organised for the 49 Qumra projects from across the world. There is a very targeted programme not only for the projects but also the industry. Qumra delegates not only  masterclasses but also discuss opportunities to showcase their films at international festivals and engage with sales and distribution decision-makers.”

The 11th edition of Qumra featured masterclasses, mentorship sessions, and industry matchmaking. Participants will continue to engage with mentors online from April 12 to 14.