Robert De Niro being interviewed on the red carpet during the inauguration of Doha Tribeca Film Festival last night. (Shaival Dalal)
DOHA: Film talents from Qatar, the Arab world and international cinema walked the red carpet at the opening of the fourth Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) attended by around 1,000 guests yesterday in Souq Waqif.
Mira Nair, whose film The Reluctant Fundamentalist opened the festival, was among those who graced the red carpet ceremony which was also headlined by Hollywood star Robert De Niro, whose latest film Silver Linings Playbook is being screened at DTFF.
Also in attendance were Mohsin Hamid, the renowned author, whose eponymous book the film The Reluctant Fundamentalist is based on; Ami Boghani, script co-writer; Meesha Shafi, musician and actress; and Abu Muhammad and Fariduddin Ayaz, the Qawwal Brothers, who composed the film’s soundtrack.
The Qatari talents in the ‘Made in Qatar’ section who attended the red carpet event included Abdulaziz Jassem, Abdulla Ghifan, Ali Mirza Mahmoud, Fahad Al Kubaisi, Ghazi Hussain and Salah Al Mulla, among others. The Arab film world was represented from the GCC region by Bassam Al-Thawadi, Habib Ghuloom Al Attar, Haifa Hussain, Najwa, Nayla Al Khaja and Tareq Al Ali, and from Egypt by Yosra, Nelly Kareem, Khaled El Nabawy, Khaled Abol Naga, among others.
The jury members of DTFF’s Arab Film Competition, Tunisian actress Hend Sabry; Cultural Advisor to Katara Cultural Village Dr Emad Amralla Sultan; Indian director Ashutoush Gowarikar; Turkish filmmaker Yesim Ustaoglu; Algerian author Mohammed Moulessehoul; Syrian documentary filmmaker Hala Al Abdalla; Qatari director Hafiz Ali Ali; Iranian artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat; Joana Hadjithomas; Tahani Rached; Nadir Mokneche; Qatari author Wedad Al Kawari; Saudi Arabia’s first female filmmaker Haifaa Al Mansour; and founder of the Qatar Fine Arts Society and visual artist Faraj Daham, also walked the red carpet.
“DTFF and the various cultural activities that are held as part of the event complement Qatar’s National Vision 2030 to strengthen the pillars of our knowledge economy by nurturing our creative talent. Film has the power to shape opinion and influence people, and through this year’s large showcase of Arab films, the festival can help address prevailing misconceptions about the region,” said the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage H E Hamad bin Abdelaziz Al Kuwari said.
Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, DTFF Vice Chair, said: “The festival establishes Qatar as the prominent cultural destination of the region and serves as a platform to highlight the strong cultural identity of our nation. All through the year, DFI will continue to work towards strengthening the film industry, not just in Qatar but across the Middle East and North Africa region, through an array of awareness, education and financing initiatives.”
The Peninsula
