Doha, Qatar: Doha Film Festival (DFF) 2025 opened tonight with the acclaimed film The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania, setting a powerful tone for Qatar’s bold showcase of global cinema presented by Doha Film Institute.
During the opening ceremony, Chairperson of DFI H.E. 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.
Other dignitaries attending the opening night ceremony included H E Sheikh Thani bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Fund for Development; H.E. Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammad bin Ali Al Thani, President of the Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar Museums, H.E. Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater, Minister of Education and Higher Education; H.E. Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library; H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Managing Director, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy; H.E. Saad Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Chairperson of Visit Qatar among others.
Joining them on the red carpet were members of the opening film’s creative team and special guests, including director Kaouther Ben Hania; producers Nadim Cheikhrouha and Odessa Rae; actors Saja Kilani, Amer Hlehel, Motaz Malhees and Clara Khoury; Hind Rajab’s mother Wissem Hamada and representatives of the Palestine Red Crescent Society led by President Dr. Younis Al-Khatib and Director General Khaled Abu Ghoush and also included Nisreen Jiries Eid Qawas, Rana H. I. Faqih, Omar Ahmed Mohammed Alqam, Mahdi M. N. Jamal, Nibal Farsakh and Mohammad Ayyad, who were portrayed in the film.
Additional special guests in attendance included creative luminaries and global change makers including Jim Sheridan, Mohammed Al Ibrahim Kamal Aljafari, Elia Sulieman, Yasmine Hamdan, Brigitte Lacombe, Rithy Panh, Dhafer L’abidine, Dana Al Fardan, Mehdi Hasan, Elyanna, Dana Al Meer, Akira Yamaoka, Dorra Zarouk, Engin Altan Duzyatan, Rahma Zein, Ayca Aysin Turan, Jassim Al Nabhan among others.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Festival Director and CEO of DFI, said: “This is a milestone year for Doha Film Institute - 15 years of commitment to a vision that has now become a reality. DFI is more than an institution shaping the global film industry, it is a promise that every voice matters and that art will always have a home in Qatar.
“DFI has established the golden age of Arab cinema as an essential chapter in the world’s collective story, where long-term commitment meets long-term impact. As we turn a new page with Doha Film Festival, we are poised and ready to write the next chapters of our journey to build a global community coming together in dialogue to shape a shared future rooted in purpose and possibility.”
With prizes totalling over USD $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 Al Fardan, in collaboration with Katara Studios and Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, capturing the rhythm, emotion, and heartbeat of Doha.
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.
