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Hekayat Khaleejia to showcase storytelling from the Gulf Region as part of a year-round program

Emirati film, ‘Sea Shadows’ to kick off the series

Doha, Qatar: December 26, 2012: Doha Film Institute (DFI), has announced the launch of ‘Hekayat Khaleejia’ (Khaleeji Stories), a DFI year-round film appreciation programme that showcases Khaleeji films within the Doha community. The series will promote film appreciation and help encourage film production in Qatar and throughout the Gulf region.

Taking place at the Museum of Islamic Art every three months, ‘Hekayat Khaleejiya’ will present films that are accompanied by a Q&A session with the filmmakers, giving audiences the chance to gain insight into their work and creative process. Nawaf Al Janahi’s ‘Sea Shadow’ will launch the series on the 17 and 18 of January 2013, and the screening will be followed by an extended Q&A session with director Nawaf Al-Janahi and screenwriter Mohammed Hassan Ahmed.

Set in a small seaside neighbourhood in the United Arab Emirates, ‘Sea Shadow’ follows teenagers Mansour and Kaltham as they struggle with the restraints of tradition in their journey towards adulthood. Bound by family conventions and deep-rooted values, the pair must find the courage to forge their own paths.

The director Nawaf Al-Janahi is an Emirati actor and a film director. His first feature length film, ‘The Circle’, has screened since April 2009 at many film festivals around the globe, and was described by film critics as “a major turning point in Emirati and Gulf cinema”. Al-Janahi’s second feature film ‘Sea Shadow’ had its world premiere at Abu Dhabi Film Festival (2011), and was then released in cinemas across the Arabian Gulf on 17 November 2011. Competing with Hollywood blockbusters, the film reached the second position among the top five movies in UAE during its first week, the biggest cinema market in the Arab world.

Fatma Al Remaihi, Head of Outreach Programmes said: “We are pleased to have started a wonderful new series that will shed the light on great Khaleeji films. It is our duty to bring the best films to Qatar’s community and showcase works made by GCC filmmakers for local and international audiences. We all know how a film can easily disappear after a year of screening at festivals, and it’s our job at DFI to provide additional platforms for these regional films to be screened and enjoyed.”

DFI is committed to nurturing and developing a strong film industry in the region through various initiatives including film appreciation, education, finance and outreach. The year-long calendar of activities of DFI culminates with Doha Tribeca Film Festival, a community event that showcases the best of world and regional cinema.

About Doha Film Institute:

Doha Film Institute (DFI) is an independent cultural organisation established in 2010 to incorporate Qatar’s film initiatives under one banner; organically supporting the growth of the local film community by enhancing industry knowledge, cultivating film appreciation and contributing to the development of sustainable creative industries in Qatar. DFI’s year-round platforms include funding and production of local, regional and international films, educational programmes, film screenings, and the annual Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF).

With culture, community, education and entertainment at its foundation, DFI serves as an all-encompassing film hub in Doha, as well as a resource for the region and the rest of the world. DFI is committed to supporting Qatar’s 2030 vision for the development of a knowledge based economy.

DFI has established a number of strategic cultural partnerships with leading local and international organisations including Tribeca Enterprises, World Cinema Foundation, Maisha Film Lab, Katara Cultural Village and Giffoni Film Festival.