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• Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist, co-funded by Doha Film Institute to open festival
• Qatari, regional and international film talent to walk red carpet gala

Doha, Qatar; November 16, 2012: Curtains go up on the fourth Doha Tribeca Film Festival, the annual cultural event of Doha Film Institute (DFI), on Saturday (November 17, 2012) with a glittering red carpet ceremony and the gala screening of renowned director Mira Nair’s ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’, co-funded by DFI.

An array of film talent from Qatar, representing the largest ‘Made in Qatar’ showcase at the festival, the Arab film industry and international cinema will attend the opening night red carpet ceremony to be held at Souq Waqif, Doha’s leading cultural destination that is hosting the festival along with Katara Cultural Village and the Museum of Islamic Arts.

With an expanded Festival format this year, DTFF 2012, to run through November 24, 2012, will showcase over 87 films from across the globe under distinct themed sections including Arab Film Competition, Made in Qatar, Contemporary World Cinema, Special Screenings and Tribute to Algerian Cinema.

The Arab Film Competition at DTFF has the distinction of being the only competitive film festival event in the region dedicated to Arab talent. This year’s selection of entries for the Arab Film Competition marks the powerful evolution in the cinematic sensibilities and approaches of the region’s filmmakers, representing Egypt, Qatar, Tunisia, Algeria, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan, Palestine, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Syria. More than 27 films including seven documentaries, seven narrative features and 13 shorts from 10 Arab countries are competing for total prize money of over US$440,000.

This year, the festival also has the the largest showcase of ‘Made in Qatar’ films so far, highlighting the significant strides achieved by the country’s emerging film industry. In all, 19 films made in the country, including 15 world premieres, will be screened. These films will also compete for the Made in Qatar development award of US$ 10,000 to be evaluated by an independent jury.

DTFF 2012 also has a strong representation of international cinema, with 21 films in the Contemporary World Cinema section and 12 Special Screenings. The films have been drawn from across the world with representation from both established markets such as France, Germany, India, Iran, United Kingdom, China and the USA and Festival debutants including Kazakhstan, Senegal, Ethiopia and Iceland.

The festival will also pay tribute to Algerian cinema with a special selection of movies to mark the 50th year of the country’s independence, in addition to a special tribute to legendary Indian director Yash Chopra, and a specially curated programme to highlight the 40th year of diplomatic relations between Qatar and Japan.

Highlighting DFI’s mandate to sustain film education and appreciation, DTFF will also have a series of industry events and panel discussions evaluating the diverse aspects of filmmaking – from story development, implementation of technology, to distribution.

While DTFF’s ‘Doha Talks’ will feature a series of 13 thought-provoking industry events, special screenings, and extended Q&A sessions with renowned filmmakers including Mira Nair and Robert De Niro, another key component of the Festival, Doha Projects, will pave the path for 40 DFI grantees to network with regional and international film experts through one-on-one meetings and exclusive sessions.

With the festival’s commitment to be a true community event, DTFF will also host an extensive line-up of family and youth-centered activities including Family Day Screenings, Kid’s Red Carpet experiences, DFI Kids Access Programme, stage performances, roaming entertainment and performers, arts and crafts workshops, sports, storytelling, puppetry, games, film-making activities and performances from local schools and community groups among others.

Katara will also come to life with a host of musicians and performers including the Mighty Jokerz breakdance group, Capoeira Martial Arts Demonstrations, Team Spirit Drum Circles, The Marasi Ensemble from the Qatar Music Academy, and Doha Jazz, among others, in addition to fire dancers, acrobats, and percussionists, all celebrating the collaboration of film, music, and the arts.