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Doha, Qatar – 1 March, 2016: The second edition of Qumra, a Doha Film Institute initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world, has received unwavering support from leading local and international organisations committed to furthering the success of the annual event.

Several leading entities, cultural organisations and educational entities will play a pivotal role in establishing Qumra as an important film initiative that supports the development of the creative industries in the region, to be held from March 4 to 9, 2016.

Reinforcing their commitment to promoting the cultural scene in Qatar, the Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar Museums and Souq Waqif will provide vibrant venues for the event as ‘Cultural Partner’ of Qumra 2016.

Supported by Culture Pass, the Qatar Museums community membership programme, Qumra 2016 also has on board; SONY and FNAC Qatar, the ‘Official Electronics Partners’, MAC Cosmetics, the ‘Official Makeup Sponsor’ and Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels, the ‘Official Hotel Partner.’ Other supporters of Qumra include prominent educational establishments of Northwestern University in Qatar and the Translation & Interpreting Institute at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University.

Friends of Qumra include Sarajevo Film Festival and the French Embassy in Qatar.

The event is promoted by leading international and local outfits including Screen International, Festival Scope and I Love Qatar.net.

Doha Film Institute CEO, Fatma Al Remaihi said: “The first edition of Qumra received an overwhelming response from all our key stakeholders, who believed in our vision and fully supported the new regional development initiative. This show of solidarity by local and international entities highlights the tremendous value that Qumra offers in strengthening Qatar’s reputation as a cultural hub.

“The commitment of our partners plays an integral role in hosting this inspiring event and contributes to the development of a strong culture of filmmaking in Qatar and the region. Their patronage enables us to make a difference and we are thankful to them for their unwavering support.”

The primary motive of this international gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first- and second-time filmmakers, alongside a series of screenings for Doha audiences featuring films by international masters and recipients of support from the Institute.

Qumra 2016 will present 33 projects from 19 countries at various stages of production, to benefit from the experience of international film industry professionals in bespoke mentorship labs and meetings designed to propel their projects to the next stage.

Nearly 200 delegates representing all facets of the film industry will participate in the programme including presence from international film festivals, funding bodies, sales, production and distribution companies along with development specialists and script consultants.

The event also includes a programme of public screenings featuring films by the Qumra Masters – James Schamus, Joshua Oppenheimer, Naomi Kawase , Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Aleksandr Sokurov, alongside new voices in cinema selected from films supported by the Institute’s grants and co-financing programmes.