Qumra
Qumra 2024
Industry Programming Guide
1–6 March (in-person)
9–11 March (online)
Welcome to Qumra 2024
Doha Film Institute is proud to present Qumra, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world.
Qumra is designed to provide creative and professional support to directors and producers attached to twenty-six features, seven series and ten short film projects in development, production, and post-production, both fiction and documentary.
The primary motive of this 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.
This year, our Qumra Projects include a number of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, as well as regional and international recipients from the Institute’s Funding and Training Programmes.
Qumra 2024 is organised into five main sections:
Qumra Master Classes are inspiring daily sessions led by one of our esteemed Qumra Masters.
Qumra Screenings are a slate of compelling feature films funded by the Institute through its training, grants, and co-financing initiatives.
Qumra Meetings are a series of one-on-one meetings, roundtables, feedback panels, workshops, and tailored mentoring sessions between representatives from the selected projects and seasoned industry experts.
Qumra Series will see seven teams present their series projects, currently in development, to a group ofme international industry professionals and experts in the serialized format, through individual and group advisory sessions.
Qumra Shorts are an intensive workshop during which 11 Qatar-based filmmakers will present their short film projects, currently in development, to a group of international shorts experts.
Selected participants will have the opportunity to participate in the following events:
QUMRA WORKING BREAKFASTS
Working Breakfasts (Breakfast Talks)
A series of moderated roundtable discussions where representatives of labs and festivals, sales agents, distributors, VoD platforms and financiers present their companies to the projects, share their expertise with them and discuss current industry trends.
Working Breakfasts (Feedback Panels)
Pre-arranged moderated group meetings where participants present their projects for feedback from sales agents, distributors, and financiers.
SCREENINGS
Qumra Shorts Work in Progress Screenings and Feedback panel
Closed preview screenings of 4 Qumra Shorts projects in the final stages of post-production where rough cuts of projects are presented for select festival programmers to provide immediate, individual feedback to the filmmakers.
Work-in-Progress and Picture Lock Industry Screenings (Features)
Closed preview screenings of 20-minute excerpts from 13 feature-length Qumra projects in the final stages of post-production. Twenty-minute excerpts of projects are presented for select festival programmers, sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, post-production funds and VoD platforms.
MEETINGS
The Qumra Meetings are a series of one-on-one meetings, group sessions, roundtables, and tailored mentoring sessions between representatives from the selected projects and seasoned industry experts.
Preparatory Meetings
Briefing meetings for project delegates with moderators and mentors to prepare for their screening and feedback sessions, and consultations with Qumra experts.
Script Consultations
Intensive individual consultations with expert script advisors for grantees with projects in the early stages of development.
Rough Cut Consultations / Editing Consultations
Intensive sessions with industry experts offering individual consultation to grantees with projects in post-production, providing bespoke advice regarding structure and editing.
One-on-One Tutorials
Individual advisory sessions tailored to the needs of the project at hand. Industry experts cover a broad range of subjects, from creative feedback related to storytelling, filmmaking and directing or business advice pertaining to financing strategies and legal considerations for co-productions, marketing & packaging, and project positioning, to festival strategies and sales.
Feedback Panel
A panel of industry experts provides immediate, individual feedback to the Qumra projects in post-production stages, based on the 20-minute excerpt presented.
Match Made Meetings
Pre-arranged one-on-one meetings in which participants present their projects to industry experts and discuss opportunities for collaboration, including sales and distribution.
Group Work Session with Filmmakers
Participants will engage in group work sessions with acclaimed directors who will share their experiences, discuss their vision, inspiration and artistic approaches, as well as the challenges they have been facing on their journey, in an informal atmosphere. Project delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions and to receive insights and creative feedback.
QUMRA SERIES
Seven teams will present their DFI-supported series projects to a group of international industry professionals through individual and group advisory and pitching sessions. They will have the opportunity to meet with writers, producers, creators, showrunners, labs and markets representatives, funders, broadcasters and VoD platforms with the aim of enhancing their projects and getting them a step closer to completion.
QUMRA SHORTS
An intensive workshop where ten filmmakers present their short film projects, currently in development, production, or post-production stages, to a group of international industry professionals—including script consultants, filmmaker mentors, producers, lab representatives, and festival programmers—all experts in the short form. The programme seeks to continue the Doha Film Institute’s support for filmmaking talent in Qatar and the region.
QUMRA ONLINE
Qumra Industry Screenings
Exclusively for programmers, sales agents, distributors and VoD platforms participating remotely in the online extension of Qumra, the 20-minute excerpts of the Qumra feature and the rough cuts of the Qumra shorts projects in post-production will be accessible upon invitation via Festivalscope to watch from March 1-15.
Qumra Shorts Feedback Panels
A panel of three shorts industry experts provides immediate, individual feedback to the Qumra Shorts projects in post-production stages, based on the rough cut presented on Festivalscope. The total time for these feedbacks is 30 minutes for each presented projected, divided among the speakers.
Qumra Shorts Industry Roundtables
A series of online roundtable discussions where representatives of labs and festivals experts in the short form present their companies to the projects, share their expertise with them and discuss current industry trends. These 'Zoom' sessions last 90 minutes and feature three speakers alongside a moderator. Approximately 30 minutes of each session will be dedicated to questions from registered participants.
Qumra Series – Online Pitch
Seven series projects will be presented to a group of international industry professionals and receive direct feedback on their presentation from producers, creators, showrunners, labs and markets representatives, funders, broadcasters and VoD platforms with the aim of enhancing their projects and getting them a step closer to completion.
Online - One-on-One Tutorials
Individual sessions tailored to the needs of the project at hand. Industry experts cover a broad range of subjects, from creative feedback related to storytelling, filmmaking and directing or business advice pertaining to financing strategies and legal considerations for co-productions, marketing & packaging, and project positioning, to festival strategies and sales.
Online - Match Made
25-minute one on one meeting between industry guests and project teams, to discuss opportunities of collaboration and share business advises on their projects.