The Doha Film Festival's first edition has offered a clear signal of Qatar's ambitions to nurture a robust film culture, with its Made in Qatar slate placing a fresh generation of local filmmakers at the heart of the event.

Emerging from 15 years of development efforts by the Doha Film Institute, these filmmakers now stand at the forefront of a maturing ecosystem built through grants, labs and training platforms such as 'Qumra' and 'Ajyal' as well as earlier showcases that shaped the current pipeline.

Festival director and institute chief Fatma Hassan Alremaihi said the commitment to local voices was both a responsibility and a privilege, adding that the filmmakers screening in the section were opening doors to Qatari culture and strengthening the nation's cinematic identity.

She said t

See Full Page