Still, there will be some detractors who will say that your background will not translate well to running a film institute. How do you respond to those claims that DFI will now be taking a different track, or is somehow shifting their mission because of this move? The vision of DFI is to help develop the film industry in Qatar and the entire Middle East. That will not change. While DFI itself is a young organization and will continue to evolve, we’re not going to turn into a bank. There won’t be anything that detracts DFI from our primary mission, which is to help promote an appreciation of film in this country and region, as well as that of local and regional artists, be they producers, directors, scriptwriters or any of the other talents related to filmmaking. And of course, with the Doha Tribeca Film Festival, we want to give these people a platform to share their talents with the world. These will ALWAYS be DFI’s core set of objectives and values. We understand that the Made in Qatar section of the film festival has been growing and expanding in scope, and has reached new levels this year. Will this type of local fare continue to grow? If so, why is it so important to have a homegrown film industry? The film industry is a very powerful platform for expression, and all over the Middle East, people are craving to express themselves. By helping people get the tools, training and knowledge necessary, I think we’re set to see an explosion of creativity within the region, and it’s important for us to do what we can to help people find the right knowledge, tools and financing in order to realise those visions. We are all really excited about the Made in Qatar lineup, as well as the international festival. Not only are there more movies, we’re also very careful about the balance and types of movies; whether they are features, documentaries, dramas or shorts, we like to maintain a variety. As I said earlier, it’s about exposing and developing film appreciation here, and that’s where bringing in films from all over the world comes into play. Speaking of bringing the international flare, do you believe the Doha Tribeca Film Festival will change into something like a Cannes Film Festival? Obviously Cannes is an amazing film festival with an extremely good reputation, and they do what they do very well. There would be little point for DTFF to emulate Cannes or any other festival. That is part of the DFI objective this year, to produce a Doha Tribeca Film Festival that is a lot more Qatari, and speaks a lot more with a Qatari voice. Now, that does not mean that we will stop being an international film festival in ANY way, but we feel that it is a platform to create that dialogue. If we do our jobs right in promoting local content and creation, then DTFF could be a platform for creating a unique mix of both a Qatari and international set of films.
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The Doha Tribeca Films Festival this year does seem a lot more compact, or focused, if you will. It appears to be more cohesive than in other years with its vision. It feels more intimate, more approachable. Well, I’m glad you say that, because that feel for this year’s festival was one of our major objectives going in. For example, adding Souq Waqif as one of our venues; with that, we wanted to make the festival more cozy than it has been in the past. I think we have done that, and I believe it will set the tone for festivals here sometime in the future. And now a bit of a fun one. As you are now at the helm of the Doha Film Institute, you must be a fan of cinema. What is your favourite film? Oh wow… Well, there are quite a few films I really enjoy. My favourite? [takes a long, thoughtful pause] I guess that would have to be… Casablanca. Are there any films or projects that you are particularly looking forward to, whether on the festival circuit or for mass release? Well, maybe… but I don’t want to give anything away. No spoilers! [laughs]
The vision of DFI is to help develop the film industry in Qatar and the entire Middle East. That will not change.
. sur la terre . up close and personal .