Doha Film Institute

Doha Film Institute is an independent, not-for-profit cultural organisation established in 2010 by Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani to support the growth of the local film community.

DFI engages in funding and production of local, regional and international films, educational programmes, film screenings, the Ajyal Youth Film Festival and Qumra, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world. Previously, DFI has hosted four editions of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) in support with Tribeca Enterprises.

Doha Film Institute produced Salma Hayek's animated adaptation of Khalil Gibran's classic novel The Prophet with director Roger Allers (who worked on The Lion King) co-ordinating the process.[1]

DFI has been credited as a production company on films including Just Like a Woman starring Sienna Miller, The Reluctant Fundamentalist directed by Mira Nair which opened 69th Venice International Film Festival,[2] and Kanye West's Cruel Summer - a short film which was shot in Doha and premiered during the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.[3]

In February 2013, they announced a $100 million feature film fund with Participant Media, a production company founded by billionaire Jeffrey Skoll.

The organization also provides forums for workshops and labs, where budding filmmakers are exposed to a variety of new creative skills and approaches.[4]