The Doha Film Festival 2025 launches today, Thursday, marking the beginning of a week that celebrates the power of storytelling, cultural exchange, and creative courage. This year’s festival opens with the profound and moving film “The Voice of Hind Rajab” by award-winning director Kaouther Ben Hania—a powerful testament to human resilience and determination. The choice of this film for the opening night reflects the Doha Film Institute’s ongoing commitment to elevating voices that speak truth and inspire empathy.
اضافة اعلان
From November 20 to 28, audiences can enjoy a rich and diverse program featuring world and regional premieres of numerous films, panel discussions, cinema sessions, youth programs, musical performances, the Geekdom event, and other community initiatives taking place throughout Doha.
The festival includes four main competitions:
The International Feature Film Competition
The International Short Film Competition
The Made in Qatar Competition
The Ajyal Competition, dedicated to young people between the ages of 16 and 25
In this context, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Festival Director and CEO of the Doha Film Institute, said:
“For the past fifteen years, the achievements of the filmmakers whose journeys we have supported continue to be a source of pride for the Doha Film Institute. As we begin this new chapter for the Institute, we remain committed to supporting voices that express our shared humanity and encourage us to view the world with greater empathy.”
She added:
“The Doha Film Festival is a platform for purposeful storytelling that reshapes the global cinematic landscape with depth and authenticity. The festival will serve as a vibrant gathering place for cinema lovers to celebrate creativity, engage in meaningful and constructive dialogue, and discover stories that bring us closer together.”
This year, the festival welcomes a distinguished group of guests, including filmmakers, artists, and activists whose work has inspired audiences worldwide. Among them are: Steven Soderbergh, Ramy Youssef, Michaela Coel, Mo Amer, Jamal Suleiman, Golshifteh Farahani, Elia Suleiman, Engin Altan Düzyatan, Jassem Al-Nabhan, Dorra Zarrouk, Saleh Bakri, Hiam Abbass, Mehdi Hasan, Rahma Zeina, Jim Sheridan, Yasiin Bey, Saint Levant, Annemarie Jacir, Misan Harriman, and others.
The Doha Film Festival will be held from November 20 to 28, 2025, marking a new chapter in the Doha Film Institute’s journey to support regional talent and champion authentic, timely, and significant cinematic storytelling.
