Opening the festival, Kaouther Ben Hania’s docudrama The Voice of Hind Rajab made its MENA premiere.
During the ceremony, Chairperson of Doha Film Institute (DFI) Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani presented Creative Excellence Awards to Jamal Suleiman and Iranian-French actress Golshifteh Farahani.
Special guests included Jim Sheridan, Kamal Aljafari, Elia Suleiman, Rithy Panh, Yasmine Hamdan, and other prominent filmmakers and industry professionals.
Festival Director and CEO of DFI Fatma Hassan Alremaihi described the event as a milestone. “As we turn a new page with Doha Film Festival, we are poised and ready to build a global community coming together in dialogue to shape a shared future rooted in purpose and possibility,” she said.
The festival’s main competitions include the International Feature Film Competition, International Short Film Competition, Ajyal Film Competition for youth aged 16-25, and Made in Qatar Competition, with prizes totaling over $300,000.
In the International Feature Film Competition, 13 films vie for top honours, including Once Upon a Time in Gaza by Tarzan and Arab Nasser, which premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, winning the Best Director award. The film later took home three major prizes at the 46th Cairo International Film Festival: Silver Pyramid for Best Director, Best Actor for Majd Eid, and Best Arab Feature.
Other notable entries include Khartoum by Anas Saeed, Rawia Alhag, Ibrahim “Snoopy” Ahmad, Timeea Mohamed Ahmed, and Philip Cox, which won the Peace Film Prize at the 2025 Berlinale; Suzannah Mirghani’s Cotton Queen, winner of the Golden Alexander at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival; and Hasan Hadi’s The President’s Cake, awarded the Camera d’Or for Best First Feature and the Audience Award at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
The lineup also features With Hasan in Gaza by Kamal Aljafari, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival to wide acclaim for its innovative visual approach and exploration of memory; and My Father and Qaddafi by Jihan K, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and was noted for its blend of personal memoir and political investigation into the disappearance of the director’s father, a vocal critic of Gaddafi.
The notable selection further includes Renoir by Chie Hayakawa, a Japanese family drama that premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival; Sleepless City by Guillermo García López, which debuted in the Critics’ Week section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival; The Last Shore by Jean-François Ravagnan, which premiered at Visions du Réel in Nyon, Switzerland; and Divine Comedy by Ali Asgari, which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Egyptian films in Doha
Egypt is represented by two films. My Story (Qessaty) by Yasser Ashour, screening in the Special Screenings/Gala Presentations section, follows the life and political journey of veteran Syrian actor Jamal Suleiman.
The documentary blends archival material with present-day reflections on exile, art, and public engagement.
Suleiman, celebrated for his roles in Al-Taghreba Al-Falastenya, Four Seasons, and Hada’eq El-Shaytan, was honored with a Creative Excellence Award during the festival’s opening ceremony.
Ashour emphasized the importance of Arab-centered storytelling: “We don’t have the chance to tell our stories. I wait for platforms like DIFF to give me a chance to tell stories that relate to me as an Arab citizen, not only what others find important.”
During a 13-year absence from Syria, Suleiman found himself embraced by Egyptian audiences even as he missed the passing of both his parents.
Earlier this year, he finally returned home. Produced in partnership with Jazeera 360, the film explores the seasons of Suleiman’s life, reflecting on his “tough winter” and anticipating his “new spring,” highlighting experiences of diaspora and resilience.
The second Egyptian entry, Zizou by Khaled Moeit (Egypt/Qatar/France), competes in the International Short Film Competition. This coming-of-age short follows 13-year-old Zizou, an overweight boy navigating friendship, humiliation, and self-discovery as he strives to join his neighbourhood football team.
Beyond the screenings, Egyptian filmmakers and industry professionals are also taking part in several of the festival’s panels and industry discussions on regional filmmaking, co-production opportunities, and emerging Arab voices.
Participants include producer Mohamed Hefzy, founder of Film Clinic; Ayman Mohyeldin, Egyptian-born American journalist and political commentator for NBC News and MSNBC; and award-winning screenwriter Mariam Naoum, founder and CEO of Sard Writers’ Room.
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