Qatar to Bow Domestic Feature Productions at Upcoming Doha Film Festival in ‘Watershed Moment’

The upcoming Doha Film Festival will feature the world premieres of four feature films from Qatar, in what is being touted as a milestone. The tiny Arab state, which is rich in oil and gas, is branching out from the energy sector into the media and entertainment sphere.

The revamped fest, now at its second edition, has from its inception included a Made in Qatar competition strand dedicated solely to short films. But these four features from Qatar are instead bowing separately as special screenings.

They include inspirational documentary “First to Fly” (pictured above) by Rodrigo Vazquez Salessi, about two young Arab gymnasts who became the first athletes in Qatar’s history to compete at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships; Qatar-Morocco co-production “A Very Ordinary Life,” a drama directed by Mohamed Deniz, about a retired Qatari pilot and a young Moroccan art teacher who are, unknowingly, father and daughter; Qatari filmmaker, freediver and spear fisherman Jamal Al Khanji’s documentary “Jodari Meno,” about the director’s quest to land a world-record dogtooth tuna; and “When the News Breaks You,” a doc by Qatari filmmaker Hamad Al Hajri that examines the challenges faced by journalists working across Middle East war zones.

Rounding out the Qatari selection is a special episode of “Elzam, a documentary series produced by Katara Studios that follows a group of falconers on hunting expeditions, delving into a tradition that is a source of pride in Qatar and the wider Arab world.

“This is a watershed moment for Qatar’s film and creative industries,” Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, who is also director of the Doha Film Festival, said in a statement. “To present four feature films and an original series from Qatar at Doha Film Festival is a powerful reflection of how far our creative ecosystem has come.”

“The growing contributions of national entities demonstrate what can be achieved when creative institutions work together towards a shared purpose,” Alremaihi continued. “We are building a sustainable industry by creating opportunities, developing capabilities and connecting Qatar’s talent with the world.”

Three of the titles – “Jodari Meno,” “A Very Ordinary Life” and “First to Fly” – were supported by Media City Qatar, Doha’s government-backed media hub, in tandem with the Doha Film Institute.

“It’s great to see not one but three films supported by Media City selected to screen in the special screenings program at Doha Film Festival 2026,” said the hub’s CEO Hamad Omar AlMannai in a statement.

As previously announced, the Doha Film Festival will comprise a 15-title competition lineup made up mostly of Middle East premieres of movies from the region, seven of which are directed by women.

Yemeni-Scottish filmmaker Sara Ishaq’s timely drama “The Station” — exploring the impact of Yemen’s civil war on the country — is set as opener of the festival, which will run Nov. 19-27 in the Qatari capital.