| Issue 2
From ‘Will Do’ to ‘Can Do’:
Qatar’s Promising Ecosystem for
Young Filmmakers
D
ecember 1 st 2016 was a proud
day for Qatar’s filmmakers,
Qataris and those who call this nation
home, when a record 17 films “Made
in Qatar” screened at the fourth
Ajyal Youth Film Festival, presented
by the Doha Film Institute (DFI).
In Qatar, a small but growing
number of people are committed to
pushing beyond hobby filmmaking,
resulting in a steady growth of the
country’s film industry as nationals
and non-residents step forward to
make films locally.
| Qumra, Doha
34
Qatari writer and director Hend
Fakhroo says the transformation to
the nation’s film industry has been
remarkable – and it is not just about
the numbers. “It is the production
values, and the audience response
that our