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Doha, Qatar; December 15, 2014: The Board of the Doha Film Institute has announced the appointment of Fatma Al Remaihi as its Chief Executive Officer. Al Remaihi will also serve as the Director of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival and Qumra and further build on the Institute’s fundamental goals of promoting a strong film culture in Qatar through film appreciation, education and financing initiatives.

Part of the Doha Film Institute team since 2009, Al Remaihi has been in place as Acting CEO since August 2014 in addition to her role as Director of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival which wrapped its successful second edition last week. She previously served as the Director of Programmes at the Institute.

Al Remaihi said: “I am honoured to be appointed as the CEO of the Doha Film Institute. It is a privilege to work with the filmmakers in our local and regional community, and I look forward to continuing to support them in telling their stories, and to expand further on our objective to build a vibrant and sustainable culture of film appreciation in Qatar.”

As CEO, Al Remaihi is responsible for setting and overseeing the strategic direction of the Institute, maintaining its focus on promoting film culture in Qatar and developing its presence on the regional and international stage. She directs the artistic and operational aspects of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival and Qumra, as well as the Institute’s year-round screening programmes, film funding initiatives and its strategic partnerships with key international film organisations.

Al Remaihi joined the Institute in 2009 as Cultural Advisor to the first edition of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival. After gaining valuable experience in several key departments of the organisation, she led a Community Outreach team in the delivery of a variety of initiatives and events to appeal to the wide array of audiences in Qatar. In this role, she focused on developing local talent, attracting regional and international attention to the Institute, and building key relationships with the community and the film industry at large.

Al Remaihi was the driving force behind the establishment of a strategic partnership with The Giffoni Experience, whose youth jury model informs the competition section of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival and brings together a group of international youth media specialists for the Doha Giffoni Youth Media Summit.

Under her leadership, the Institute has established a new film fund dedicated to supporting Qatari talent and delivered a successful second edition of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival. In addition, the vision and format for the upcoming Qumra event, dedicated to the development of emerging filmmakers, was announced recently and is set to take place in Doha from March 6 – 11, 2015.

Born and raised in Doha, Al Remaihi graduated from Qatar University with a degree in English Literature. A mother of four, she resides in her hometown in Doha.