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• DFI in partnership with QFA, celebrates our national team’s historic appearance at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ with a workshop for emerging filmmakers aged 18 to 25 to create short films based on football

Doha, Qatar; May 31, 2022: The Doha Film Institute announces its partnership with the Qatar Football Association (QFA) to launch a ‘Football Filmmaking Challenge.’ Aspiring filmmakers aged 18 to 25, can participate in a specialised workshop hosted by the Institute to create their own short films centred on the theme of football, which will be evaluated by a special jury to decide the winners.

The ‘Football Filmmaking Challenge’ draws inspiration from Qatar hosting FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and will showcase the passion for the world’s most popular sport. The filmmaking challenge will be held from May 21 to June 23 in Katara. This hands-on workshop will be a well-rounded introduction to the essential tools of filmmaking. Through practical and exciting exercises, students will learn all the essential techniques required to make their own short film, starting with the basic elements of narrative development and visual storytelling to the production of the films.

Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: “Hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ in our country brings immense pride to Qatar and the Arab region and is an extraordinary milestone for each and everyone of us. As the nation and the world join to celebrate the best in football, we are honoured to contribute through the ‘Football Filmmaking Challenge’, which will rally enthusiastic filmmakers to capture compelling stories from the diverse communities in Qatar. Through this initiative, we are not only fostering a love for film and football but also providing a creative platform to inspire emerging filmmakers to come up with a collective of short films that we look forward to screening during the tournament.”

For his part, Khalid Mubarak Al-Kuwari, Director of the Marketing and Communications Department of the Qatar Football Association (QFA), said: “The QFA is always looking for innovative ideas that represent an addition to Qatari football in general and to support our national teams in particular. With this new step to join the Doha Film Institute (DFI) in a unique partnership, we look forward to providing content that enriches filmmaking that expresses our passion for football.”

“To start with, a workshop will be held for short film creators aged between 18 and 25 years old, and it will be part of a competition held by the DFI on the subject of football, to help them develop their short films as part of this challenge. A special jury will evaluate the films to select the winners.”

“Our country’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™️ later this year, which will also mark our national team’s first-ever World Cup appearance, will open doors and expand opportunities for the creative minds of our youth who have a passion for football, encouraging them to present their inspirational stories on our national team, Qatari football and also football as a sport in general. We are sure that we will see these films display high levels of professionalism and production quality, with a tangible impression that represents a new era in football-based short films.”

“I highly appreciate this partnership with the Doha Film Institute, and perhaps this first cooperation between us will be the base for various activities and innovative ideas in the future, especially since these kinds of initiatives and partnerships are part of the Qatar Football Association’s commitment to the community, its social responsibility and its active role in enriching sports activities throughout the country and achieving many common humanitarian and societal goals.”

The ‘Football Filmmaking Challenge’ is based on short film ideas that must articulate their love for film and football, selected participants will attend intensive workshops led by experts at the Doha Film Institute on various aspects of short filmmaking. They will be supported from script-to-screen to accomplish their projects. The various films created will be evaluated based on criteria including creativity, subject-matter, and style of filmmaking.