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Doha, Qatar [26 October 2010] – The second annual Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) kicked off to an excited crowd of thousands, with the Middle Eastern premiere of award-winning French-Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb’s Outside the Law.

H.E. Sheikh Jabor Bin Yousuf Al Thani, Doha Minister of Culture H.E. Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, Outside the Law director Rachid Bouchareb, producer Jean Brehat, and co-producer Tarak Ben Ammar, DFI Executive Director Amanda Palmer and managing director Maggie Kim, DFI programmers Scandar Copti, Chadi Zeneddine, Hania Mroue, DTFF Jury President Yosra and jury members Salma Hayek Pinault, Bosnian director/screenwriter Danis Tanović, DTFF jury member Bhavna Talwar, Tribeca Enterprises co-founder Craig Hatkoff and Chief Creative Officer Geoffrey Gilmore.

Celebrities in attendance also included legendary Egyptian actor Adel Imam, American/Egyptian director and comedian Ahmed Ahmed, Miral director Julian Schnabel and writer Rula Jebreal, Indian directors Mira Nair, haute couture fashion designer Stephane Rolland, actress Mallika Sherawat, actor Alexander Siddig, Egyptian actor Lebleba, Ragna El Guedani, Palestinian actor Yasmine Al Massri, artist Anh Duong, artist Clifford Ross, globally renowned French photographer Brigitte Lacombe, British actor and opera singer William Shimell, and actor Andrew McCarthy, and a host of other luminaries and filmmakers from the region and across the globe headlined the opening night activities.

GCC emerging talent including Nayla Al Khaja, Mahdi Ali Ali, Egyptian/UK actor Khalid Abdalla, directors Adolf El Assal, Nadia Hamzeh, Vache Boulghourjian, and Fadi Abi Samra.

“I am honoured to present Outside the Law as the opening night film at this year’s Doha Tribeca Film Festival,” said Rachid Bouchareb. “Outside the Law is not just about the Algerian struggle for independence, it also explores how an individual’s culture is integral to their sense of identity and belonging in the world, a universal theme which I am sure DTFF audiences will be able to connect with.”

Over 2,000 members of the Qatari community turned out to enjoy the excitement and glamour of DTFF’s Opening Gala at Katara’s Opera House, Cinema, and Open Air Theatre. DTFF also provided live coverage from the red carpet for the open air audience, which captured the evening’s highlights, including celebrity interviews and arrivals.

In addition to Outside the Law, other films screening at DTFF, which runs October 26-30, include John Curran’s Stone, Ahmed Ahmed’s Just like Us, Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy, Julian Schnabel’s Miral, Randall Wallace’s Secretariat and Justin Chadwick’s The First Grader. Indian films will also have a strong presence at this year’s Festival including Ram Gopal Varma’s Rakha Charitra, Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan, and the 1929 black and white classic Throw of Dice.

Additional screenings and special events continued through the week including Family Day activities on Friday October 29th. All 2010 DTFF screenings at the Katara Open Air Theatre were free and open to the public. Residents and guests could view a great line up of films under the open sky providing complete family entertainment including Throw of Dice with a special live score by Nitin Sawhney and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (Thursday), Boy and Secretariat (Family Day screenings on Friday) and the Closing Film The First Grader (Saturday).

About the Doha Tribeca Film Festival
As the Doha Film Institute’s annual celebration of all things film, the Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) is a community minded five day event that showcases the best of Arab and international films. The Festival also reflects DFI´s film financing and year-round educational arms with industry programs and filmmaker events designed to fulfill DFI´s mission of empowering storytellers and building a long term film industry in Qatar. Launched in 2009, the Doha Tribeca Film Festival reflects a successful cultural partnership between DFI and Tribeca Enterprises. Based on a mutual mission to promote the influence of cinema, the importance of community culture and the need for arts education, the Festival provides an annual platform that celebrates the wonders of film appreciation and entertainment from every corner of the globe.

DTFF 2010 is proud to be supported by: official airline partner Qatar Airways, official telecom service provider Qtel, official sponsor Volunteer Programme Virgin Mobile Qatar, official sponsor Opening Night Screening Gala Al Fardan, and hospitality partners Four Seasons Hotel, W Hotel, and Grand Hyatt.

For further information, images and interview requests:

Majid Wasi, DFI, mwasi@dohafilminstitute.com

North American Press
Dade Hayes dhayes@rubenstein.com +12128438022 +12128438022

European Press
Natasha Vickers natasha.vickers@freud.com +44 20 3003 6428