Northwestern University (NU-Q) in Qatar and Doha Film Institute (DFI) will partner to help bring local film and media work front and center at the upcoming fourth edition of Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF).

The two organisations agreed to a collaboration last week that allows for a variety of activities to support local media producers, advance media literacy, and promote Qatar’s emerging film and media industry, crowned by a co-hosted opening night for the ‘Made in Qatar’ series on November 18.

DTFF organizers had recently announced that this year’s edition of the international festival will showcase the largest number of ‘Made in Qatar’ films yet, including 15 world premieres.

NU-Q dean and CEO Everette Dennis said, “Doha Film Institute and Northwestern University in Qatar both want to understand, develop, and support the growing creative and media industries in Qatar. We hope this exciting engagement with the Doha Tribeca Film Festival will build on the much past and current collaboration between individuals in the NU-Q and DFI communities, and that it will inaugurate a larger, long-term partnership between the two organizations.”

“We are enthusiastic about the growing number of films featuring in ‘Made in Qatar’, and we hope that shining a joint spotlight on this talent and encouraging young people in Qatar to get involved in media will inspire a generation that will go on to lead a prosperous creative industry in Qatar,” Dennis added.

NU-Q and DFI will extend their support of media literacy to the wider community at DTFF Family Days on November 23 and 24, when NU-Q will give young people and their parents the opportunity to try presenting news from the festival in a simulated television studio on Katara's corniche.

NU-Q faculty and staff will give members of the community a hands-on chance to learn what goes on behind the scenes in a live newscast.

Abdulaziz Al-Khater, CEO of DFI, said, “Media and creative industries are one of the fastest growing sectors globally, and in the Middle East alone is growing at an annual rate of 5 percent. DFI is committed to supporting the growth of these industries in line with Qatar’s national vision of developing a strong knowledge backed country.

“We are proud to be partnering with NU-Q to provide young talent in Qatar with the opportunity to shine in these rapidly evolving industries and support the development of a robust local filmmaking community.”

DTFF is running from November 17 to 24. – TradeArabia News Service