Cash-Strapped Hollywood Could Turn to Qatar, Which is Making Moves at Cannes

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Qatar, the petite Arab nation abundant in oil and gas, which recently proposed a $400 million aircraft similar to a “heavenly palace” as a replacement for Donald Trump’s Air Force One, is showcasing its aspirations to elevate its emerging film and television industry at Cannes.

The Qatar Film Committee, a key organization within Media City Qatar and responsible for boosting Qatar’s entertainment sector, is attending the festival, headed by Hassan Al Thawadi. Known as a Qatari lawyer who successfully managed the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, which was a great success for the nation, Al Thawadi has now taken on overseeing the film industry as well. Moreover, it’s been reported that influential figures in Qatar have started talks with American entertainment executives regarding joint funding and creation of original content.

As Hollywood continues its search for fresh funding, Qatar is looking to broaden its influence beyond the energy sector, particularly in areas like culture and media. With Wall Street growing wary of the entertainment industry due to perceived over-investment, especially in the creation of streaming services that have struggled to turn a profit, and key foreign markets like China focusing more on nurturing their own film and series production, it’s becoming increasingly challenging for movie studios to secure investments.

This year, Qatar boasts a remarkable presence in the French Riviera, hinting at future collaborations with Hollywood. The aim is to foster a local film industry, but also showcasing Katara Studios from Doha. These studios were instrumental in producing both the opening and closing ceremonies for the Qatar World Cup. Currently, they are increasing their output of films destined for international audiences. Their upcoming projects include “Sakhr,” a biopic about Kuwaiti pioneer Mohamed Al Sharekh who developed the first Arabic computer operating system, and “Sari & Amira,” a fantasy film focusing on a pair of outlaw Bedouin bandits in search of a legendary desert treasure, directed by AJ Al Thani.

This year marks the 15th anniversary for the well-entrenched Doha Film Institute from the emirate, currently representing eight films at Cannes that received funding through its grants. Among these are “Once Upon a Time in Gaza,” directed by the Palestinian duo Tarzan and Arab Nasser. Notably, Qatar, instrumental in negotiating the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel (which unfortunately fell apart), has consistently backed Palestinian filmmaking.

In a broader context, the Doha Film Institute (DFI) plays a significant role in driving the film industry across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This is particularly evident through their flagship event, Qumra, which functions as both an incubator and co-production market. This yearly event, held in Doha in April, primarily assists emerging and established Arab directors with their first and second works. Notable mentors for the 11th edition of this event included Johnnie To, Walter Salles, and Darius Khondji. Elia Suleiman, a well-known Palestinian filmmaker known for his films that explore the protracted Arab-Israeli conflict such as “Divine Intervention,” “The Time That Remains,” and most recently “It Must Be Heaven” (premiered at Cannes in 2019), serves as the event’s artistic advisor.

At Cannes, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, CEO of DFI, will reveal plans to expand and elevate their current Ajyal Film Festival, focusing on youth and family-friendly cinema, into a more expansive international event catering to a wider audience. This revamped DFI festival, set to debut in the Qatari capital in November, signifies the next stage in Qatar’s cultural leadership as expressed by Alremaihi in her conversation with EbMaster.

Brent Lang contributed to this report

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2025-05-16 10:16