The Doha Film Festival will showcase films that inspire empathy, encourage dialogue, and carry Palestinian voices beyond borders and into the global conscience.
Doha Film Institute has reaffirmed its commitment to amplifying vital Arab voices by spotlighting urgent and powerful stories from Palestine at the upcoming Doha Film Festival. At a moment when Palestinian lives and histories face erasure, the festival seeks to offer its screens as spaces for memory, dignity and hope — celebrating the resilience and humanity that define the Palestinian spirit.
This year’s programme features a lineup of films that capture the lived experiences, struggles and hopes of Palestinians. Leading the selection is the acclaimed opening film The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania, followed by Kamal Aljafari’s introspective With Hassan in Gaza, Tarzan and Arab Nasser’s evocative Once Upon a Time in Gaza and a special screening of Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36. Together, these works highlight the depth and artistry of Palestinian cinema and its enduring importance to the global cultural landscape.
Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Festival Director and Chief Executive Officer of Doha Film Institute, said: “These films are not just stories on screen, they are urgent testaments of truth, survival and resistance and are voices of a people who refuse to be silenced. They carry with them the memories, the pain and the enduring hopes of Palestinians, refusing erasure and demanding recognition. In supporting these films, we pay tribute to the courage of their creators and stand with Palestine, ensuring their stories are seen, heard, and remembered. At Doha Film Festival, we are honoured to provide a platform where these voices are amplified to echo across the world and inspire change.”
Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia/France) blends real emergency call recordings with dramatised performances to recreate the final moments of a young girl whose cry for help moved the world. Once Upon a Time in Gaza (Palestine/France/Germany/Portugal/Qatar), directed by Tarzan and Arab Nasser, unfolds a tale of violence, revenge and tragedy set in Gaza in 2007. Kamal Aljafari’s With Hassan in Gaza (Germany/Palestine/France/Qatar) serves as a poetic meditation on loss, memory and time, while Palestine 36 (Palestine/UK/France/Denmark/Norway/Qatar/KSA/Jordan) by Annemarie Jacir revisits the resistance of 1936 during the British Mandate, exploring acts of defiance amid upheaval.
Running from November 20 to 28, 2025, the Doha Film Festival marks a new chapter in Doha Film Institute’s mission to nurture regional talent and promote authentic, urgent storytelling. Iconic venues such as Katara Cultural Village, Msheireb Downtown Doha and the Museum of Islamic Art will be transformed into lively hubs of cinematic celebration and cross-cultural dialogue.
Through its diverse programme of screenings, discussions and events, DFF aims to deliver a shared cultural experience that underscores cinema’s power to inspire, unite and illuminate the human condition. More than a film festival, it stands as a declaration of solidarity — a testament to the enduring power of art to give voice to those who refuse to be forgotten.
