This decision was part of the Institute’s contribution to the responsible management and prevention of the further spread of the virus in Qatar.
Doha Film Institute (DFI) has cancelled the 2020 edition of Qumra and its related activities, which was scheduled to take place from March 20-25, to mitigate any potential risks associated with the current global COVID-19 outbreak.
A professional incubator for filmmakers from the Arab world, the Qumra 2020 programme was set to commence on March 20 with 46 selected projects from 20 countries as part of DFI’s mission to accelerate the success of filmmakers from the region.
The originally planned mentorship program is now taking place online, during the original Qumra dates, and all projects will have their scheduled one-on-one sessions online.
All industry guests will receive the project catalogue, delegates contact list, as well as the match-made suggestions and, will be invited to connect online.
Furthermore, festival programmers, sales agents and distributors will have exclusive access until the end of March, to the 20-minute excerpts of the work-in-progress projects in post production, preceded by a video introduction by the filmmakers.
Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: “Qumra is an extremely important event for our community and participants, and the 46 selected projects remain a priority for DFI this year. To maintain the current momentum towards success for the projects, the Institute will proceed with an adapted online mentorship and support format to generate opportunities for the filmmakers through this period of new challenges.
“The Institute is extremely grateful to our Qumra Masters, filmmakers and industry participants for their ongoing passion and contribution to our commitment to reshape the global storytelling landscape and empower emerging voices to create cinema, to exercise creative expression, and to transform inspired stories into acclaimed masterpieces. We hope this ‘Online Qumra’ will be a successful extension of our ongoing passion and commitment to supporting emerging voices in global filmmaking.”
