Doha Film Institute has signed a co-financing agreement on The Idol (Ya Tayr El Tayr), a biopic of Mohammad Assaf, the wedding singer from Gaza who went on to win the Arab Idol in 2013. Directed by Academy Award-nominated Palestinian Hany Abu-Assad, The Idol will premiere at Toronto Film Festival in September. The Doha Film […]
Doha Film Institute has signed a co-financing agreement on The Idol (Ya Tayr El Tayr), a biopic of Mohammad Assaf, the wedding singer from Gaza who went on to win the Arab Idol in 2013. Directed by Academy Award-nominated Palestinian Hany Abu-Assad, The Idol will premiere at Toronto Film Festival in September.
The Doha Film Institute’s participation in The Idol follows its recent co-financing role on Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, an animated feature film.
The institute’s co-financing division seeks to invest in projects that are culturally relevant and commercially viable, with the underlying aim of strengthening the film industry of Qatar by facilitating opportunities for collaboration and development for Qatari Filmmakers.
Fatma Al Remaihi, CEO at Doha Film Institute, said: “Hany Abu-Assad is one of the most significant filmmakers from the Arab world and we are honoured to be partners on The Idol.
“Mohammed Assaf’s remarkable story, the many struggles he had to overcome, and his love and commitment to his family and community in Gaza had a powerful impact on us.
“In the hands of a great filmmaker like Hany Abu-Assad, this story will undoubtedly continue to resonate with people all over the world. We are really looking forward to sharing the film with audiences at its world premiere in Toronto next month.”
In addition to its co-financing slate, the institute supports first- and second-time filmmakers from around the world and established filmmakers from the MENA region through its grants programme which has funded more than 220 films since 2010.
