As the world converged in Qatar for the incredible FIFA World Cup 2022™, audiences across the city enjoyed an accompanying festival of film, culture, and arts from the Doha Film Institute (DFI).

The Doha Film Experience (DFE) took place over four exhilarating weeks, with thousands of visitors flocking to the event's many prominent venues, which included M7's Sky Theatre, Qatar Foundation's Al Khater House, the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium, Heenat Salma Farm, Sikkat Wadi Msheireb, VOX Cinemas Doha Festival City and the new Geekdom building at Lusail Boulevard.

Over 150 screenings of feature and short films were presented that showcased the very best in Arab and international cinema. M7's Sky Theatre and Qatar Foundation's Al Khater House, as part of the D'reesha Performing Arts Festival 2022, hosted several compelling programmes of acclaimed short films by Qatar-based filmmakers from DFI's ever-popular Made in Qatar series.

Visitors to Sikkat Wadi Msheireb were treated to 'Intaj', a fascinating multimedia exhibition tracing the remarkable history of Qatar's film, television, and theatre movements, which featured the work of 16 talented local artists.

DFE celebrated the Qatar-MENASA Year of Culture with a captivating selection of short and feature-length films from the most renowned voices in MENASA independent cinema held at the Museum of Islamic Art. Also at MIA, a fascinating series of feature films, 'Making the Iraqi New Wave', accompanied the museum's intriguing Baghdad: Eye's Delight exhibition.

Geekdom, Qatar's largest pop culture event, was held at Lusail Boulevard and offered visitors the chance to take part in fun cosplay activities, karaoke nights, nerve-wracking video game tournaments, as well as featuring screenings of celebrated films. Geekdom guests could also discover a rare collection of memorabilia curated by Qatar-based collectors at the Geekdom Gallery and an artists and vendors alley showcasing local and regional artists' work.

The picturesque Heenat Salma Farm was the idyllic home for DFE's outdoor cinema offering, entertaining young and old audiences with a delightful programme of classic, family, and football-inspired films. VOX Cinemas Doha Festival City hosted a limited theatrical release of regional and international short films showcasing a fresh crop of festival favourites and award winners.

More than 30 talented performers took centre stage at Ajyal Tunes, which electrified audiences over three extraordinary concerts at D'reesha Performing Arts Festival. A truly unforgettable event, the Doha Film Experience presented locals and visitors alike with a fascinating programme of culture alongside the feast of sport.

Source and cover image credit: Press release

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Cassandra Pallagud

Content Writer

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