Hollywood icon Robert De Niro signed an agreement with Qatar Museum Authority (QMA) here yesterday to launch the next edition of New York’s world-renowned Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) in Doha. H E Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of QMA, signed the agreement at the newly opened Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) with De Niro, one of the co-founders of TFF. The first Tribeca Film Festival Doha, featuring 40 films, is to run from November 10-14, 2009, at the Museum of Islamic Art. Sheikha Mayassa expressed hope that the TFF Doha will bring together people from around the globe and help build international awareness and understanding of Arab culture and Arab world. “I invite film enthusiasts from across the world to share their passion for films by attending the festival,” she said. “We hope that film will play a role in bridging cultures closer together. By learning each other’s stories, we can see how much we share in common as well as explore and better understand our differences,” De Niro said. Tribeca festival is aimed at revitalising cultural life in the Manhattan district of New York after the heavy loss of life with the collapse of the Twin Towers. Another two co-founders of TFF, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, were also present on the occasion. Rosenthal said: “We are honoured to create an enduring cultural partnership with QMA and to announce the launch of the Tribeca Film Festival Doha next November. Qatar’s transformational vision for the 21st century with its emphasis on culture and education is uniquely consistent with the goals and aspirations of the Tribeca Film Festival.” Tribeca Film Festival Doha will be modelled after the annual Tribecca Film Festival in New York, which is going into its eighth year. As a result of extensive collaboration between TFF and QMA, the Festival has been designed to showcase the local community, as well as broader Arab culture. The Doha Festival will feature new work from established filmmakers, alongside film debuts from newly discovered directing talents. The programme will include approximately 40 films, as well as special events. It will also launch “The Doha Conversations”, thought-provoking and insightful dialogues between icons of world cultures. The Peninsula had given exclusive reports on De Niro’s plans to attend the opening of Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and the announcement of a project linked with the Tribeca Film Festival in Doha. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=November2008&file=Local_News2008112462328.xml

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