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Tribeca Film Festival Launches TFF Doha

The Tribeca Film Festival has created a new film festival, dubbed the Tribeca Film Festival Doha, to take place in Doha, Qatar in the Middle East. TFF is partnering with Qatar Museums Authority for this new festival, which is viewed as a cultural partnership that will aid in bridging Western and Eastern cultural gaps. TFF co-founder Robert De Niro said, "We hope that film will not only be used as a form of entertainment at Tribeca Film Festival Doha but 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."

Doha is a rapidly expanding global and cultural destination in the Middle East, while Qatar is a highly educated locale. The festival will be a tool used by the educational community of the area, allowing inhabitants to see other cultures through international films that will screen at the fest. The Doha Fest will also encourage future filmmakers from the region to make multi-dimensional films that that spotlight the pluralism and the beauty of local culture, rather than focusing on the extremist minority that has often been depicted in Middle East-themed films.

The festival will be held at the Doha Museum of Islamic Art and will take place between November 10 and 14, 2009. It will be modeled after the TFF, which is celebrating its eight year. The festival will showcase local talent, work from established filmmakers, and debuts from emerging talent.

—The ARTISTdirect Staff
11.25.08