DOHA: The Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) will be an event Qataris and non-Qataris living in the country can be proud of, a DTFF adviser said.
Faisal Al Thani said the members of the DTFF team are working hard to give residents here "an event that is memorable and something that Qataris and non-Qataris can be proud of."
"We will be showcasing films that are entertaining, inspirational and something everyone will enjoy... Most of the films will be Indie films (Independent films) and some blockbusters," said Al Thani, a marketing graduate and a photographer.
Al Thani said the DTFF's coming has also brought out in the open some hidden talents. "I never knew there were many young capable, talented, new, fresh minds here who enjoy filmmaking as much as I have come to enjoy it... We have now seen a lot of potential Qatari filmmakers... And the DTFF has created this circle of emerging talents."
The DTFF has been giving film-making workshops, under the tutelage of DTFF's Community Outreach Programmer award-winning film-maker Scandar Copti, where participants were taught how to make one-minute films, coming up with a story, script writing, working with a team, coming up with a budget for a film, choosing music, editing style, and talking and interacting with the cameramen and editors, among others.
"When my cousin Sheikha Mayassa (H E Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani) asked me to join the DTFF team, I never knew I will be learning this much... I am a photographer and I take pictures that relay a story, which is the same as filmmaking. Pictures have stories to tell, and so do films... My expectations are really high regarding the success of DTFF and we have lots to offer... This is a community film festival," said Al Thani, who added he has learned much by working alongside directors, cameramen, the web team, marketing team, and alongside Amanda Palmer, executive director of the DTFF. The DTFF is the brainchild of Sheikha Mayassa.
Al Thani was one of the participants of the second 1-Minute Film workshop organised by the DTFF team. He came up with the short film "Second Chance," a film that toys with time.
"I'm a strong believer in giving second chances, as long as one goes through the right process. In my life I have met so many people who have been given a second chance, and I have seen how that can transform someone into becoming a better person, through the chance to redeem themselves from wrong choices they have made in the past," Al Thani said of his film.
The other participants of the second workshop include: Mohammed Al Assiri who came up with the film "The Show of Life," Katherine Spry who showcased her work "Just Another Thursday Night... In Doha," "Where's Cupid" by Mohamed Al Ibrahim, "Black, White and Red" by Fay Al Romaihi, "Sunshine" by Amir Ghonem, and "The Racer" by Sophia Al Maria.
Another DTFF adviser, Fathma Al Rumaihi, said part of their work is to see what films are popular, what is good or not, and what is acceptable in the country.
Al Rumaihi said joining the DTFF team was one of the most exciting experiences of her life. "The minute I read the notice on the newspaper, I was so excited and sent in my CV."
Al Rumaihi said as soon as she got accepted, she and the other DTFF team members got on a plane for New York to watch the goings-on during the Tribeca Film Festival, which was taking place there. "We were there last April and May... it was like a training for us... We had inside access during the festival, and we had a guide who was with us to answer all our questions... then we also went to London. The training we had was very extensive... When we came back, we had more training." The DTFF team stayed in New York for around 17 days and a week in London.
Al Rumaihi, who is an English Literature graduate and a mother of three children, was a participant of the first 1-Minute Film workshop. She produced "Like Father, Like Son," which she said was drawn from her life experience with her eldest son, Saeed, who was one of the actors in her film.
Al Rumaihi said she learned many things from the workshop. "Doing it was difficult because we had to do everything from scratch. We had to think of a story, look for a location... we shared our ideas during the workshop. We were also taught about angles, and shooting the film, which, I have learned, was not easy at all. We had to repeat some things... many takes... Then we were taught editing." The first workshop, Al Rumaihi said, took five days.
The DTFF team will introduce more workshops related to filmmaking leading to the launching of the DTFF.
By Joyce C Abaño
© The Peninsula 2009
