The second annual Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) kicked off tonight to an excited crowd of thousands, with the Middle Eastern premiere of award-winning French-Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb’s Outside the Law.
H.E. Sheikh Jabor Bin Yousuf Al Thani, Doha Minister of Culture H.E. Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulazz Al Kuwari, Outside the Law director Rachid Bouchareb, producer Jean Brehat, and co-producer Tarak Ben Ammar, DFI Executive Director Amanda Palmer and managing director Maggie Kim, DFI programmers Scandar Copti, Chadi Zeneddine, Hania Mroue, DTFF Jury President Yosra and jury members Salma Hayek Pinault, Bosnian director/screenwriter Danis Tanovic, DTFF jury member Bhavna Talwar, Tribeca Enterprises co-founder Craig Hatkoff and Chief Creative Officer Geoffrey Gilmore.
Celebrities in attendance also included legendary Egyptian actor Adel Imam, American/Egyptian director and comedian Ahmed Ahmed, Miral director Julian Schnabel and writer Rula Jebreal, Indian directors Mira Nair, haute couture fashion designer Stephane Rolland, actress Mallika Sherawat, actor Alexander Siddig, Egyptian actor Lebleba, Ragna El Guedani, Palestinian actor Yasmine Al Massri, artist Anh Duong, artist Clifford Ross, globally renowned French photographer Brigitte Lacombe, British actor and opera singer William Shimell, and actor Andrew McCarthy, and a host of other luminaries and filmmakers from the region and across the globe headlined the opening night activities.
GCC emerging talent including Nayla Al Khaja, Mahdi Ali Ali, Egyptian/UK actor Khalid Abdalla, directors Adolf El Assal, Nadia Hamzeh, Vache Boulghourjian, and Fadi Abi Samra.
“I am honoured to present Outside the Law as the opening night film at this year’s Doha Tribeca Film Festival,” said Rachid Bouchareb. “Outside the Law is not just about the Algerian struggle for independence, it also explores how an individual’s culture is integral to their sense of identity and belonging in the world, a universal theme which I am sure DTFF audiences will be able to connect with.”
Over 2,000 members of the Qatari community turned out to enjoy the excitement and glamour of DTFF’s Opening Gala at Katara’s Opera House, Cinema, and Open Air Theatre. DTFF also provided live coverage from the red carpet for the open air audience, which captured the evening’s highlights, including celebrity interviews and arrivals.
In addition to Outside the Law, other films screening at DTFF, which runs October 26-30, include John Curran’s Stone, Ahmed Ahmed’s Just like Us, Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy, Julian Schnabel’s Miral, Randall Wallace’s Secretariat and Justin Chadwick’s The First Grader. Indian films will also have a strong presence at this year’s Festival including Ram Gopal Varma’s Rakha Charitra, Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan, and the 1929 black and white classic Throw of Dice.
Additional screenings and special events will continue throughout the weekend including Family Day activities on Friday October 29th. All 2010 DTFF screenings at the Katara Open Air Theatre are free and open to the public. Residents and guests can view a great line up of films under the open sky providing complete family entertainment including Throw of Dice with a special live score by Nitin Sawhney and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (Thursday), Boy and Secretariat (Family Day screenings on Friday) and the Closing Film The First Grader (Saturday). For timings and other details, please refer to the website: www.dohafilminstitute.com/filmfestival.