Qatar to play host to film festival

DOHA, Qatar, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- The Qatar Museums Authority has teamed with New York's Tribeca Film Festival to start a film festival in its capital, Doha, officials said Sunday.

The first annual Tribeca Film Festival Doha is scheduled to take place Nov. 10-14, 2009, at the Museum of Islamic Art and in cinemas across Doha.

Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani said in a statement the film festival will help build international awareness and understanding of Arab culture.

"I invite film enthusiasts from every country to share their passion for this art by visiting the Tribeca Film Festival Doha," she said. "In today's increasingly globalized world, creative initiatives like this Festival can play a truly inspirational role by bringing cultures closer together."

Tribeca Film Festival Doha will feature new work from established filmmakers, alongside film debuts from newly discovered talents. The program will include approximately 40 films, as well as special events.

Abdullah Al Najjar of the Qatar Museums Authority said the festival will include "a wide range of programming, from outdoor screenings to movies for children, from documentaries to new Hollywood releases and from independent films to showcases of the very best works by Arab filmmakers."