De Niro takes Tribeca to Doha

Qatar is increasingly attracting international cultural events and stars. Famous opera singer Placido Domingo performed on The Pearl-Qatar, and American film star Robert De Niro recently arranged to hold a version of his Tribeca Film Festival in Doha.
Robert De Niro’s decision to hold the Tribeca Film Festival in Doha later this year represents something of a cultural coup for Qatar. The “Doha Tribeca Film Festival” will mark the first time the widely acclaimed festival takes place outside New York City.
In attracting Tribeca to Doha, the tiny Gulf country of Qatar has demonstrated its commitment to encouraging cultural interaction as a way to foster better understanding and raise awareness between diverse societies, a view shared by De Niro.

Created by De Niro after the September 11 attacks to rejuvenate lower Manhattan, Tribeca has become a showcase for international films with a political or cultural bent, and organizers said the Doha Tribeca Film Festival would be similar.

“We hope that film will not only be used as a form of entertainment at Doha Tribeca Film Festival but play a role in bridging cultures closer together,” De Niro said. “By learning each other’s stories, we can see how much we share in common as well as explore and better understand our differences.”

The first festival will take place in November this year, at the new Museum of Islamic Art and at cinemas across the Qatari capital of Doha, with around 40 films on the program.

By building on the success of the Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar is navigating a steady course to become a cultural center in the Gulf region. The festival will help move this process along.

The festival will include a number of films by local and regional filmmakers, giving Arab artists exposure to an international
audience.