Art & Culture

Arab Films Stand Out as Doha Film Festival Concludes Its Inaugural Edition

BYMeriem Belhiba

November 30, 2025

The inaugural Doha Film Festival, organized by the Doha Film Institute, concluded on Friday with the announcement of its 2025 competition winners, wrapping up a week of screenings, industry talks, and cultural events that gathered filmmakers and audiences from around the world. The closing ceremony, hosted by Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Al Noor and Syrian-American comedian Nasser Al-Rayes, brought together a wide roster of notable guests including Saleh Bakri, Kamal Aljafari, Jihan, Saja Kilani, Misan Harriman, Elia Suleiman, Brigitte Lacombe, Rithy Panh and Dhafer L’Abidine to celebrate their fellow silver screen peers.

In her address, Festival Director and CEO of DFI Fatma Hassan Alremaihi reflected on the festival’s first edition and the Institute’s long-term mission. “This festival is a promise that creativity will always have a space, that diverse voices will always be heard, and that Qatar will continue to open its doors to artists shaping a connected and compassionate world,” she said. “Every story shared here has reminded us that film is one of humanity’s greatest bridges connecting us beyond borders, backgrounds and differences.”

Arab cinema featured strongly across the awards. In the International Feature Film Competition, Majd Eid and Nader Abd Alhay shared the Best Performance Award for their roles in Once Upon a Time in Gaza, while Palestinian filmmaker Kamal Aljafari was recognized with the Best Artistic Achievement Award for With Hasan in Gaza, sharing the honour with Japanese filmmaker Chie Hayakawa for Renoir. Libyan director Jihan won Best Documentary for My Father and Qaddafi, while the top prize for Best Narrative went to Spanish filmmaker Guillermo Galoe for Sleepless City.

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The International Short Film Competition also highlighted emerging global talent. Randa Maaroufi’s L’Mina received a Special Mention, while Ammar Ahmed earned a Special Mention for his performance in Zizou. Milica Janevski won Best Performance for Upon Sunrise, and Aria Sánchez and Marina Meira were awarded Best Director for Primary Education. The Best Film prize went to Samba Infinito by Brazilian filmmaker Leonardo Martinelli.

Homegrown filmmaking took centre stage in the Made in Qatar competition. Project Aisha by Fahad Al-Nahdi received a Special Mention, while Rashid Al Sheeb won the Abdulaziz Jassim Award for Performance for his role in Fahad the Furious. Eiman Mirghani was named Best Director for Villa 187, and Justin Kramer’s Fahad the Furious took home the Best Film award. The section once again affirmed the strength of Qatar’s emerging creative community and the diversity of stories being told by local and Qatar-based filmmakers.

In the Ajyal Film Competition — judged by a youth jury aged 16 to 25 from around the world — the Best Feature award went to The Voice of Hind Rajab by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, while Sulaimani by Vinnie Ann Bose won Best Short. Sudanese filmmaker Suzannah Mirghani received the Audience Award for her film Cotton Queen, following widely praised screenings earlier in the week.

This year’s festival showcased 97 films from 62 countries and hosted a wide programme of cultural and community events, including special screenings, music performances, and the latest edition of Geekdom. Screenings and activities took place across Katara Cultural Village, Msheireb Downtown Doha, Lusail Boulevard, and the Museum of Islamic Art, supported by the festival’s key partners: Katara, Media City Qatar | Film Committee and Visit Qatar.

Arab Films Stand Out as Doha Film Festival Concludes Its Inaugural Edition

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Arab Films Stand Out as Doha Film Festival Concludes Its Inaugural Edition

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