Doha Film Festival sets four Qatari premieres and falconry series for November
Doha Film Festival will premiere four Qatari feature films and an original series at its November edition. The festival runs from 19 to 27 November 2026, according to the Doha Film Institute. The local titles will screen as Special Screenings alongside the main programme.
The features are Jodari Meno by Jamal Al Khanji, A Very Ordinary Life by Mohamed Deniz, First to Fly by Rodrigo Vazquez Salessi and When the News Breaks You by Hamad Al Hajri, as detailed by Deadline. They join 15 previously announced features in the International Competition. That competition draws films from four continents.
A Very Ordinary Life is a Qatar-Morocco production produced by Abdulrahim Al-Siddiqi and Bouchra Malek. First to Fly follows two young gymnasts who became the first athletes from Qatar and their respective countries to compete at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships. It is a sports story built around a national first. The cast is real life.
The fifth Qatari title is Elzam, an eight-part documentary series from Katara Studios. It follows a group of falconers on hunting expeditions across the region. The series is produced by Jassim Al Romaihi and Ahmed Al Baker. Falcons lead the way.
Support for the films began long before the festival announcement. Jodari Meno and When the News Breaks You received funding through the Doha Film Institute's Grants Programme and took part in mentorship activities at Qumra 2025. That edition of Qumra selected 49 projects from more than 20 countries. Jodari Meno, A Very Ordinary Life and First to Fly were also supported by Media City Qatar.
The festival is led by Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, who serves as chief executive of the Doha Film Institute and director of the Doha Film Festival. The wider programme is filling out quickly. The festival will open with The Station, a civil war drama from Yemeni-Scottish director Sara Ishaq, according to Variety. The International Competition includes four Palestinian films, reported Screen Daily.
Among the wider selection is Thirteen in Gaza, the debut feature from Hosam Abu Dan shot entirely in the Gaza Strip, which won a prize in Toronto. The event will also host industry sessions, community screenings with a dedicated youth programme and additional film events. Competition prize money totals more than $300,000. The Doha Film Institute launched the festival as an international platform for independent cinema.
What makes this stand out for Doha audiences is simple. Home-grown crews take a central slot. International visitors see stories from Qatar on the same stage as films from around the world.
