De Niro, Tribeca co-founders launch satellite film fest in Qatar
Last Updated: Monday, November 24, 2008 | 1:54 PM ET
CBC News
U.S. actor Robert De Niro speaks during a press conference announcing the creation of the Tribeca Film Festival Doha, in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday. (Maneesh Bakshi/Associated Press)Robert De Niro is taking his Tribeca Film Festival success abroad, with the actor and his fellow co-founders to launch an offshoot event in the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar next year.
Officials in the capital city of Doha made the announcement Monday at the new Museum of Islamic Art, joined by Tribeca co-founders De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff.
The curtain is slated to rise on the first Tribeca Film Festival Doha next year, Nov. 10-14.
"We hope that film will not only be used as a form of entertainment at Tribeca Film Festival Doha but play a role in bridging cultures closer together," De Niro said in a statement.
The new annual festival will be a partnership between the Tribeca organizers and the Qatar Museums Authority.
"I invite film enthusiasts from every country to share their passion for this art by visiting the Tribeca Film Festival Doha," said Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, chair of the authority's board of trustees.
"In today's increasingly globalized world, creative initiatives like this festival can play a truly inspirational role by bringing cultures closer together."
The fledgling festival event will screen several dozen titles by both veterans and emerging filmmakers. It is also scheduled to include a component spotlighting local filmmakers.
