Qatar hosted the first Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) between October 29 and November 1, in an effort "to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan" in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks, reports The National.

The Tribeca Film Festival, which actors Robert de Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff created in 2002, had its first outpost in the Gulf nation. The festival buys its own movie theaters and funds its own films. In the seven years since it was established, the festivsl has become one of the most prestigious film festivals in the US.

Her Excellency Sheika Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani, the president of Qatar's museum authority, originally worked as an intern for the New York Tribeca Film Festival. After completing her internship, Al-Thani suggested Doha as a second location for the festival.

Amanda Palmer, a television broadcaster for Al-Jazeera English, was appointed artistic director for the DTFF. She stated, "We had to be very clear that we are a film festival in Doha, in the Middle East." In concurrence, Al-Thani asserted, "Our vision is to create a festival that genuinely engages the Qatari people."

The Doha Tribeca Film Festival displayed local talent, including the Middle East International Film Festival's Audience Award winner, No One Knows about Persian Cats, and Team Qatar, a documentary about Qatar's international debate team. The festival also included classical Arab films such as Al-Momia and the Palestinian film Pomegranates and Myrrh.

Business Intelligence reports that Turner Classic Movies (TCM) was also a media partner at the DTFF. According to the news site, TCM "reaffirms its commitment to supporting local talent and filmmaking in the region."

Alan Musa, Vice President and General Manager of Turner Broadcasting Systems, declared, "There is a significant amount of undiscovered talent in the Arab world and it is festivals like this that will help identify this aptitude."

The DTFF and TCM's support of filmmaking in the Middle East is indicative of a larger trend throughout the region. According to PR-Inside, the broadcast industry is growing rapidly in the Middle East, and the article forecasts that media will expand in the region at double-digit rates over the next five years.

Middle East Television's (METV) organizer, Neil Manwaring, discussed the expansion of the global broadcast sector. He noted that the demand for Arabic content in the region is also growing, especially in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. More households in the region are earning wages at medium and high income levels, which may lead to an increase in television purchases.

The growth in the broadcast industry is not limited to news shows, either. Manwaring commented, "Entertainment and religious broadcasting has shown significant growth."

Summing up the importance of media working together in the region, Manwaring concluded, "It is imperative for the region's TV content industry to come together at METV and collectively build a road map, ensuring the stability and viable future for the industry as a whole."