Doha Film Festival 2026: The Station opens, 15 films in competition
From 19 to 27 November, the festival opens with Sara Ishaq’s first feature. Naomi Kawase chairs the international competition jury.
The Doha Film Festival will take place from 19 to 27 November 2026 in Doha, Qatar. Organised by the Doha Film Institute (DFI), it brings together filmmakers, professionals and audiences around an international programme, with a prominent place for films from the Arab world.
The festival will open with The Station (Al Mahattah), the first feature by Yemeni-Scottish director Sara Ishaq, co-written with Nadia Eliewat. This will be its first screening in the Middle East and North Africa. The story is set in wartime Yemen, at a petrol station reserved for women: when her younger brother risks being enlisted, Layal must reconnect with her estranged sister to save him. The film had its world premiere in competition at Cannes Critics’ Week in May 2026 and received support from the DFI’s grants programme.
The international feature competition brings together 15 films from the Arab world, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. According to the festival, eleven received DFI support and seven were directed by women. The jury is chaired by Japanese director Naomi Kawase and includes French-Tunisian actor Adam Bessa, Tunisian producer Dora Bouchoucha, Italian documentary maker Gianfranco Rosi and Palestinian filmmaker and artist Kamal Aljafari. A three-member jury from the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) will also present an award.
The programme also includes an international short film competition, the Ajyal competition, aimed at young audiences, and Made in Qatar, a section devoted to filmmakers living in Qatar. Gala screenings, outdoor screenings and special presentations complete the line-up, with details on the festival’s official website, dohafilm.com.
