Tribeca festival heads to Qatar

De Niro said he hoped the festival would help bridge cultures

Actor Robert De Niro has launched a Middle East version of the New York Tribeca Film Festival, to be held in the oil-rich state of Qatar next year.

The debut Tribeca Film Festival Doha will be held at the Museum of Islamic Arts from 10-14 November 2009.

"We hope that film will...play a role in bridging cultures closer together," De Niro said.

The festival will feature 40 films. The original Tribeca festival has been running since 2002.

'Major annual event'

"By learning each other's stories, we can see how much we share in common as well as explore and better understand our differences," De Niro said at the launch.

"The Tribeca Film Festival Doha is destined to become a major annual event in world cinema," Museum of Islamic Arts chief Abdullah al-Najjar said.

The Qatari Tribeca is the latest film festival announced in the wealthy region. Neighbouring state Abu Dhabi launched a festival last year, while a similar event has been running in Dubai for the past five years.

The Qatari festival will feature films by well-known directors as well as newcomers, and is likely to showcase Qatari and other Arab talent.

The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2001 by De Niro, film producer Jane Rosenthal and her husband Craig Hatkoff after the September 11 attacks on New York in an attempt to revitalise the TriBeCa (Triangle Below Canal St) area of Manhattan.

Films which have been premiered at the festival include Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones, About a Boy and United 93.