Doha Film Institute
  • Log in
Made in Qatar – Short Films Programme
Made in Qatar Shorts Competition<br /> <br /> A showcase of ten short films created in Qatar, celebrating local talent through diverse stories and bold creative voices as part of the Made in Qatar Competition. <br /> <br /> Dedicated to films by Qatari and Qatar-based filmmakers, this selection reflects the country’s growing artistic identity and the shared experiences of its dynamic, multicultural community.
Made in Qatar Film Competition

Between a shoreline and a silent home, a woman navigates the aftershocks of loss. Echoes of intimate conversations blur with coastal folklore about women who once punished the sea with fire. As dreams, omens and small domestic rituals accumulate, the tide becomes both witness and mirror. In a final gesture, palm branch aflame, she tests whether ceremony can carry grief to water, and whether the ocean’s indifference can still return a measure of peace.

Credits

Director
Mahdi Ali Ali
Screenwriter
Mahdi Ali Ali
Producer
Mahdi Ali Ali, Ala'a Amer, Ann
Cinematographer
Zarye Wossene
Editor
Abdul Jabbar Maki,Noor Hayder
Music
Lindsey Nelson
Cast
Jessica Gibson

About the Director

Mahdi Ali Ali
Mahdi Ali Ali is a Qatari filmmaker and creative producer whose work blends poetic imagery with reflections on identity, memory and human connection. Based between Doha, Paris and Los Angeles, he represents a new generation of Arab directors redefining Gulf cinema through personal, visually distinctive storytelling. A founder of Doha Film Institute’s education programmes, his debut short ‘Champs-É