Doha, Qatar; November 21, 2025: The Film Committee at Media City Qatar (Film Committee) today announced a landmark memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NEON, the award-winning U.S. studio behind Parasite, Triangle of Sadness, and Anatomy of a Fall, to co-develop, co-finance, and distribute a slate of Arabic and regional-language films and short-form projects with global reach.

Announced during the inaugural Film Committee Industry Days at the Doha Film Festival 2025, the agreement marks one of the most significant collaborations between a Gulf-based film body and an internationally acclaimed studio, reflecting a shared commitment to bringing authentic stories from the Arab world and the Global South to international audiences.

Under the MoU, the Film Committee and NEON will co-develop and produce 6–10 feature films and short films over a four-year period. The focus will be on Arabic-language and regionally inspired productions, including original stories and acquisitions, with the aim of nurturing local filmmakers and showcasing the creative potential of the MENA region on the world stage.

The announcement was made during an intimate fireside chat, which opened the Film Committee Industry Days, during which Film Committee Chairman, H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, and NEON Founder and CEO, Tom Quinn, examined the global entertainment landscape and the shifting dynamics shaping the industry’s future. Moderated by Faisal Al Agel, Co-Founder at Sard Media Group, the conversation unpacked how creativity and commerce intersect in today’s interconnected world, the evolving studio models and audience behavior, and the impact of streaming consolidation and international co-production.

H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Chairman of the Film Committee at Media City Qatar, said: “Our collaboration with NEON represents an important milestone in the Film Committee’s mission to support Arab cinema. This agreement is about more than financing films, it’s about creating a new platform for Arabic and regional storytelling, ensuring that stories from Qatar and the wider Arab world are seen, celebrated, and shared globally. Through this partnership, we are deepening creative collaboration between the Arab world and global cinema, helping position the region as a key player in the creative economy of the Global South.”

Tom Quinn, Founder and CEO of NEON, said: “NEON has always been committed to supporting international cinema, and our partnership with the Film Committee at Media City Qatar gives us the opportunity to elevate an even richer diversity of filmmaking for audiences around the world."

NEON will handle distribution across all territories, ensuring that each title receives maximum visibility reaching audiences worldwide. The Film Committee will serve as lead co-financier for the slate.

The collaboration will also include the development of short films to identify and mentor emerging talent, with the long-term goal of developing those projects into full-length features.

This partnership is part of the Film Committee’s broader strategy to establish Qatar as a global hub for film production, co-financing, and creative collaboration — connecting local and regional filmmakers with world-class partners, infrastructure, and funding opportunities.

The NEON agreement was the first in a series of major announcements to be made during Industry Days, including the launch of the Qatar Screen Production Incentive (QSPI). The QSPI offers up to a 50% cash rebate on qualifying production expenditure for feature films, television, commercials, and post/VFX work produced in Qatar.

Together, these initiatives underscore the Film Committee’s ambition to build a sustainable, globally connected film industry that champions Arab cinema and the creative potential of the Global South.