Rules and Regulations

About the Doha Film Festival
Set to take place from 19–27 November, Doha Film Festival remains guided by the belief that cinema creates space for dialogue, reflection and connection. The Festival brings together filmmakers, audiences and industry voices to honour original storytelling from Qatar, the region and beyond.

At the heart of DFF is a dynamic official selection that champions bold storytelling and cultural exchange. Four main competitions form the core of the programme: the International Feature Film Competition, International Short Film Competition, Ajyal Film Competition and Made in Qatar, a dedicated showcase celebrating the creativity of filmmakers living in Qatar.

As plans for this year’s edition continue to evolve, we are approaching the festival with care, flexibility, and close attention to the wider regional and international context. Further details on the programme format, participation opportunities, and arrangements will be shared as they are confirmed.
Official Film Programme 2026
1. International Feature Film Competition
  Our International Feature Film Competition brings together a diverse selection of feature-length documentary and narrative films from the past year, offering fresh perspectives from both new and established filmmakers. The selected titles reflect a wide range of cultures and experiences, engaging with the world through timely, thought-provoking films.
2. International Short Film Competition
  Celebrating innovation in form and structure, our International Short Film Competition highlights compelling works that explore new creative ground, offering concise yet powerful stories. All genres are eligible for consideration, including narrative and documentary films.
3. Ajyal Film Competition
  The Ajyal Film Competition features a curated selection of films that reflect the experiences, aspirations and challenges of youth. Through stories that resonate across cultures and generations, the competition aims to inspire young audiences to think critically, connect deeply and take an active role in shaping their communities.
  
  The competition is divided into two categories:
  1. The Feature Film Competition showcases a selection of narrative and documentary films
  2. The Short Film Competition features short narrative and documentary films
4. Made in Qatar
  A platform dedicated to films created in Qatar by filmmakers of any nationality who live here, this selection reflects the country’s growing artistic identity and the shared experiences of its dynamic, multicultural community.
5. Out of Competition
  1. Gala Screenings
    The Gala Screenings will be dedicated to films that are Middle Eastern and North African premieres by established auteurs or major film productions.
  2. Outdoor Screenings
    A programme of open-air screenings presented in public venues across Doha, inviting audiences and communities to experience cinema in welcoming shared spaces. This section may include family-friendly films, community screenings, and special outdoor presentations curated as part of the festival.
  3. Special Screenings
    A diverse programme of films presented in partnership with local and international collaborators, including community-focused events and themed showcases.-
    - Bariq & Cine-Concert
      Short films designed for children aged 4 to 7 and their families, offering early cinematic experiences enhanced with live music.
    - Inclusive Screening
      Screenings designed to be accessible to all audience members, including those with different sensory needs.
    - Year of Culture
      A selection of films celebrating the cultural exchange between Qatar and its Year of Culture partner, highlighting shared stories and creative expression across borders.
    - Hekayat Khalejiya
    - Restored Films & Classics
  4. Ajyal Film Club
    Ajyal Film Club builds on DFI’s year-round youth cinema programme, offering young people a space to explore films, share perspectives and connect through dialogue. During the festival, the club hosts curated screenings and discussions that deepen the youth audience’s engagement with cinema and filmmaking as an art form.
Festival Awards 2026
Winners across all competitions are honoured through the Doha Film Festival Awards Fund in recognition of excellence in cinematic storytelling and craft.

For awards recognising Best Film, including narrative, documentary, feature and short film awards across all sections, the monetary prize is shared between the producer and director of the winning film. This does not apply to individual achievement awards, including Best Director, Best Performance and Best Artistic Achievement.
1. International Feature Film Competition
  Judged by a jury of five esteemed figures from the world of cinema, this competition honours outstanding achievements in feature-length storytelling.
  1. Best Narrative Award - 75,000 USD + Trophy
  2. Best Documentary Award - 50,000 USD + Trophy
  3. Best Artistic Achievement Award - 45,000 USD + Trophy
  4. Best Performance Award - 15,000 USD + Trophy
  5. Special Mention - Certificate
2. International Short Film Competition
  A jury of three respected film professionals recognises excellence in short-form filmmaking.
  1. Best Film Award - 20,000 USD + Trophy
  2. Best Director Award - 12,000 USD + Trophy
  3. Best Performance Award- 7,000 USD + Trophy
  4. Special Mention - Certificate
3. Made in Qatar Film Competition
  Evaluated by a jury of three film industry professionals, this section celebrates creative work by filmmakers based in Qatar.
  1. Best Film Award - 15,000 USD + Trophy
  2. Best Director Award - 10,000 USD + Trophy
  3. Abdulaziz Jassim Award for Best Performance - 5,000 USD + Trophy
4. Ajyal Film Competition:
  Judged by the Ajyal Jury — young cinema enthusiasts aged 16 to 25 — this competition recognises films that resonate with younger audiences.
  1. Best Feature Film Award - 35,000 USD + Trophy
  2. Best Short Film Award - 12,000 USD + Trophy
5. Audience Award
  The Audience Award is open to feature films selected for the International Feature Film Competition, Ajyal Film Competition and Gala Screenings.
Key Dates
- 10 May 2026: Festival submissions open (for short films only)
- 1 August 2026: Submission deadline for International Short Film and Ajyal Short Film Competitions
- 1 September 2026: Submission deadline for Made in Qatar
- 19–27 November 2026: Doha Film Festival takes place
Eligibility for Entry – Terms and Conditions
Submissions are open for short films only.

All submissions are subject to the eligibility criteria set out in this article of these Rules and Regulations. All programming decisions and exceptions are made at the sole discretion of the Festival’s Programming Committee.
1. Prior Release and Broadcast
  1. Films submitted to the Festival should not have been released or publicly exhibited in the State of Qatar prior to the Festival’s 2026 edition.
  2. Films submitted to the Festival should not have been publicly broadcast prior to the final date of the Festival’s 2026 edition, including via television, internet, video on demand, in-flight entertainment or otherwise.
  3. Films that were made in Qatar from 2025 will be considered for the Festival’s 2026 edition.
2. Selection Criteria for Films in Competition
  1. International Feature Film Competition
    1. The International Feature Film Competition will feature a curated selection of diverse and compelling films by both emerging and established filmmakers from around the world.
    2. Selection is by invitation only; submissions are not accepted for this category.
    3. MENA Premiere status is required.
    4. Both documentary and narrative features are eligible.
    5. Films must have a minimum runtime of 60 minutes.
  2. International Short Film Competition
    1. The International Short Film Competition will represent new, daring propositions in form, storytelling and style.
    2. MENA Premiere status is required.
    3. All genres are eligible for consideration.
    4. Films must have a maximum runtime of 20 minutes. Exceptions may be granted at the discretion of the programming committee.
  3. Ajyal Film Competition
    1. Submissions are open to short films only; feature films are selected by invitation only.
    2. Films must hold Middle Eastern premiere status, excluding North Africa.
    3. All genres are eligible for submission.
    4. Short films must have a maximum runtime of 20 minutes. Exceptions may be granted at the discretion of the programming committee. Feature-length selections must have a minimum runtime of 60 minutes.
    5. Selected films will explore themes relevant to youth and be curated with the Ajyal Jury of young people aged 16 to 25, as the intended audience.
  4. Made in Qatar
    1. Films must hold Qatar premiere status, meaning they must not have been previously screened within Qatar. Exceptions may be granted at the discretion of the Programming Committee.
    2. The section is open to narrative and documentary short films.
    3. Eligibility requires that at least one of the following conditions is met:
      - The writer, director or producer is a Qatari national or a valid Qatar residence permit holder;
      - The majority of the film was shot in Qatar;
      - The storyline is primarily set in or centred around Qatar.
Compliance with Entry Rules and Regulations and Release and Agreement
1. Entry Eligibility and Requirements
  To be eligible for consideration, all entrants must fully comply with these Entry Rules and Regulations, including adherence to submission deadlines and the provision of all required materials and documentation for both entry and selected films.
  1. Grant the Festival and the Institute the right to screen the film during the Festival;
  2. Accept full responsibility for securing all necessary clearances for the film’s exhibition at the Festival;
  3. Warrant that the entrant holds all rights required to exhibit the film at the Festival; and
  4. Indemnify the Institute and its affiliates against any claims arising from the film’s exhibition during the Festival.
2. English-Language Dialogue or Subtitles
  To be eligible for consideration, all non-English-language works must have English-language subtitles and be accompanied by an industry-standard, time-coded English-language dialogue list.
3. Running Time
  Feature films must have a running time of no less than 60 minutes. Short films must have a running time of no more than 20 minutes. Exceptions shall be made at the sole discretion of the Festival.
4. Audience Award
  The Audience Award is open to feature films that have not been publicly exhibited in Qatar prior to the current Festival edition. Short films will not be considered for the Audience Award. Exceptions shall be made at the sole discretion of the Festival.
Juries – Decisions and Awards
1. All awards will be determined by a jury, the composition of which is at the sole discretion of the Festival.
2. The International Competition sections will be adjudicated by international juries composed of professionals from the film industry.
3. Individuals directly involved in the production or commercial exploitation of a film entered in a competition may not serve on the jury for that competition.
4. The Ajyal Film Competition juries consist of young men and women aged between 16 and 25.
5. The Made in Qatar jury is composed of professionals from the film industry.
6. The Audience Award will be determined by aggregating scores from audience ballots.
7. All feature films selected for the International Feature Film Competition, Ajyal Film Competition and Gala Screenings are eligible for the Audience Award. Exceptions shall be made at the sole discretion of the Festival.
8. Audience Award ballots will be distributed at public screenings of eligible films. Audiences will be asked to rate each film out of five. The cumulative scores from all ballots will be collected and tallied to determine the winner.
9. All decisions made by the jury and the audience are final.
10. Awards recognising Best Film, including Best Narrative, Best Documentary, Best Film, Best Feature Film and Best Short Film awards, will be shared between the producer and director of the winning film. Individual achievement awards, including Best Director, Best Performance and Best Artistic Achievement, will be presented to the named recipient.
11. The number and monetary value of prizes are subject to change. The Festival reserves the right to amend awards based on various circumstances.
12. The Festival will notify selected films about the specific awards for which they are eligible, including details on quantities and monetary amounts. It is the responsibility of the selected films to consult official Festival communications for accurate and up-to-date information.
Selection Procedure
The Institute will solely appoint a Pre-selection Committee to review submitted films. The Programming Committee decides the official selection of films to be screened during the Festival and in which section each film will be screened.
How to Enter
1. No entry fee is required to submit a film to the Festival.
2. Entries for the International Short Film and Ajyal Short Film Competitions must be submitted on or before 1 August 2026 by completing the entry form and adding a password-protected link to the film.
3. Entries for Made in Qatar must be submitted on or before 1 September 2026 by completing the entry form and adding a password-protected link to the film.
4. Film copies must be sent on or before the applicable deadline noted in Section 4: Key Dates. Film copies must be sent by private link, either for streaming or download. There is a dedicated space for this information in the submission form.
5. Rough cuts or works-in-progress may be submitted to the Made in Qatar section only. The film must be identified as such on the entry form. If selected, confirmation must be received no later than 1 September 2026 that the film will be complete with appropriate subtitles no later than 20 October 2026. Film promotional materials should be submitted one week after the film is invited, including a trailer, film stills, press kit, director images and a time-coded dialogue/subtitle list.
6. All submissions must include a private link to the film. English subtitles must appear on non-English-language films.
7. Submission of a film for selection implies unconditional acceptance of these Rules and Regulations.
Invited Works
1. Films presented at the Doha Film Festival are selected and invited by the Festival’s programming team. Invited filmmakers will be notified no later than 1 October 2026. All official correspondence will be conducted via email.
2. The rights holder must fulfil the following requirements by the date or dates designated by the Festival upon acceptance of the Festival’s official invitation.
  
  The rights holder must execute a release and agreement that:
  1. Permits the Festival and the Institute to exhibit the film during the Festival;
  2. Accepts responsibility for obtaining any and all necessary clearances to exhibit the film during the Festival;
  3. Warrants that the rights holder holds the rights necessary to exhibit the film at the Festival; and
  4. Indemnifies the Doha Film Institute and its affiliates against any claim arising out of the exhibition of the film during the Festival.
3. At least one representative of the invited film must be available to attend the Festival in person.
4. Once officially invited, submitted works may not be re-edited or significantly altered — including changes to runtime, narrative or subject matter — without prior discussion and approval from the Festival team. The Festival reserves the right to withdraw the film from the programme if major changes are made without notification.
5. The rights holder must arrange for delivery of an exhibition-ready copy in one of the approved formats, by the deadline and to the address designated by the Festival.
  1. The Festival will cover round-trip shipping costs for 35mm prints only.
  2. The preferred delivery method is online file transfer, such as Aspera, Dropbox or similar.
  3. Permitted feature film formats: 35mm, DCP, Apple ProRes 422.
  4. Permitted short film formats: DCP, Apple ProRes 422.
  5. The Festival does not accept H.264, .mov, Blu-ray or DVD formats for exhibition.
  6. For encrypted DCPs, KDMs must be valid for all Festival venues, allowing for potential schedule or screening changes.
  7. Encrypted DCPs must be unlocked from 9–28 November 2026.
  8. A backup exhibition copy must be provided in an approved format.
  9. As Qatar is bilingual, all films must be accessible in both Arabic and English. If Arabic subtitles are not available, the Festival team will provide them.
  10. The rights holder must submit a completed Film Information Form and all related publicity materials as outlined in the official Materials Checklist.
  11. At least one final copy of the completed film must be submitted for inclusion in the Festival archive.

For all enquiries regarding film submissions, please contact: entries@dohafilm.com

We thank you for your interest and look forward to seeing your work.