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Kiarostami set to attend select screenings in Doha for the first time to engage audiences in conversation about his films and filmmaking

Doha, Qatar; August 20, 2013: Doha Film Institute (DFI) celebrates the illustrious cinematic and internationally renowned, award-winning filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami with a dedicated showcase of 14 short and feature films from 13 to 21 September, 2013 at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha for the first time. Abbas Kiarostami himself is expected to attend and to make appearances at screenings from September 13 to 16 to engage with audiences from around the GCC.

Featuring a number of his acclaimed films, the Kiarostami Retrospective underscores DFI’s role in bringing the best of cinema and international filmmakers to Qatar’s audiences, stimulating discussion on world cinema, and continuing the development of appreciation for the art form among audiences in Qatar.

Abdulaziz Al Khater, CEO of Doha Film Institute, said: “DFI is proud to present this rich selection of Abbas Kiarostami’s great works for the first time in the region. We are not only sharing some of the finest world cinema with Qatar’s audiences, but we also hope to inspire local and regional talent to expand boundaries of traditional filmmaking to experiment with various media, styles, and interpretations.”

Ludmila Cvikova, Head of Film Programming at Doha Film Institute, said: “One of the most admired contemporary auteurs of cinema, Abbas Kiarostami is an inspiration for emerging as well as established filmmakers. His approach to filmmaking, which often defies conventional techniques, is much discussed and often emulated. This film retrospective offers audiences as well as film professionals in Qatar a rare chance to see the works of the grand master of Iranian Cinema.”

The Kiarostami Retrospective will include: Bread and Alley (1970); Breaktime (1972); Experience (1973); The Traveller (1974); Where Is the Friend’s House? (1987); Close-Up (1990); Cannes Palme d’Or winner Taste of Cherry (1997); Venice Film Festival Silver Lion winner The Wind Will Carry Us (1999); ABC Africa (2001); Ten (2002); Five (2003); Shirin (2008); Certified Copy (2010), for which Juliette Binoche won the best actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival; and Like Someone in Love (2012).

Abbas Kiarostami (Photo by Marion Stalens)

A master of conceptual cinema and the first Iranian filmmaker to win a Palm D’Or Cannes in 2007, Kiarostami has over 70 credits to his name, making him one of the most celebrated filmmakers from the region. He has been voted one of the most important filmmakers of the 1990s in two polls conducted by independent film critics. He is not only a director, but a screenwriter, producer and photographer, stretching his artistic skills to writing poetry and painting. Multi-talented Kiarostami also spends considerable amount of time reaching out to aspiring filmmakers and teaching them ways to achieve excellence in the craft through his master classes.

The flagbearer of Iranian cinema within the international film circuit, Kiarostami has been attributed with being instrumental in elevating the presence of Iranian cinema, today one of the most respected national cinemas in the world.

Tickets for the Kiarostami Retrospective will be on sale from 22 August at www.dohafilminstitute.com and can be purchased in person at the DFI Ticket Outlet in Katara, building 16, Esplanade entrance from Monday to Saturday between 1pm and 7pm. The ticket office will be closed on 30 August, 20 and 21 September. Tickets are priced at QAR 35 and QAR 25 for students (*Students must present a valid student ID to receive a discount. There is a maximum of 2 (two) discounted tickets per person. Discounts are only available at ticket outlet locations).

During the Series (September 13-21) tickets will be available at the Museum of Islamic Art DFI Ticket Outlet, across from the MIA auditorium between 11-21 September, on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday between 10:30am – 5:30pm, Thursday and Saturday between 12:00pm – 8:00pm and Friday, between 2:00pm – 8:00pm. The MIA DFI ticket office will be closed on 17 September.

Doha Film Institute is committed to enhancing industry knowledge, cultivating a genuine appreciation and stimulating intercultural dialogue on the art of film, and educating and engaging audiences through its repertoire of programmes and film screenings, lending momentum to the growth of the region’s burgeoning cinematic landscape.

About Doha Film Institute:
Doha Film Institute (DFI) is an independent, not-for-profit cultural organisation established in 2010. It organically supports the growth of the local film community by enhancing industry knowledge, cultivating film appreciation and contributing to the development of sustainable creative industries in Qatar.

DFI’s platforms include funding and production of local, regional and international films, educational programmes, film screenings, the Ajyal Film Festival for the Young and the Qumra Film Festival.

With culture, community, education and entertainment at its foundation, DFI serves as an all-encompassing film hub in Doha, as well as a resource for the region and the rest of the world.

DFI is committed to supporting Qatar’s 2030 vision for the development of a knowledge-based economy.