Doha Film Institute and Tribeca part ways

Doha Tribeca Film Festival is no more. After four years, Doha Film Institute (DFI), organisers of the annual film festival, and Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Enterprises have announced they are parting ways.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the DFI said it will announce a new festival format at the Cannes Film Festival, which begins on May 15.

“Through the past four editions of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival, which were organised in cultural partnership with Tribeca Enterprises, we achieved our fundamental goals of creating a vibrant grassroots film industry in Qatar. We are thankful to them for their invaluable insights that helped elevate the film festival initiative of DFI to a truly global level,” DFI CEO Abdulaziz Al Khater said. “With DFI having successfully formed strong community and industry bonds, the new festival format will build on the passion for filmmaking from talent in the region and around the world.”

In the release, a statement from Tribeca Enterprises added:

“We partnered with DFI to help launch an event that would create a sustainable foundation for the growth of a film community and industry in Qatar and the Middle East. After four years of successful cultural partnership, the festival has grown immensely and reflects our mutual vision for an event to promote cultural understanding and community through film and education. We are proud of everything DFI and Tribeca have achieved together, and we wish DFI the very best as they move forward with their festival and year-round initiatives.”