Qatar, the tiny Arab state rich in oil and gas that recently offered to replace Donald Trump’s Air Force One with a $400 million jet likened to a “palace in the sky,” is at Cannes signaling its ambitions to take its nascent film and TV business to the next level.
The Qatar Film Committee, an official body that is part of the Media City Qatar hub and is tasked with driving growth of the country’s entertainment industry, is at the festival and led by Hassan Al Thawadi. He is the Qatari lawyer who oversaw 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, which was considered a triumph for the country. Al Thawadi has now added the movie biz to his oversight. Furthermore, two sources familiar with the global film scene said top players in the emirate have initiated discussions with U.S. showbiz executives about co-financing and producing original content.
