The Doha Film Institute has appointed Issa Bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, Chairman of Qatar Tourism Authority, as the Vice Chair to the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.

Mohannadi’s appointment comes weeks after the festival’s executive director Amanda Palmer’s announced plans to leave to pursue other opportunities.

The new vice chair, a Qatari, may help bridge the apparent disconnect felt by many locals about the festival, which is being extended to eight days this year and will be held from Nov. 17 to 24. 

As quoted in DFI’s press release, Mohannadi said:

“As we move towards a new and exciting phase at DFI, we believe that this year’s Festival will not only echo the successes of previous editions, but create synergy between all attendees to generate a stronger community experience.

The extended format will encourage visitors to have a more engaging experience as well as maximizing visibility of the all the films across a longer period of time.”

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo by Omar Chatriwala