The fourth edition of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) is just a few days away, and it looks like there’s going to be a lot to expect.

Here’s what we know about the festival, and what you’ll want to know if you’re planning on attending. 

We’ll keep you posted as more details come in.

WHEN IS IT?

While past festivals have been held in the last week of October, DTFF will this year be held over eight days, from November 17-24.

WHAT’S THE OPENING FILM?

Director Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist will be headlining the festival. An adaptation of Mohsin Hamid’s Booker-nominated novel, the film tells the story of a Muslim Pakistani man who falls in and out of love with America.

The Doha Film Institute financed the film, which stars Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland, Liev Schreiber and Om Puri.

ARE TICKETS ON SALE YET?

YES. Tickets started selling on Wednesday, October 31 online, at the Katara Drama Theater, and at the City Center Mall kiosk opposite Carrefour.

Prices for regular films are QR 35, and QR 50 for “premium” screenings. Students get discounts of QR 10.

There are also a couple options for passes and discount cards.

WHAT OTHER FILMS WILL BE SHOWN?

The full list of 87 films is now available online, and searchable by date, category, genre and more.

You can also scroll through the full schedule of the festival.

This year the main categories of films are: Made in Qatar, Arab Film Competition (feature & shorts), Tribute to Algerian Cinema: Caught Between Past and Present, Contemporary World Cinema and Special Screenings.

Special Screenings & Contemporary World Cinema

The animated feature Rise of the Guardians 3D is the closing film of the festival.

Other prominent films to be featured include Seven Psychopaths (Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell, Olga Kurylenk) and Silver Linings Playbook (Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Julia Stiles and Chris Tucker).

Late Bollywood director Yash Chopra‘s final film Jab Tak Hai Jaan (Until I Breathe This Life) will also be on offer.

This year, the festival will host movies from 30 countries, including France, Germany, India, Iran, United Kingdom, China and the USA, which have established film industries. But features from Kazakhstan, Senegal, Ethiopia, Iceland, and others will be screened too.

Six of the category’s titles are official country selections for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film 2013:

• Children of Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• Just the Wind (Hungary)
• Kon-Tiki (Norway)
• The Deep (Iceland)
• Myn Bala – Warriors of the Steppe (Kazakhstan)
• White Tiger (Russia)

Here’s the full list of 39 films that are included in the World Cinema & Special Screenings sections:

Made in Qatar

The festival this year is also putting a greater focus on locally-produced films and documentaries.

Included in that line up are Angel in June, based on the life story of a 13-year-old charitable girl and set in the Filipino community of Doha; and Lyrics Revolt, a documentary on hip hop music’s role in the Arab Spring. 

Here are all the details:

WHERE ARE THE CINEMAS?

Souq Waqif is being called this year’s main festival hub, and will be screening films in two locations: The Al Rayyan Theatre, and the Al Rayyan Rooftop, both at the Al Mirqab Hotel.

The Museum of Islamic Art will also be showing films in the MIA Auditorium, as well as at a separate screen setup in the park. 

Katara, meanwhile, will remain the actual screening hub, with five locations to watch films, including the Opera House and Drama Theater, as well as two theaters at Building 12, and an open-air screen setup on the promenade.

Worth noting: Those beach-side screenings are free on a “first come, first serve” basis.

WHAT’S ABOUT FAMILY DAYS?

DTFF will be screening animated features and films for children at Katara from November 21-24, including:

• Asterix and Obelix: In Britain 3D 
• The closing night film Rise of the Guardians 3D 
• Complimentary community screenings of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Cinema Paradiso
• Other “Family focused” films include The Braveheart will take the Bride, Storm Surfers 3D, Children of Heaven, Miyazaki classic My Neighbor Totoro, and No Entry for Men.

On those days, dubbed Family Days, Katara will also be hosting The Mighty Jokerz breakdance group, Capoeira Martial Arts Demonstrations, Team Spirit Drum Circles, The Marasi Ensemble from the Qatar Music Academy, and the Doha Jazz group, as well as fire dancers, acrobats, and percussionists.

As more incentive for the kids, a Sony/51 East Game Lab will have PlayStation 3s setup with PlayStation Move, Gran Turismo 5 and a Hollywood “hot set” for photo opportunities.

Northwestern University will also organize an on-location broadcast set, and give select participants the opportunity to anchor the news, give weather reports and operate video cameras for “The Daily Q Live.”

Not willing to stop there, Family Days are also supposed to inclue arts and crafts workshops, sports, storytelling, and puppetry shows, although no clear schedule is available yet.

CAN I  HELP?

The volunteer drive for DTFF 2012 is already closed, but the festival still has a number of short- and full-time jobs that they are recruiting for.

Are you looking forward to the film festival?