Doha Film Festival returns in November 2025 with youth-judged Ajyal

The Doha Film Festival took place in Qatar in November 2025, organised by the Doha Film Institute, the country's state-backed body for film funding and cultural programming. Its opening was set for 20 November.

The festival brought back a large public film event to Doha under a single banner. It built on the Ajyal Film Festival, the institute's long-running youth-focused event, whose name means "generations" in Arabic. Ajyal continued as a competition strand within the wider programme.

The defining feature of Ajyal was its jury. Rather than industry professionals, young viewers watched the competing films and decided the awards, giving teenagers and young adults a direct say in the selection. This approach had been a hallmark of the event since its launch.

The festival mattered as a showcase for Arab and international cinema and as part of Qatar's wider effort to develop its film sector, including support for regional filmmakers. Later announcements about the lineup and jurors followed from this edition.