The second edition of Qumra, a Doha Film Institute (DFI) initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world, kicked off on Friday with 33 new projects from 19 countries.
The festival kicked off at Al Jasra Boutique Hotel in Souq Waqif amid a traditional atmosphere with national and folk songs and dances, as well as traditional tents with Qatari popular dishes.  
Introducing the Qumra initiative, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad al-Thani, chairperson of DFI, said in an introduction booklet about the festival that the establishment of the institute in 2010 aimed at promoting a film culture in Qatar in order to pave the way for the development of the local film industry and support cinematic talents in Qatar and the Arab world.
HE Sheikha Al Mayassa stressed that the Qumra initiative created a platform for filmmakers and provided them with support and inspiration from professional industry experts.
She expressed pleasure at the overwhelming turnout and the momentum given to projects that had been developed during the first edition of Qumra last year, and underlined this was just the beginning of the establishment of a new and innovative network of co-operation to build productive relationships in the future.
The six-day event is intended to support first- and second-time filmmakers from Qatar and around the globe. More than 100 film industry professionals, including directors, producers and script consultants, are attending.  
The event will focus on 33 projects in various stages of film development and offer filmmakers access to consultations, master classes, one-on-one meetings, tutorials and screenings at the Museum of Islamic Art auditorium.