But also included in the stellar group are Alice Diop, Faouzi Bensaïdi and Gustavo Santaolalla.
As usually happens during the peak opening weekend of Berlinale, the Doha Film Institute (DFI) announced on Sunday, February 15th their upcoming Qumra Masters. They are, in no particular order, globally celebrated visionaries Faouzi Bensaïdi, Alice Diop, Diego Luna, Gustavo Santaolalla, and returning after being featured in the inaugural edition of the industry incubator Gael García Bernal. This year marks Qumra’s 12th annual event, and will be taking place in the Qatari city from March 27 to April 1, 2026.
A cornerstone of Doha Film Institute’s mission, Qumra supports filmmakers from the region and beyond, connecting them with leading international artists and industry experts through intensive mentorship, masterclasses and professional exchange. For over a decade, Qumra has played a decisive role in nurturing independent voices and expanding the global reach of thought-provoking cinema.
A little bit about the Masters participating in the upcoming edition.
Faouzi Bensaïdi is a Moroccan filmmaker, theatre director, screenwriter, editor and actor. His first feature film, A Thousand Months, won the Prix Le Premier Regard and the Prix De La Jeunesse in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, followed by WWW: What A Wonderful World, which was selected for the Venice International Film Festival. Bensaïdi has also appeared as an actor in films by directors Jacques Audiard, Nadir Moknèche, Daoud Aoulad-Syad, and Bertrand Bonello, among others.
Alice Diop is an award-winning French filmmaker who has redefined contemporary documentary and narrative cinema through an intimate, politically resonant lens. Her films—including La Permanence, Nous and Saint Omer—explore memory, identity and belonging with formal rigor and emotional depth. Saint Omer, her fiction debut, premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize and the Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Best First Film. Most recently, she participated with her short film Fragments for Venus in the prestigious Miu Miu Women’s Tales series which highlights important women filmmaker of the present and future. You can watch the film on the Miu Miu site.
Argentinian composer, producer, and musician of international acclaim, Gustavo Santaolalla has won two consecutive Academy Awards® for Best Original Score (Brokeback Mountain, 2006; Babel, 2007) and two BAFTAs for The Motorcycle Diaries (2005) and Babel (2007), among a slew of other prizes. Santaolalla has also produced over 100 albums, shaping the sound of contemporary Latin American music and is also the founder and driving force of the collective Bajofondo, which blends tango, electronic music, and Río de la Plata traditions with global projection.
Diego Luna’s work spans across film, television and theater as an actor, director and producer. Guided by his artistic prowess in front of and behind the camera, Luna has built a career defined by creative range, social consciousness and a sustained commitment to expanding Latino and Hispanic representation internationally. He rose to prominence with Alfonso Cuarón’s Y tu mamá también, alongside fellow Qumra Master, friend and producing partner Garciá Bernal and recently starred in and executive-produced the Andor, the Disney+ Star Wars series which has won him critical praise and some nominations. Luna is currently in post-production on Ceniza en la boca, which he directs, co-writes and produces, and continues to champion cultural exchange through his work with Ambulante — a non-profit organization he co-founded in 2005 alongside García Bernal, Pablo Cruz, and Elena Fortes to promote documentaries as a tool for social change.
Last but not least, Mexican actor, director and producer Gael García Bernal returns to Doha after his participation in Qumra’s inaugural edition in 2015. gained international acclaim through landmark films such as Amores perros, Y tu mamá también, and Diarios de motocicleta [The Motorcycle Diaries]. In addition to acting in films and series, Gael directs and produces feature films and documentaries. His directorial debut Déficit premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week, and he later returned to social themes with Chicuarotes, which was presented in Special Screenings at Cannes. Garciá Bernal, along with Luna, has also founded a non-profit documentary film festival, and La Corriente del Golfo, a production company dedicated to distinctive, socially engaged storytelling across film and television.
“Gael García Bernal’s return to Qumra is especially meaningful, having been a Master in the very first edition,” Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, CEO of DFI said, continuing “Over 12 editions, Qumra has grown in scale, ambition and global reach, becoming a space defined by creative exchange, generosity and momentum. We are excited for the Masters to experience the extraordinary energy Qumra is now known for, and deeply grateful to Gael for his early support in helping set the foundation for what has become one of the most influential talent incubators for emerging filmmakers worldwide.”
Elia Suleiman, Artistic Advisor at DFI then added: "Cinema begins where certainty ends. It exists in the tension between what is seen and what is felt, offering a language beyond image. At Qumra, we gather not to teach, but to open doors. The exchange reshapes perception. And from that shift, new worlds are imagined by those who dare to see differently."
The 12th edition of Qumra will feature masterclasses, one-on-one mentorship sessions and curated industry meetings, offering participants rare access to creative and expert guidance from across the global film ecosystem. Further program and guest details will be announced in the coming weeks.
All images courtesy of DFI, used with permission.