Discover the best of Qatari cinema, film, and television

Discover the definitive list of popular and critically-acclaimed movies and TV shows from Qatar. Find your next binge-watch, streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!

The cinema of Qatar

The story of Qatari cinema is one of breathtaking ambition and visionary investment, a journey that has transformed the nation into a major force in global film. The game-changer was the creation of the Doha Film Institute (DFI). More than just a local body, the DFI became a powerful supporter of emerging voices not just in the Arab world, but across the globe. By funding and nurturing hundreds of independent films, many of which went on to win major awards at festivals like Cannes, Venice, and Berlin, Qatar established itself as a crucial patron of artistic cinema. This spirit has ignited a new generation of Qatari filmmakers. Directors like the multi-talented A.J. Al Thani have crafted beautiful and acclaimed short films that have travelled the world. This new wave is now beginning to create feature films and television series that tell stories from a modern Qatari perspective, building a national film culture from the ground up. What makes Qatar's screen culture so remarkable is this two-pronged approach. It is both a global player that helps bring other people's stories to life and a rising creative force that is now starting to tell its own. It’s a story of vision, investment, and a deep belief in the power of film.

Best Qatari series

  • Poster for Omar

    Omar 2012

    A historical saga about the second caliph and Commander of the Faithful Omar Bin Al-Khattab and his pivotal role in the Islamic State.

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  • FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 2022

    The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be the 22nd running of the FIFA World Cup competition, the quadrennial international men's football championship contested by the senior national teams of the member associations of FIFA.

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  • Poster for The Imam

    The Imam 2017

    The life story of the fourth Imam of Islam, Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

    73
  • AlSnafeyah 2020

    An Animated Series that Tells the Story of a Squad of Arab Superheroes, And their Adventures in their War Against the Evil Council.

    60
  • Poster for The Lobby - USA

    The Lobby - USA 2018

    A four-part undercover investigation by Al Jazeera into Israel’s covert influence campaign in the United States. To get unprecedented access to the Israel lobby’s inner workings, undercover reporter “Tony” posed as a pro-Israel volunteer in Washington. The resulting film exposes the efforts of Israel and its lobbyists to spy on, smear and intimidate US citizens who support Palestinian human rights, especially BDS – the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. It shows that Israel’s semi-covert black-ops government agency, the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, is operating this effort in collusion with an extensive network of US-based organizations.

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  • Poster for Al Jazeera World

    Al Jazeera World 2011

    A series of one-hour documentaries showcasing films from across the Al Jazeera Network.

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Best Qatari movies

  • Poster for Control Room

    Control Room 2004

    A chronicle which provides a rare window into the international perception of the Iraq War, courtesy of Al Jazeera, the Arab world's most popular news outlet. Roundly criticized by Cabinet members and Pentagon officials for reporting with a pro-Iraqi bias, and strongly condemned for frequently airing civilian causalities as well as footage of American POWs, the station has revealed (and continues to show the world) everything about the Iraq War that the Bush administration did not want it to see.

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  • Poster for Beauty and the Dogs

    Beauty and the Dogs 2017

    When Mariam, a young Tunisian woman, is raped by police officers after leaving a party, she is propelled into a harrowing night in which she must fight for her rights even though justice lies on the side of her tormentors.

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  • Omar 2012

    The life of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, the second Caliph of Islamic State, before and after he embraces in Islam. A comprehensive documentary for one of the greatest eras in the history of Islam: the era of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab. Expanding the Islamic state shortly after the death of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) to the entire Arab World; standing on the threshold of India and China in the East and the gates of Europe in the North; and roll into the North Africa under the leadership of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab: a leader who made ​​an outstanding example of a role model for many generations to come. While very proud of his religion and culture, Omar exemplified openness to other cultures and human values at their highest standards.

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  • Poster for October 7

    October 7 2024

    Hamas’s incursion into Israel on October 7 transformed the politics of the Middle East. Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit) has carried out a forensic analysis of the events of that day – examining seven hours of footage from CCTV, dashcams, personal phones and headcams of dead Hamas fighters, and drawing up a comprehensive list of those killed. In October 7, the I-Unit reveals widespread human rights abuses by Hamas fighters and others who followed them through the fence from Gaza into Israel. But the investigation also found that many of the worst stories that came out in the days following the attack were false. This was especially true of atrocities that were used repeatedly by politicians in Israel and the West to justify the ferocity of the bombardment of the Gaza Strip, such as the mass killing of babies and allegations of widespread and systematic rape.

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  • Poster for The Teacher

    The Teacher 2024

    A Palestinian school teacher struggles to reconcile his life-threatening commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students and the chance of a new romantic relationship with a British volunteer worker.

    77
  • Poster for If Only I Could Hibernate

    If Only I Could Hibernate 2024

    Ulzii, a teenager from a poor neighborhood in Ulaanbaatar, is determined to win a sciences-physics competition to get a scholarship. His illiterate mother finds a job in the countryside, leaving him and his brother and sister in the middle of winter. Ulzii wanders around at night looking for things to burn for heat while preparing for the national competition.

    60