Guillermo Galoe’s ‘Sleepless City’ Wins Best Film at Qatar’s Inaugural Doha Film Festival

The inaugural Doha Film Festival in Qatar wrapped on Friday with the award for best feature film in the International Feature Film Competition going to Guillermo Galoe’s “Sleepless City.”

The film, which had its world premiere in Cannes’ Critics’ Week, is set on the outskirts of Madrid, where 15-year-old Tonino’s world unravels as his best friend prepares to leave, challenging his understanding of home, friendship and the gypsy legends that shaped his childhood.

The audience award for a film in the section went to Suzannah Mirghani’s “Cotton Queen.” The film premiered in Venice Critics’ Week and won best film at Thessaloniki Film Festival. It follows teenage Nafisa who becomes the center of a power struggle over genetically modified seeds to determine the future of her village in Sudan, blending ecological critique with coming-of-age drama.

The documentary award was taken by Jihan’s “My Father and Qaddafi,” which world premiered in Venice’s Out of Competition section. The film chronicles a daughter’s quest to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of her father, a peaceful opposition leader to Qaddafi, as she pieces together her mother’s 19-year search for him.

The award for artistic achievement in the International Feature Film Competition went to “With Hasan in Gaza” by Kamal Al Jafari and “Renoir” by Chie Hayakawa.

The best performance award was picked up by “Once Upon a Time in Gaza” actors Majd Eid and Nader Abd Alhay.

A special mention was given to Pablo Pérez Lombardini’s “The Reserve.”

The jury was headed by the Academy Award-nominated Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh. Joining him were Tunisian director and screenwriter Raja Amari; Moroccan filmmaker and actor Faouzi Bensaïdi; Tunisian actor and filmmaker Dhafer L’Abidine; and founder and curator of Final Cut Venice Alessandra Speciale.

In the Ajyal Competition, selected by a youth jury, the best feature film award went to “The Voice of Hind Rajab” by Kaouther Ben Hania.

The International Short Film Competition best film award was won by “Samba Infinito” by Leonardo Martinelli, and the best director award went to “Primary Education” by Aria Sánchez and Marina Meira. A special mention went to “L’mina” by Randa Maaroufi. The performance award was picked up by Milica Janevski from “Upon Sunrise,” and a special mention for performance was given to Ammar Ahmed from “Zizou.”

In the Made in Qatar section, the awards were: best film for “Fahad the Furious” by Justin Kramer; best director for Eiman Mirghani for “Villa 187”; and the Abdulaziz Jassim Award for performance for Rashid Al Sheeb in “Fahad and the Furious.” A special mention went to “Project Aisha” by Fahad Al Nahdi.