Sony and Qatar’s Film Committee Forge Pact to Co-Finance Arabic Film Slate as Rebate Is Unveiled

Sony Pictures International Productions has forged a multi-year agreement with Qatar’s nascent Film Committee to co-finance a slate of Arabic-language films from the Middle East and North Africa.

The deal is one of several pacts with Hollywood studios being unveiled at the inaugural Doha Film Festival‘s Industry Days by Hassan Al Thawadi, the Qatari lawyer who chairs the Qatar Film Committee and oversaw the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. It follows similar deals with U.S. indie studios Neon and Miramax announced on Friday.

The Qatar Film Committee is an official body that is part of the Media City Qatar hub and is tasked with driving growth of the country’s entertainment industry. On Friday, they announced the launch of a regional rebate offering up to 50% in cash.

“The agreement to develop a presence in Qatar, which includes a commitment to global distribution and the co-development and co-production of multiple Arabic-language feature films, underscores Sony’s commitment to the region,” Qatar Film Committee and Sony said in a joint statement.

“Projects may include original stories or adaptations from Sony’s library, managed by a jointly approved local producer, directly benefitting the production ecosystem in Qatar and the wider region,” the statement specified. “Sony will distribute globally, while the Film Committee and Sony Pictures International Productions share approval on all key creative and financial decisions. The agreement also entails the development of a writers’ incubation lab designed to foster a new generation of writers from the region.”

Details regarding projects that may already be in the pipeline are being kept under wraps.

“The commitment of Sony Pictures to co-develop and produce Arabic-language films in partnership with the Film Committee reflects the region’s growing prominence in the global film industry and the Global South’s emergence as a true creative force,” said Al Thawadi in the statement.

Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group’s Steven O’Dell commented: “The Middle East is one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing regions in entertainment. Sony Pictures has a long history of working in growing markets, and this new agreement in Qatar reflects our commitment to the region as we continue to bring impactful, locally resonant stories to audiences.”