The 2026 edition of the Doha Film Festival will open with the MENA premiere of The Station, a feature film by Oscar-nominated Yemeni-Scottish filmmaker Sara Ishaq. The film is set in a women-only petrol station in war-torn Yemen and follows Layal, whose younger brother is facing enlistment. The Station had its world premiere in Competition at Cannes Critics’ Week in May 2026.
The film previously won five awards at Final Cut in Venice in 2025, including the La Biennale di Venezia Award for Best Film in Post-Production. Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, CEO of Doha Film Institute and director of Doha Film Festival, said that The Station embodies the spirit of cinema that the institute believes in, with stories that cross borders and remind us of our shared humanity.
Sara Ishaq described the women-only station as “a fragile utopia, constantly overshadowed by turmoil beyond its walls.” She said that the film is about people in all their complexity, contradictions, and humanity, and is an ode to the people of Yemen, who have endured years of war with dignity and strength. Ishaq was inspired by what she loves and cherishes about Yemen.
Producer and scriptwriter Nadia Eliewat said that in this time of uncertainty in the region, the ability to come together and support their own narrative is vital. The Station is a testament to that solidarity. The film was developed with support from Doha Film Institute’s grants programme and is produced by Screen Project, a Ta Films company, in co-production with several other companies.
The film stars Manal Al-Mulaiki, Abeer Mohammed, Rashad Khaled, Saleh Al-Marshahi, Fariha Hassan, Randa Mohammed, Fatima Muthanna, Amal Esmail, and Shorooq Mohammed. Sara Ishaq previously directed the documentary Karama Has No Walls, which received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA New Talent Award. Her personal documentary The Mulberry House premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.
Ishaq has worked on film training in Yemen since 2015, first through Comra Academy and later through Setara Films, supporting emerging filmmakers in the country. Between 2022 and 2026, she led the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk in Amsterdam. The 2026 edition of Doha Film Festival will take place from 19 to 27 November.
The festival brings together filmmakers, audiences, and industry professionals from Qatar, the Arab world, and beyond. The Station’s premiere is expected to draw significant attention to the film and its themes, and to highlight the importance of supporting filmmakers and their stories.
Key points
- The Station had its world premiere in Competition at Cannes Critics’ Week in May 2026.
- The film won five awards at Final Cut in Venice in 2025.
- The 2026 edition of Doha Film Festival will take place from 19 to 27 November.
