Leading global post-production and VFX company 3 has signed an agreement with the newly established Film Commission in Qatar’s Media City to establish a post-production and VFX studio in Doha.
The Los Angeles-based organization, led by ace colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld and recently responsible for post-production for the majority of Hollywood series and films, including “Wicked: For Good,” “F1,” “Superman,” “Frankenstein,” and “Stranger Things” Season 5, will “provide technical, creative, and operational guidance to form the foundation of a high-end post-production environment in the region,” according to a statement.
The post-production studio facility in Doha, the capital of Qatar, is scheduled to be completed in about six months.
The Qatar Film Board, which is part of the MediaCity Qatar Hub and is a public body tasked with driving the growth of the country’s entertainment industry, will support this collaboration “through a structured funding and facilitation framework, reflecting Qatar’s ambitions to become the production and post-production hub of the Middle East and Africa,” the statement added.
“We’re very excited to be able to offer our post-production services here. I think it’s the best, along with the best rebates in the world,” Sonnenfeld said at a press conference, noting that the agreement was sparked by negotiations initiated two years ago by Sheikha Mayassa, the sister of the emir of Qatar, who personally contacted her.
Negotiations between Company 3 and the Qatari authorities then continued with Qatari lawyer Hassan Al Thawadi, chairman of the Qatar Film Board and previously overseeing the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.
Sonnenfeld said the three companies played a consultant role in the structural design of Qatar’s new production rebate. He said that when it comes to post-production, the incentives have nothing to do with the project actually being shot in Qatar.
The newly announced rebate, dubbed the ‘Qatar Screen Production Incentive’, provides cash incentives of up to 50% on eligible Qatari production expenditures, combining a base rebate of 40% with additional increases of up to 10% for productions that meet defined criteria such as hiring Qatari talent, investing in local training, promoting Qatari culture and other aspects of industrial development.
“This partnership embodies Qatar’s vision to support the best creators in Qatar, the region, and the Global South. With Company 3’s world-renowned expertise in visual storytelling and commitment to building advanced creative infrastructure, Doha is poised to become a world-class post-production and visual effects destination,” Al Thawadi said in a statement.
The deal with Company 3 follows production partnerships announced on Friday between the Qatar Film Board and US studios including Neon and Miramax.
