James Gray's 'Paper Tiger' Heading to Doha Film Festival

The Doha Film Festival (Nov. 19–27) just dropped its Gala and Special Screenings programs, and James Gray's thriller Paper Tiger made the cut. Gray's been in his directing era lately, and having his work selected for a major international festival slot says something about what he's cooking up.

Beyond Gray, the fest is bringing some heavyweight documentaries and international cinema. Edward Said: Between Worlds is a look at the Palestinian American intellectual's life and legacy—the kind of deep-dive doc that festival circuits actually care about. Bruno Dumont's Red Rocks is also in the mix, bringing European arthouse sensibilities to the mix.

Doha's been serious about building itself as a real festival destination, not just a money play. When they're stacking programs like this—mixing commercial thrillers with substantive documentaries and international prestige—it shows they're thinking about what actually matters to serious cinephiles and industry folks.

This is the kind of lineup that reminds you festivals still have a purpose beyond hype.

Read the full story at Variety → https://variety.com/2026/film/news/james-gray-paper-tiger-doha-film-festival-1236915649/