Global Airline Joins Qatar Museums Authority At French Riviera Launch Oscar-Winning Director Martin Scorsese Brings Touch Of Magic To Films

Cannes, France (June 06, 2007) /ChinaNewswire.com/ — As the spotlight turned on the international film fraternity in Cannes, Qatar Airways and Qatar Museum Authority was privileged to be a corporate sponsor of an initiative backed by Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese to preserve and restore films from around the world.

At a press briefing held in Cannes on the French Riviera, Scorsese unveiled details of the World Cinema Foundation (WCF), a non-profit making organisation dedicated to supporting and encouraging the preservation of films of yesteryear.

Qatar Airways is one of a select-few corporate sponsors – including Cartier and Giorgio Armani – of the World Cinema Foundation, which is also being backed by Qatar Museums Authority under the auspices of Her Excellency Sheikha Mayassa Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, daughter of the Emir of Qatar.

Speaking at the press briefing attended by Sheikha Mayassa, Scorsese, who is Chairman of the WCF, said: "The World Cinema Foundation is being created to help developing countries preserve their cinematic treasures. We want to help strengthen and support the work of international archives, and provide a resource for those countries lacking the archival and technical facilities to do the work themselves.

He added: "The World Cinema Foundation is a natural expansion of my love for movies. Seventeen years ago, together with my fellow filmmakers, we created The Film Foundation to help preserve American cinema.  Much has been accomplished and much work remains to be done, but The Film Foundation has created a base upon which we can build.  There is now, I believe, a film preservation consciousness."

Sheikha Mayassa said: "I am personally delighted that the Qatar Museums Authority and Qatar Airways are backing such a cause, which will go a long way to bring back the glory of archived films that need restoring to their prime.

"Qatar Airways has a history of supporting worthy causes and I am sure through this partnership with Qatar Museums Authority, we will be able to spread the word of this extremely important initiative worldwide."

Hollywood director Scorsese recently won an Oscar for The Departed, which was also named Best Picture at the lavish ceremony in Los Angeles.

The World Cinema Foundation will present three films at the 60th Cannes International Film Festival.  From Morocco, Brazil, and Romania, the films represent a broad range of filmmaking and were chosen to inaugurate and embody the goals of WCF.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said he was delighted that the airline was supporting a worthy cause, which was helping restore cinematic treasures from around the world.

"This is indeed an honour to be associated with the world of art and entertainment, which  reflects the importance that the film industry plays in our world today," he said.

"Qatar Airways is proud to be showing a host of international movies onboard our aircraft flying around the world and we look forward to showing many of these restored cinematic classics under the auspices of the World Cinema Foundation in due course.

"Qatar as a country is emerging on the international scene, making a name for itself in many quarters. Art, culture and heritage are very close to our heart, so we are excited about this project that the World Cinema Foundation is highlighting."

The World Cinema Foundation has an Advisory Board made up of renowned film directors from around the world – Stephen Frears, Fatih Akin, Souleymane Cissé, Guillermo Del Toro, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Abbas Kiarostami. Ermanno Olmi, Cristi Puiu, Walter Salles, Abderrahmane Sissako, Elia Suleiman, Bertrand Tavernier, Wim Wenders and Wong Kar Wai.  

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    Salam Al Shawa
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