De Niro to launch Qatar film festival

Rex Features

Robert De Niro has announced plans to launch a new film festival in Qatar.

The actor hopes the Doha gathering will help build an understanding between differing cultures, according to WENN.

Introducing the event, which will start next November, De Niro said: "We hope that film will not only be used as a form of entertainment at Tribeca Film Festival Doha but play a role in bringing cultures closer together.

"By learning each other's stories, we can see how much we share in common as well as explore and better understand our differences."

The showcase will be a sister to the Tribeca Film Festival, which is held annually in New York. It was set up by De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.