For immediate release
4April 2017
QIFF Supports Local Talent inExploringFood Art and Photography
Instagram celebrities lead aspiring smart phone artists on photo walks & hold food styling sessions
Catering to the rising popularity of food art, Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) is organising free photo tours and food styling sessionsfor the first time ever. The festival invites aspiring artists to feast their eyes and camera lenses on the colourful and variedfood displaysfound throughout the 11-day Festival.
Festival-goers interested in honing their food styling and photography skills canjoin Mohamad Al Ansari, a Qatari food stylist who has close to 50,000 followers,is scheduled to lead a second tour around the festival groundson Thursday between 4.00pm and 6.00pm. In his session, he will focus on teaching local food and beverage business owners the best food photography techniques. The tourwill be featured on his personal Instagram account, @mohadalansari and can be followed on the hashtags #QIFFPIC and #حزة_المهرجان.
Mashal Shahbik, Director of Festivals and Tourism Events at Qatar Tourism Authority said, “QIFF is an annual event that celebrates Qatar’s vibrant food and culture scene and we are always looking for new ways to create engaging experiences for festival-goers. The growing popularity of photo sharing applications renders QIFF a fertile ground for cultivating local creative talents by working with the growing community of smartphone photographers.”
AlAnsari, whose first tour at QIFF took place last Thursday, commented, “Photography for me is about telling a story in an image. I first started photography as a hobby and learned many tricks with hours of experimenting and persistence.Through these sessions at QIFF, I would like to encourage aspiring photographers to come out and express themselves artistically while sharing tips that can enhance their skills and give them more confidence in their craft.” He added that followers can use the hashtags to enter a QIFF food photography competition for a chance to win an inclusive overnight stay for two guests courtesy of the Ritz Carlton. “Come out to QIFF and don’t miss out!”
On the closing day of the Festival (Saturday, April 8th), Qatar Phone Art (@phoneartqatar) will also lead a photo walk around the Festival grounds between 2.00pm and 6.00pm. The recently formed group of local artists and photographers, who regularly take tours to artistically showcasethe country’sdifferent locations,will capture QIFF’s final day and post photo stories on their individual Instagram account.
The Festival’s signature Cooking Theatre previously featured a special session with Doha-based Instagram celebrity Majdouline Al Deweik, who prides herself in taking collective food experiences seriously and has garnered over 20,000 followers on her Instagram account @thesquaretable.
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About Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF):
Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) is a multicultural festival that celebrates the country’s diverse food, beverage and hospitality offerings. Held over a course of several days during spring, the Festival invites residents and visitors to enjoy special culinary experiences in scenic outdoor spaces.
QIFF forms a part of QTA’s strategy to grow and diversify the country’s tourism offering, particularly in the area of family and urban entertainment. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of partners in both the public and private sector, it has grown since its first edition in 2010 to become one of the most-anticipated events in Qatar’s growing calendar of annual festivals and events.
Instagram: @QIFF.QA
Twitter: @qiff_
For further information about this press release, please contact QTA’s Press Office on:
+974 4499 7882
+974 33924466
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