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Suzannah Mirghani’s COTTON QUEEN to Screen in Doha from September 23–27
16 September 2026
Following an acclaimed international festival run and a string of prestigious awards, Sudanese feature COTTON QUEEN, directed by Suzannah Mirghani, will screen at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium in Doha from September 23 to 27, in collaboration with the Doha Film Institute.
The Doha screening comes as part of the film’s successful international journey, which began with its World Premiere in the Critics’ Week competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, followed by screenings at more than ten international film festivals and several major awards, including the Grand Prize of the Feature Film Competition at the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), the Audience Award at the Doha Film Festival, the Golden Alexander “Theo Angelopoulos” Award for Best Feature Film at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and the TV5 Monde Award for Best First Feature Film at the Carthage Film Days.
Set in a remote Sudanese cotton-farming village, the film follows Nafisa, who grows up listening to her grandmother Al-Sit’s heroic stories of resistance against British colonial rule. When a young businessman arrives from abroad with a new development plan centered around genetically modified cotton seeds, Nafisa finds herself at the center of a power struggle over the future of her village. As she awakens to her own strength, she sets out to save the cotton fields and herself, but neither she nor her community will ever be the same.
The feature directorial debut of Russian-Sudanese writer and director Suzannah Mirghani, COTTON QUEEN arrives in the Gulf following a stellar international run. The film celebrated its world premiere at the prestigious 82nd Venice International Film Festival before going on to capture the coveted Golden Alexander for Best Feature Film at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
Set against the sweeping landscapes of a remote cotton-farming village in Sudan, COTTON QUEEN is a politically charged, magical realist coming-of-age story. The narrative follows Nafisa, an intelligent and sensitive teenager caught between the comforting weight of heritage and the jarring onset of modernity. Raised on her grandmother Al-Sit’s fiery tales of historical resistance, Nafisa finds herself thrust into a modern corporate struggle when a young businessman arrives with a development plan centered around genetically modified cotton seeds.
Beyond its compelling narrative, COTTON QUEEN carries immense real-world weight. Originally scheduled to shoot entirely on location in Sudan, production was forced to relocate to Egypt following the outbreak of the 2023 conflict. Made over an intense 25 days and cast entirely with Sudanese refugees, the final product stands as a deeply emotional, living testament to displacement, creative survival, and the unyielding spirit of Sudanese women.
The film boasts an exceptional global crew. It is lensed by the prolific Director of Photography Frida Marzouk (the visionary behind this year's Cannes Un Certain Regard opener PROMISED SKY), scored by acclaimed composer Amine Bouhafa (AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY, ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA), and edited by the powerhouse trio of Amparo Mejías, Simon Blasi, and Frank Müller.
COTTON QUEEN features a stellar ensemble cast starring Mihad Murtada as Nafisa, alongside Rabha Mohamed Mahmoud, Talaat Fareed, Haram Bisheer, Mohamed Musa, and Hassan Mohi El Din.
The film is a major global co-production involving Germany’s Strange Bird GmbH, Jip Film und Verleih, and Storming Donkey Productions; France’s Maneki Films; Palestine’s Philistine Films; Egypt’s Film Clinic and MAD Solutions; Qatar; and Saudi Arabia. It is produced by Caroline Daube and Didar Domehri, and co-produced by Annemarie Jacir, Ossama Bawardi, Jessica Khoury, Mohamed Hefzy, Alaa Karkouti, and Maher Diab.
Secure your seats for the opening week screenings by purchasing your tickets directly through the respective theater platforms today.
Suzannah Mirghani is a celebrated Russian-Sudanese filmmaker. Her acclaimed short film AL-SIT, currently streaming on Netflix Middle East, won the prestigious Canal+ Award at Clermont-Ferrand in 2021, among numerous other international accolades. Her recent shorts include VIRTUAL VOICE (2021 Tribeca Film Festival) and KAMALA IBRAHIM ISHAG: STATES OF ONENESS (2022), commissioned by Serpentine Galleries.
The Doha screening comes as part of the film’s successful international journey, which began with its World Premiere in the Critics’ Week competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, followed by screenings at more than ten international film festivals and several major awards, including the Grand Prize of the Feature Film Competition at the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), the Audience Award at the Doha Film Festival, the Golden Alexander “Theo Angelopoulos” Award for Best Feature Film at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and the TV5 Monde Award for Best First Feature Film at the Carthage Film Days.
Set in a remote Sudanese cotton-farming village, the film follows Nafisa, who grows up listening to her grandmother Al-Sit’s heroic stories of resistance against British colonial rule. When a young businessman arrives from abroad with a new development plan centered around genetically modified cotton seeds, Nafisa finds herself at the center of a power struggle over the future of her village. As she awakens to her own strength, she sets out to save the cotton fields and herself, but neither she nor her community will ever be the same.
The feature directorial debut of Russian-Sudanese writer and director Suzannah Mirghani, COTTON QUEEN arrives in the Gulf following a stellar international run. The film celebrated its world premiere at the prestigious 82nd Venice International Film Festival before going on to capture the coveted Golden Alexander for Best Feature Film at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
Set against the sweeping landscapes of a remote cotton-farming village in Sudan, COTTON QUEEN is a politically charged, magical realist coming-of-age story. The narrative follows Nafisa, an intelligent and sensitive teenager caught between the comforting weight of heritage and the jarring onset of modernity. Raised on her grandmother Al-Sit’s fiery tales of historical resistance, Nafisa finds herself thrust into a modern corporate struggle when a young businessman arrives with a development plan centered around genetically modified cotton seeds.
Beyond its compelling narrative, COTTON QUEEN carries immense real-world weight. Originally scheduled to shoot entirely on location in Sudan, production was forced to relocate to Egypt following the outbreak of the 2023 conflict. Made over an intense 25 days and cast entirely with Sudanese refugees, the final product stands as a deeply emotional, living testament to displacement, creative survival, and the unyielding spirit of Sudanese women.
The film boasts an exceptional global crew. It is lensed by the prolific Director of Photography Frida Marzouk (the visionary behind this year's Cannes Un Certain Regard opener PROMISED SKY), scored by acclaimed composer Amine Bouhafa (AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY, ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA), and edited by the powerhouse trio of Amparo Mejías, Simon Blasi, and Frank Müller.
COTTON QUEEN features a stellar ensemble cast starring Mihad Murtada as Nafisa, alongside Rabha Mohamed Mahmoud, Talaat Fareed, Haram Bisheer, Mohamed Musa, and Hassan Mohi El Din.
The film is a major global co-production involving Germany’s Strange Bird GmbH, Jip Film und Verleih, and Storming Donkey Productions; France’s Maneki Films; Palestine’s Philistine Films; Egypt’s Film Clinic and MAD Solutions; Qatar; and Saudi Arabia. It is produced by Caroline Daube and Didar Domehri, and co-produced by Annemarie Jacir, Ossama Bawardi, Jessica Khoury, Mohamed Hefzy, Alaa Karkouti, and Maher Diab.
Secure your seats for the opening week screenings by purchasing your tickets directly through the respective theater platforms today.
Suzannah Mirghani is a celebrated Russian-Sudanese filmmaker. Her acclaimed short film AL-SIT, currently streaming on Netflix Middle East, won the prestigious Canal+ Award at Clermont-Ferrand in 2021, among numerous other international accolades. Her recent shorts include VIRTUAL VOICE (2021 Tribeca Film Festival) and KAMALA IBRAHIM ISHAG: STATES OF ONENESS (2022), commissioned by Serpentine Galleries.
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