Kholoud AlAli, Aisha Al-Jaidah
THE PEACOCK QUEEN
Eight-year-old Abdulla and his thirteen-year-old sister are transported to a mythical world, where they embark on a perilous quest to find three magic pearls so they can return home before being stranded forever.
SYNOPSIS
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Garangao night in contemporary Doha, The Peacock Queen follows thirteen-year-old Hessa and her adventurous younger brother, eight-year-old Abdulla, who are transported through a mysterious blue door into Bidarya, an enchanted dimension beyond their world. Trapped in the magical Pearl Forest of Aldana, they meet Zeryab, a charming birdman who dreams of joining Queen Jumana’s Royal Orchestra. He reveals that the only way home is through the Queen, whose powers have vanished after her sister Atana, the Donkey Queen, stole her magical Earth Pearl. Given a flying dhow and joined by a crew of birdmen, Hessa and Abdulla cross the desert kingdom of Arya to recover the stolen pearl. Their dangerous quest forces the siblings to confront their fears, heal their rivalry, and discover courage. At Atana’s Desert Rose Castle, they must survive a daring heist, deadly obstacles, and the legendary creature from their grandmother’s folklore.
DIRECTORS
Kholoud AlAli, Aisha Al-Jaidah
PRODUCER
Ben Robinson
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Blue Penguin Animation / DFI
COUNTRIES
Qatar
Aisha Al-Jaidah
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY
Aisha Al-Jaidah is an animation writer, director, and producer, and co-founder of Blue Penguin Animation. She earned a BA in illustration and animation from Kingston University, London, in 2009. Her career began at Al Jazeera Children’s Channel as a motion graphics artist, later becoming a senior animation producer. Al-Jaidah created Qatar’s first animated children’s series. Her film 1001 DAYS (2017) won the Special Jury Narrative Award at the Ajyal Youth Film Festival and screened at the Cannes Film Market in 2018 as part of the Doha Film Institute’s Shortcuts to Qatar programme. She also won the Business and Innovation Award at the UK Alumni Awards 2021 – 2022 for Blue Penguin Animation’s success.
DIRECTORS’ STATEMENT
The Peacock Queen is our way of preserving and reimagining Qatar’s treasured folktales before they fade with time. For generations, these stories were passed down through the voices of our grandparents; they were shared during family gatherings and woven into the imagination of children. They are an important part of Qatar’s cultural identity. With The Peacock Queen, we hope to celebrate Qatar’s storytelling heritage while creating an animated film that connects with audiences around the world through the universal language of imagination, family, and adventure.
Kholoud Al-Ali
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY
Kholoud Al Ali is an award-winning Qatari animation writer and director. She studied art education at Qatar University and later worked at Al Jazeera Children’s Channel, writing and directing the children’s series My Little World, along with episodes and songs for various children’s television programmes. Al Ali directed three animated short films through the Doha Film Institute: Red (2017), Fragile (2019) and After the Rain (2026). She is the founder of Kholoud Fantasy, an Instagram art project. Her work includes illustration, painting, comics, and children’s books. She co-founded Blue Penguin Animation with Aisha Al-Jaidah.
Ben Robinson
PRODUCER’S BIOGRAPHY
Ben Robinson (Producer, Qatari Film Fund) started making films during his childhood and his genre-based short films have been screened at prominent film festivals around the world. Since joining the Doha Film Institute in 2010, Robinson has produced more than two hundred short films with Qatari and local filmmakers, worked closely with Qatar’s education sector, and contributed towards the establishment of a minor degree in film design with Northwestern and Virginia Commonwealth universities. Since 2016, he has produced ten animated shorts for the Doha Film Institute’s Qatari Film Fund, garnering numerous awards and nominations at film festivals around the world.
PRODUCER’S STATEMENT
Having previously worked on live-action films, I decided to focus entirely on animation in 2016. Since then, I have produced almost a dozen short films and – as a result – have immersed myself in every aspect of the animation process. I find the creative potential of this medium to be even greater than live action, and (having an inclination towards genre material) this feels like the only way I can work on projects with epic scope and fantastical content. I have been working on The Peacock Queen since 2021 and – through many iterations and learning curves – I am actually more dedicated to the project than ever. In the last year, I have managed to attract many prominent figures in the animation industry to join this production (including Lily Bernard and Jonathan Clarke from Cartoon Saloon and Will Csaklos – previously from Pixar), which only fuels my excitement and commitment to get this film made. When we pitch our tale, people are really responding to its appeal, which is very encouraging!
Production company profile
The Doha Film Institute is an independent, not-for-profit cultural organisation that champions powerful storytelling and meaningful creative exchange. Since its founding in 2010, DFI has played a central role in shaping a vibrant film culture in Qatar and the wider region. DFI supports filmmakers at every stage of their journey – offering funding, training, and mentorship that helps bring bold, original voices to life. Through year-round programmes, the institute connects diverse talents with the tools, knowledge, and networks they need to thrive in the global film industry.
Where are we at?
TOTAL ESTIMATED BUDGET
3.000,000 - 6.000,000 €
Production timeline
2026 – Screenplay Development
2027 – Development, Packaging & Financing
Late 2027 – Early 2028 – Pre-Production
2028 – 2029 – Production
Late 2029 – Delivery & Completion