Doha, Qatar: Liwan Design Studios and Labs has announced the presentation of “The Set: Design for Screen”, a two-day film weekend curated by Luciana Ceccatto Farah, a Doha-based visual artist and screenwriter/producer.
Taking place on January 23–24, 2026, the programme invites audiences to explore the powerful, often unseen role of design in cinematic storytelling.
The programme, which is presented in partnership with Doha Film Institute (DFI), Katara Studios, The Film House, and Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam, sits at the intersection of design and film, and brings together screenings, talks, panels, exhibitions, and an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience. The Set reveals how these disciplines, from set construction and costume to colour grading, sound, and props, shape cinematic worlds long before the camera starts rolling.
Director of Liwan Design Studios and Labs Aisha bint Nasser Al Sowaidi said, “The Set: Design for Screen reflects Liwan’s commitment to championing design as a critical force in shaping how stories are told and experienced. By bringing designers, filmmakers, and audiences together, this programme highlights the invisible labour behind cinema and invites the public to engage with the processes that transform ideas into immersive worlds on screen.”
Across the weekend, curated screenings, primarily short films, function as case studies, demonstrating how design choices operate as narrative devices. From the weight of a hand-held prop to the grain of a colour grade or the emotional pull of a music score, these elements collectively construct immersive cinematic experiences.
Complementing the screenings, a series of panel discussions brings together department heads and creatives to unpack the technical rigour behind the screen. Moving beyond surface-level appreciation, these conversations delve into the mechanics of storytelling, examining how design decisions operate within the cinematic frame.
Reflecting on the collaborative nature of filmmaking, curator Luciana Ceccatto Farah said, “As filmmakers, we create worlds for our stories, and then we collaborate with designers to build that world. Set designers, sound designers, costume designers, prop designers, and colourists. Graphic designers, not only for the titles and paper props, but also for creating a pitch deck so that the project attracts investors and grants. Filmmakers work with designers in every phase of a film project: through development, pre-production, production, post-production, and then packaging for marketing and distribution.”
The exhibition component extends this exploration into a physical space, functioning as an archive of the creative pipeline. Rather than presenting finished outcomes, the exhibitions highlight the creative process itself as the main focus, from early screenplays and sketches to models, prototypes, and material tests, revealing how cinematic universes evolve long before they reach the screen.
One of the featured exhibitions, Cleopatra: A Stereotype in Technicolour, draws on reproduced materials from the Qatar Museums Media Collection to examine the visual and cultural construction of one of cinema’s most iconic films. Featuring original visual blueprints and archival material from the 1963 epic Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the exhibition offers a study in manufacturing history and cinematic spectacle.
Film lovers, designers, students, and creatives with an interest in cross-disciplinary dialogue between design and cinema are invited to experience The Set: Design for Screen. Entry is free, with advance registration required via Liwan’s website, where the full programme schedule is available.
