[4] Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani founded DFI in 2010 to support the Arab film industry, especially in Qatar, as well as creators abroad.

[5][1][6][7][2] In support of the organisation's mission, Al Remaihi, CEO of DFI beginning in 2014, said: "I believe that film as a medium is strongly related to the rich storytelling tradition of the Arab world.

NU-Q faculty, such as Joe F. Khalil, Tim Wilkerson, Khaled Hroub, Justin Martin, and Scott Curtis, led discussions and panels at the event.

[7][14] In 2019, DFI collaborated with the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image to host the Qatar-India Year of Culture event.

[25][26][1] Amid shutdowns and increased safety measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 edition was conducted in a hybrid format with both online and in-person film screenings.

[29] In addition to the film screenings, Ajyal hosts several special events, including exhibitions, concerts, workshops, installations, live performances, panels, and family activities during the festival.

[3][31] In addition to screenings, the festival holds masterclasses and discussions with industry professionals who help guide new filmmakers to making the content of their film internationally accessible.

[39] The club was established to "put the spotlight on pressing global concerns and rally youth dialogue around them through the medium of film.

"[28] Previous topics include environmental concerns seen through the lenses of The Lorax, Chasing Coral, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict with a focus on Palestine through The Present, My Neighbourhood, and 200 Meters.

[28] In addition to its film festivals, DFI hosts workshops, labs, and masterclasses for creators, including courses focused on screenwriting and producing.

[40][41] Classes are mentored by industry professionals such as Annemarie Jacir, Fx Goby, Patrick Doyle, Richard Peña, Julie Goldman, Ghassan Salhab, Sebastián Sepúlveda, Ahmad Abdalla, Hisham Zaman, Rithy Panh, Kamal Aljafari, Marietta von Hausswolff von Baumgarten, and Ryan O'Nan, who can help students move through the steps of film creation, from screenwriting and development to post-production and marketing.

[43] The DFI Grants program biannually awards creators with funding in both the spring and fall, aiming to "support initiative that identifies and nurtures first- and second-time filmmakers globally.

[50] Examples of films financed or co-financed by the DFI are Theeb, Loving Vincent, The Prophet, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, The Salesman, Black Gold, Kanye West's Cruel Summer, The Attack, Capernaum, It Must Be Heaven, and Of Fathers and Sons.