The Doha Film Institute (DFI) has announced a new slate of 35 exciting film projects by first- and second-time filmmakers for its 2021 Fall Grants cycle. The funding programme aims to promote and nurture emerging voices in cinema.
Twelve women, ten previous grantees, and eight projects by Qatari talents are among the grantees, demonstrating the Institute’s sustained support for a body of independent cinema from the region.
The DFI’s Grants programme has become one of the organisation’s most visible film funding initiatives. The programme is awarded in two cycles – Fall and Spring and has so far supported over 650 film projects in various stages of production from all across the world.
It has enabled the Institute to build a community of filmmakers among its alumni, who are also provided mentoring and creative assistance throughout the life cycle of the films, intending to seek out original voices in cinema.
The Grant awardees represent the diversity of the chosen film projects, with the most significant representation from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Mauritania, Palestine, Yemen, and Syria.
Costa Rica, Croatia, Djibouti, France, Indonesia, Iran, Myanmar, and Serbia are among the nine international projects in this cycle. Projects eligible for the grants include feature and short narratives, documentaries and experimental films, and television series.
“With the wide hurdles that rising film talents confront in the current environment, we believe it is our responsibility to step up our support further to ensure that their cinematic goals are realised,” said DFI CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi in a press statement.
“We are proud of our emerging talent’s innovative ideas; they stand out for promoting the region and narrating stories that are untold.” These film projects are more than just artistic endeavours: they are gateways for the rest of the world to gain a better understanding of the Arab world,” Alremaihi concluded.
