The DFI’s grants programme is one of longest-running funding initiatives in the MENA region.
Qatar’s Doha Film Institute (DFI) has announced the selected projects for its fall 2023 grants cycle, featuring a diverse array of 44 films crafted by first and second-time directors hailing from 32 countries.
These recipient projects encompass short films, medium-length features, full-length features, and drama series in both fiction and non-fiction genres. The productions are currently at various stages of development and production, showcasing the global reach and creativity fostered by DFI.
Among the selected projects is UK director Ana Naomi De Sousa’s documentary, Naseem, Fight with Grace, delving into the story of British-Yemeni featherweight boxer Naseem Hamed, also known as Prince Naseem and Naz.
Another addition is Iraqi director Mohamed Al Daradji’s Arkala Gilgamesh’s Dream, a fiction feature centred around a street child who dreams of reviving his deceased parents through the mythical figure of Gilgamesh, King of Uruk.
Other features include Moroccan director Alaa Eddine Aljem’s dark comedy Eldorado, the Taste of the South, currently in production, and Palestinian-French-Egyptian filmmaker Rani Massalha’s The Return of The Prodigal Son.
The list also includes the recently unveiled Berlinale 2024 selection Disco Afrika: A Malagasy Story by emerging Madagascar filmmaker Luck Razanajaona.
Grantees from outside the MENA region include US-Taiwanese director KEFF, who secured support for his debut feature Locust, depicting the struggles of a mute twenty-something in Taipei during the 2019 Hong Kong protests.
DFI’s grants programme, reportedly one of the longest-running funding initiatives in the MENA region, has supported more than 800 diverse film projects from 74 countries to date. It encompasses feature and short narratives, documentaries, experimental essays, and serial content for broadcast and streaming platforms.
The fall 2023 grantees represent a global spectrum, including projects from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Croatia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Madagascar, Morocco, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Spain, South Africa, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tunisia, UAE, USA, and Zanzibar.
The recognised projects feature contributions from 20 women filmmakers, with 12 returning grantees and five projects from Qatar-based talent, highlighting DFI’s commitment to nurturing diverse, inclusive, and authentic voices globally.
The awarded projects span various categories, including Feature Documentary, Established Directors, Non-MENA Feature Documentary, covering development, production, and post-production stages, Non-MENA – Feature Narrative – Post-Production, MENA – TV Series – Development, MENA – Short Narrative – Production, and MENA – Short Narrative – Post-Production. These projects contribute to the ongoing growth of the film industry and showcase DFI’s dedication to fostering global cinematic talent.
Speaking about the selected projects, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: “The volatility of today’s economic, social, and political conditions adversely impacts the support for creative talent, especially for independent voices in cinema with limited access to film finance. We are on a mission to identify and support these voices because we believe that their stories mirror the harsh lived realities of many communities through creative visions that need to be realised.”
Alremaihi continued: “It is our honour to support talented emerging filmmakers from across the globe, who with the incredible quality of their projects have made the selection process challenging in the best way possible. From heart-wrenching stories of life under occupation in Palestine to messages of hope, peace and harmony from Bhutan and Senegal, our 2023 Fall Grants projects reflect our world today. We will continue to ensure that compelling new stories are told to the world and that cinema continues to play a powerful role in bridging understanding and empathy.”
Other recipients include 7 Waves (Qatar, Saudi Arabia) by Hamida Issa; Awdah (Palestine, Germany, Qatar) by Ihab Jadallah; Eldorado, the Taste of the South (Morocco, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar), by Alaa Eddine Aljem; I Am Here but You Can’t See Me (Lebanon, Spain, France, Qatar) by Feyrouz Serhal; The Dream Betrayed Me (Syria, France, Belgium, Germany, Qatar) by Mohammad Shaikhow; Al Baseer – The Blind Ferryman (Iraq, Switzerland, Qatar) by Ali Al-Fatlawi; Celebration (Croatia, Qatar) by Bruno Anković; Demba (Senegal, Germany, Qatar) by Mamadou Dia; Locust (Taiwan, USA, France, Qatar) by KEFF; The Blue Weddings (Algeria, France, Qatar) by Samia Dzaïr; Grandma Swim (Bahrain, USA, Qatar) by Maryam Mir; Sociophobia (Tunisia, Qatar) by Malek Hebiri; Civilization of Equality (Qatar) by Ibrahim Albuainain; Abode of the Blessed (Qatar, France) by Majid Al-Remaihi; and La Nuit a Peine (Tunisia, France, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar) by Wiame Haddad.
