•    25projects selected to receive grants with 23 by first and second-time filmmakersfrom MENA and around the world

•    Represented MENA countries include Algeria,Libya, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia and UAE

•    Mai Masri and Merzak Allouache receive funding in newly introduced criteria for established MENA directors

•    Filmmakers from Singapore and Slovenia receive grants for first time

•    Submissions for next funding round opens July 18

Cannes, France; May 17,2015: Topical themes of exile, the aftermath of war, coming of age and the importance of familyfeature prominently inthe Doha Film Institute’s Spring2015 session of its grantsprogramme, whose recipients were announced at the Cannes Film Festival. 

Twenty-fiveprojects– comprising14 narrative feature films, 5 feature documentaries, 1 feature experimental film and5 short films– will receive funding for development, production or post-production. 

This round’s selection also highlights the strength of submissions from first- and second-time feature filmmakers from the MENA region along with a strong group of short films receiving grants, reflecting the Doha Film Institute’s dedication to supporting emerging new talent.

After expanding the grants criteria to include established filmmakers from the MENA region for the category of post-production, this cyclealso sees Mai Masri (Palestine) and Merzak Allouache (Algeria) awarded funding for their respective new projects – Masri’s ‘3000Nights’, a narrative feature about a newlywed Palestinian schoolteacher who gives birth to her son in an Israeli prison and Allouache’s ‘MadameCourage’, a narrative feature about an unstable and lonely teenager, living in a slum in the suburbs of Mostaganem, Algeria.

Former grantees Leila Hotait Salas (‘Crayons of Askalan’) and Nejib Belkadhi (‘Bastardo’) are also returning with new projects. Hotait Salas’ narrative feature ‘Stolen Skies’, is set against the demonstrations in Cairo in 2011 about a women who remembers her Lebanese lover from 30 years ago and Belkadhi’s narrative feature ‘Retina’, is about a Tunisian immigrant forced to return to his country to take care of his autistic son.

Gulf representation in the short films includesFahad Al Kuwari’s ‘One of Them’ from Qatar andAmal Al-Agroobi’s ‘Under The Hat’ from the UAE. Qatari feature film,‘Sahaab’ by Khalifa Abdullah Al Muraikhi marks the first Qatari feature awarded for a production grant and is a project which recently participated in Qumra – the first edition of the Institute’s new industry platform dedicated to the development of first- and second-time filmmakers. 

In the feature documentary category, stories from or about Syria and its ongoing civil war and set against a backdrop of political, social and emotional turmoil form the subject matter of several projects selected for grants including Boutheyna Bouslama’s ‘Seeking The Man With the Camera’(Tunisia, Switzerland, France, Qatar), Ziad Kalthoum’s ‘Beirut Rooster’ (Syria, Lebanon, Qatar) and Noura Kevorkian’s ‘Batata’ (Lebanon, Qatar).

In the feature narrative category, regional projects from Algeria, Lebanon and Palestine span a variety of genres and cover a range of subject matter such as modern-day life in the Middle East, lost love and immigration; projects include Muhannad Lamin’s ‘Tin Hinan’, Lidia Terki’s ‘Paris The White’, Firas Khoury’s ‘Alam, The Flag’ and Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya’s innovative genre film ‘Film Kteer Kbeer.’

Five projects from outside the MENA region have received funding, including grants for filmmakers from Singapore (‘Apprentice’ by Junfeng Boo) and Slovenia (‘Houston, We Have a Problem’ by Ziga Virc) for the first time.

The new-wave of filmmaking coming out of Argentina, a story of familial secrets between sistersand a moving documentary about orphan children in Swaziland form an eclectic selection of projects chosen from the rest of the world by filmmakers Francisco Varone (‘Road To La Paz’), Manu Gerosa (‘Between Sisters’) and Aaron and Amanda Kopp (‘Liyana’).

Fatma Al Remaihi, CEO of the Doha Film Institute, said: “Our Spring grantees demonstrate the strength of new work coming from emerging filmmakers with 23 projects awarded to first- and second-time directors and a strong selection of short films by new talents to watch.”

“These grants give support to projects with diverse regional perspectives and genres, underlining the Doha Film Institute’s commitment to the development of innovative new voices in cinema which is also echoed in our recently launched development platform, Qumra.” 

“We have funded more than 220 projects through the grants programme since it was established and I am pleased to welcome back some of our grantee alumniwho are returning this session with their new films. I am also pleased to introduce in this funding round a new avenue of support for established MENA directors, which reflects an integral part of our mission to support voices from the Arab world.” 

Films supported in previous sessions of the grants programme are strongly represented in the Festival de Cannes this year with five grantees making their world premiere in various sections. They are: ‘Waves ’98’ by Elie Dagher (Lebanon, Qatar) competing in the Official Short Film Competition; ‘Dégradé’ by Tarzan and Arab Abunasser (Palestine, France, Qatar) and ‘Mediterranea’by Jonas Carpignano (Italy, France, Germany, Qatar) in the Critics’ Week sidebar which is dedicated to showcasing innovative works by new filmmakers; ‘Lamb’by Yared Zeleke (Ethiopia, France, Qatar) in the main world cinema showcase, Un Certain Regard; and ‘Mustang’ by Deniz Gamze Ergüven (Turkey, France, Germany, Qatar) selected for the Directors’ Fortnight.

Submissions for the Fall 2015 grants session will open July 18 and close August 1.

The fund is primarily for first and second-time filmmakers with the exception of the category of Post-Production which is availableto established filmmakers from the MENA region.