The Doha Film Institute (DFI) announced yesterday the recipients of the Qatari Film Fund Spring 2017 grants, dedicated to nurturing home-grown filmmaking talents by providing all-around support to young Qatari directors who are passionate about cinema and bring creative approaches to storytelling.
Launched in 2015, the Qatari Film Fund selects eight shorts and up to four feature projects through two funding cycles per year. Feature films developed through the fund are eligible for financial support for production and one film will be selected for the fund the following year. Selected short films are eligible for funding valued up to QR182,500, and the Institute will work closely with the filmmakers throughout the development, production and post-production stages.
For the Spring 2017 cycle, six talented Qatari filmmakers have been chosen for the grant from a record number of submissions received. The awarded projects include the feature narrative Khuzama, by A.J. Al-Thani; the short animation film Fragile by Kholoud Al-Ali; the short documentary Untitled Arab Museum Documentary (working title) by Majid Al-Remaihi; and three short narratives – I Am My Own Guardian by Mahdi Ali Ali; End of the Road by Ahmad Al-Sharif; and Nasser Goes to Space by Mohamed Al Mahmeed.
Fatma Al Remaihi, Chief Executive Officer of DFI, said: “The Qatari Film Fund celebrates the skills and accomplishments of Qatari filmmakers, and highlights the importance of providing multi-faceted support to develop a home-grown culture of filmmaking. Our goal is to inspire, nurture and empower the next generation of storytellers, who present our stories to global audiences, and serve as a window into the creative aspirations of Qatar’s emerging filmmaking talents.
“We had an extremely competitive pitch for the Spring 2017 cycle with several high-quality projects submitted by our emerging talents. The selected projects stand out for their originality, creativity and narrative power, and are diverse in their genre and approach. At the Doha Film Institute, we believe in the power of compelling filmmaking that question perceptions and presents new perspectives. We are proud of our filmmakers for their innovative approach to cinema and for tackling challenging subjects with confidence,” she added.
Since its launch in 2015, the Qatari Film Fund has supported 17 projects including 12 shorts, one documentary and four features. The first completed projects from the 2015 Qatar Film Fund recipients, Nora Al-Subai’s Al Johara and Amer-An Arabian Legend by Jassim Al Rumaihi, marked their world premiere at the 2016 Ajyal Youth Film Festival.
