Post Eid celebrations, avid filmmaking talents of Qatar and the region are sure to find themselves busy. The Doha Film Institute (DFI) Grants Programme has called for submissions of projects for a limited period — from July 14 to July 27.
The Programme enables funding to international film projects that satisfy specific criteria. While development, production and post-production funding is available for short and feature-length projects, for features, a first- or second-time director must be attached. “Post-production funding is also available to established directors from Qatar and the Mena region. Funding is subject to criteria based on the nationality of the director,” DFI points out in its guidelines on the Programme.
The goals of the DFI Grants Programme are to identify new talent, seek out new cinematic voices and discover universally resonant stories. “The Institute’s approach is to champion projects whose thrust is to explore, expand and cultivate authentic storytelling, with a keen interest in propelling forward contemporary work that demonstrates a deep understanding of the specific possibilities of the medium of cinema,” DFI explains.
In the Fall 2015 session of the Programme — there are two grant submission cycles annually — 30 projects from 19 countries received grants. In that session — the eleventh of the Programme — 16 feature-length narrative films, 10 feature documentaries and four short films received funding for development, production or post-production. Twenty-four of the projects were from the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region — four out of which were from Qatar — while six were from the rest of the world.
DFI says that the Programme provides creative and financial assistance for short and feature-length projects, subject to eligibility criteria, by Qatari and international first- and second-time directors, as well as established Mena directors. Funding for experimental and essay projects is available to Qatar and Mena applicants only.
With regards to the Qatari applicants, DFI maintains that it seeks to strengthen and empower Qatari voices in filmmaking that have the potential to make significant contributions to the art of cinema. “Its focus on the growth and evolution of Qatar’s film community includes providing creative and logistical support for, and financial contributions to, work by filmmakers from Qatar,” DFI shares, “In addition to applying for funding through the grants programme, Qatari filmmakers with short and feature-length projects at any stage of evolution are invited to contact the Institute year-round at grants@dohafilminstitute.com to discuss grants, co-financing possibilities, internships with international productions, creative development seminars, mentorship initiatives and exhibition opportunities.”
While stories of displacement, physical or spiritual journeys, tales of family life, the power of nature and the importance of protecting the environment were highlighted in the selections in the Fall 2015 session of the Programme, it remains to be seen what sort of themes and tones dominate the submissions in this grants cycle.
For Mena applicants, development, production and post-production funding is available for first- and second-time directors for feature-length projects. Short films are eligible for production funding only. Established Mena directors may apply for post-production funding for feature-length projects. As for non-Mena applicants, post-production funding is available for feature-length projects by first- and second-time non-Mena directors. Since application sent by e-mail won’t be considered, filmmakers must submit via the online form, which is accessible only while submissions are open from July 14 to the midnight on July 27.
The DFI Fall Grant 2012 and 2015 recipient Divines, French director Houda Benyamina’s debut feature, made its world premiere at Cannes 2016 in Directors’ Fortnight, where it won a special mention for the SACD Prize and received a rousing standing ovation that lasted 10 minutes. The film follows the lives of two best friends, Dounia and Maimouna, who yearn for power and money in the rough Parisian neighbourhood where they live. They start to assist the drug dealer Rebecca, but talented young dancer Djigui also tempts Dounia into a different kind of life.
Meanwhile, DFI recently announced the fourth edition of its annual Ajyal Youth Film Festival, from November 30 to December 5. Building on DFI’s history of community-based film programming, the success of the Festival’s previous editions, as well as a year-round screening series, the six-day Ajyal, for the fourth year in a row, seeks to “bridge gaps and bring generations together through activities and events designed to inspire creative interaction among the various sectors of the regional community”.