A diverse slate of 14 films supported by Doha Film Institute (DFI) will be screened at the 22nd Sarajevo Film Festival, to be held from August 12 to 20, 2016.
This underlines the strong relations shared by the two entities and provides another platform for emerging filmmakers to highlight their talent, DFI has stressed in a statement.
Fatma al-Remaihi, CEO of DFI, said: “We share strong synergies with Sarajevo Film Festival, a prestigious event that showcases the newest trends in filmmaking. We are confident of the positive reception to these films, which present diverse themes and distinctive narrative structures that will resonate with audiences across the world.”
Among the highlights of the DFI showcase is the screening of two films in the exclusive Sarajevo Film Festival Partner Presents category. These include Hedi (Tunisia, Belgium, France, Qatar/2016), recipient of the institute’s Fall Grant 2013, directed and written by debutant Mohamed Ben Attia.
A romantic comedy about Hedi, a simple young man who takes life as it comes, the film charts his relationship with an activity leader during the week of his wedding celebrations. Highly acclaimed at Berlinale 2016, where it was the first Arab film in competition in two decades, the film won the Best First Feature Award and the Silver Bear for Best Actor.
Also to be screened in the same category is the feature documentary We Have Never Been Kids (Egypt, UAE, Qatar/2015), directed by Mahmood Soliman, and recipient of the Spring Grant 2014. The film tracks the subjects of Soliman’s 2003 documentary Living Among Us over the next 10 years, reflecting the socio-political changes in Egypt.
Dogs (Romania, France, Bulgaria, Qatar/2016), a recipient of DFI’s 2016 Spring Grant, is screening at Sarajevo Film Festival in the Feature Film competition for its regional premiere. Directed by Bogdan Mirica, the film had earlier been screened in the Un Certain Regard at Cannes Film Festival and narrates the story of a man who wants to sell the land he has just inherited near the Romanian border with Ukraine.
Under the Shadow (Iran, UK, Jordan, Qatar/2016), directed by Babak Anvari, is recipient of the institute’s Spring Grant 2015. Screening in the Kinoscope segment, the film is set in Tehran 1988 and revolves on the life of Shideh who lives amid the chaos of a war.  
In the In Focus segment, another Spring Grant 2014 recipient is being screened: Frenzy (Turkey, France, Qatar/2015). It is directed by Emin Alper and narrates the story of Kadir, who is released after a 15-year prison term and goes in search of his younger brother, Ahmet.  
In the CineLink Co-Production Market, One of These Days (Lebanon, Qatar/2017), recipient of DFI’s 2012 Spring Grant and currently in post-production, is being showcased. Directed by Nadim Tabet, the film is set in Beirut on an autumn day in a city on the edge of chaos.  
A number of films that are “Made in Qatar” by Qatari filmmakers and those who call the country home will also be screened. These include The Palm Tree by Jasim al-Remaihi, Asfoora by Mayar Hamdan, Good as New by Jasser Alagha, Yellow Nights by Abdullah al-Mulla, The Notebook by Amna al-Binali, Light Sounds by Karem Kamel, Veganize It by Khalid Salim and To My Mother by Amina Ahmed al-Bloshi.
DFI has formed a strategic alliance with Sarajevo Film Festival to strengthen connections between Arab and European cinema.  
Over the past years, the institute has curated films for Sarajevo Film Festival, while Danis Tanovi?, the celebrated Bosnian filmmaker, has served as a Qumra Mentor. Delegates of the festival have taken part in mentoring sessions with Qatari filmmakers and participate in both Qumra and Ajyal Youth Film Festival.