The Doha Film Institute (DFI) has revealed the 29 projects receiving grants through its 2023 spring funding round, with titles including Cannes Competition entry Banel & Adama.
Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s film, which debuts tomorrow (Saturday 20) in the Lumiere Theatre, is one of seven titles receiving a post-production grant.
Scroll down for the full list of DFI spring 2023 grants
The France-Senegal-Mali-Qatar co-production is set in a northern Senegalese village, where a young married couple’s love challenges the customs of the local community.
The first-ever Congolese DFI awardee is among the selection: Nelson Makengo’s feature documentary Rising Up At Night, currently in post-production.
Titles also include Palestinian series Guests by Saleh Saadi, currently in development, which follows a family of five running a guesthouse in their Bedouin village in occupied Palestine.
The 29 projects hail from 18 countries, with four from Qatari or Qatar-based talent. Twelve of the projects are from women filmmakers.
The Doha Film Institute has now supported more than 750 films from 75 countries, with grants cycles in autumn and spring.
“We are on a mission to discover and promote original and independent voices in cinema,” said Fatma Hassan Alremaihi. “Our spring grants 2023 reinforces our continued commitment to filmmakers globally who have once again impressed us with the diversity and depth of the original themes they are exploring in their stories. This current cycle of projects was chosen from hundreds of compelling submissions, and we are proud to bring these soulful stories to global audiences.”
DFI spring 2023 grants
MENA feature narrative – development
Kohl & Cardamom (Egy-Sud-Qat) dir. Fady Atallah
Rabies (Leb-Qat) dir. Sandra Tabet
To Bled Or Not To Bled (Fr-Alg-Qat) dir. Azedine Kasri
MENA feature narrative – production
A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers (Alg-Fr-Bel-Qat) dir. Sofia Djama
Aïcha (Tun-Fr-Saudi-Qat) dir. Mehdi M. Barsaoui
Aisha Can’t Fly Away Anymore (Egy-Tun-Qat) dir. Morad Mostafa
La mer au loin (Fr-Qat) dir. Saïd Hamich Benlarbi
MENA feature narrative – post-production
Back To Alexandria (Switz-Fr-Qat) dir. Tamer Ruggli
East of Noon (Egy-Neth-Qat) dir. Hala Elkoussy
Non-MENA feature narrative – post-production
Banel & Adama (Fr-Sen-Mali-Qat) dir. Ramata-Toulaye Sy
Excursion (Bos/Her-Cro-Ser-Nor-Fr-Qat) dir. Una Gunjak
Lost Country (Fr-Ser-Lux-Cro-Qat) dir. Vladimir Perisic
The Women (Ger-It-Qat) dir. The Maw Naing
Ze (Fr-Mon-Neth-Ger-Qat) dir. Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir
MENA feature experimental essay – development
Tell It To Bridges (Leb-Qat) dir. Ali Hammoud
MENA feature documentary – production
I Am One Of Them (Pol-Qat) dir. Nadim Suleiman
MENA feature documentary – post-production
The Language Of Fire (Alg-Fr-Qat) dir. Tarek Sami
Non-MENA feature documentary – post-production
Ozogoche (Ecu-Qat) dir. Joe Houlberg
Rising Up At Night (DRC-Bel-Ger-B Faso-Qat) dir. Nelson Makengo
MENA TV series – development
Guests (Pal-Qat) dir. Saleh Saadi
Halaa’ (Leb-Saudi-Jor-Qat) dir. Amal Al Muftah
MENA web series – production
The House That My Mother Built (Sud-Qat) dir. Alyaa Musa
MENA shorts narrative – production
Autumn (Qat) dir. Aisha Al-Jaidah
The Experiment (Qat) dir. Abdulla Alhor
The Day I Smoked A Cigarette With My Father (Egy-Fr-Qat) dir. Sameh Alaa
MENA shorts documentary – production
Playground (Fr-Qat) dir. Mohamed Mesbali
MENA shorts experimental/essay – production
No Reaching Hand (Qat) dir. Betla Aldosari
L’mina (Fr-Mor-Qat) dir. Rande Maroufi
The Grocery List (Bah-Qat) dir. Taqwa Ali
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