Doha Film Institute Announces Spring 2016 Grant Recipients

Doha, May 16 (QNA) - The Doha Film Institute announced the recipients of the Spring 2016 session of its Grants programme. Two of these new grantees, along with four recipients of funding from previous sessions, will have their world premieres at this years Festival de Cannes. Twenty six projects from 14 countries comprising 13 feature-length narrative films, 6 feature documentaries, 3 feature experimental or essay films and 4 short films will receive funding for development, production or post-production. The Spring session marks the 12th session of the grants programme, which is dedicated to supporting new cinematic talent, with a focus on first- and second-time filmmakers. Fatma Al Remaihi, CEO of the Doha Film Institute, said: "Our Spring grantees cover a broad range of subjects and represent some powerful new voices in cinema, but we are especially proud of the high quality of Qatari projects represented including four strong projects from established MENA filmmakers. Two of our grantees from this round are selected for screening in official selection in Cannes alongside four older grantee projects which I think is testament to the strength of our grants programme, the exciting new filmmakers emerging from our region and beyond, and the high quality of the films we are pleased to be able to support." "Our grantees represent the core of the Doha Film Institutes mandate to support emerging filmmakers and contribute to the development of the regional film industry and we continue to seek out projects with a strong directorial vision that are challenging, creative and thought-provoking." Two of the Spring 2016 grantees are also screening in key sections at this years Cannes Film Festival Dogs in Un Certain Regard, directed by Bogdan Mirica (Romania/France/Bulgaria, Qatar) about a man who wants to sell the land he has just inherited from his grandfather near the Romanian border with Ukraine, and Diamond Island in Critics Week, directed by Davy Chou (Cambodia/France/Germany/Qatar) about an adolescent who leaves his home village for the worksites of Diamond Island, a contemporary playground for the rich outside Phnom Penh where he finds his mysterious older brother Solei, whom he has not seen in years. Four other previous grantees selected for screening in official sections at Cannes this year Divines (Directors Fortnight), Apprentice (Un Certain Regard), Mimosas (Critics Week) and Tramontane (Critics Week). Stories of embezzlement, coming of age, time travel, liberation, physical or spiritual journeys, tales of family life and of life in exile are highlighted in the selections this Spring. Twenty of the projects are from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, while six are from the rest of the world. Three projects from Qatari directors are among the 26 projects selected for funding, four projects from Lebanon, three from Palestine and two returning grantees. Qatari-based directors Mohammed Al Ibrahims Bull Shark, Sara Al-Obaidlys Coming of Age feature narrative project and Abdulla Al-Mullas short Green Eyes all received grants this session. Co-directors Jasmina Metwaly and Philip Rizk are return grantees with their new project On Trials, after being previously granted in 2013 for their project Out on the Streets, and Kasem Khasra is also a second time grantee for I Dreamt of Empire after his previous grant for the project Shelter in 2013. Lebanese projects which have received backing include The President's Visit, Cyril Aris (Lebanon/Qatar), To the One Who Didnt Give Me Life, Wassim Geagea (Lebanon/Qatar), Summer of 2015, Angie Obeid (Lebanon/Qatar) and The Insomnia of a Serial Dreamer, Mohamad Soueid (Lebanon/Qatar). The three Palestinian projects who are grantee recipients this round are: A House in Jerusalem Muayad Alayan (Palestine/Qatar), Screwdriver - Bassam Jarbawi (Palestine/Qatar) and The Forgotten - Ghada Terawi (Palestine/Qatar). Highlights from this sessions grants include the strong presence of projects from established filmmakers in the MENA region with four projects as grantees this session Headbang Lullaby from Hicham Lasri (Morocco, France, Qatar), The Journey from Mohamed Al Daradji (Iraq, Qatar), Whispering Sands from Nacer Khemir (Tunisia, France, Qatar) and The Insomnia of a Serial Dreamer from Mohamed Soueid (Lebanon, Qatar). (END)