44 films from 17 countries chosen for DohaFilm Institute’s 2024 Spring Grants

Recipients of the programme announced at Cannes, which include 25 women filmmakers and six projects from Qatar

QNA

DOHA: The Doha Film Institute reaffirmed its dedication to fostering emerging voices in global cinema on Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival 2024, unveiling the recipients of its 2024 Spring Grants cycle.

A total of 44 films from 17 countries have been chosen for this round of the Middle East region’s enduring film development program, which has backed over 850 diverse projects from 75 countries to date.

Awarded in two cycles Spring and Fall the Institute Grants program is the region’s longest-serving film support initiative that identifies and nurtures first-and second-time filmmakers globally.

Seeking out and promoting original voices, the program aims to develop a community of filmmakers among the Institute’s alumni and encourage creative interaction among artists worldwide. To date, more than 850 film projects from 75 countries have benefited from the program that supports feature and short narratives, documentaries, essays and experimentals, as well as TV and web series.

In addition to Qatar, recipients of the 2024 Spring Grants include film projects from Algeria, China, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia along with first-time grantees from Malta, South Korea and Tajikistan.

Recipients include 25 women filmmakers and 14 returning grantees, along with six projects from Qatar-based talent, underlining the Institute’s commitment to supporting important voices and the continued evolution of independent cinema from the region and beyond.

Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, said: “The founding objective of our Grants program is to build a new collective of authentic voices who bring diversity and depth to the medium of cinema and encourage cross-cultural exchange and dialogue. Our aim is to identify new talent, amplify globally resonant stories and develop a robust ecosystem that nurtures powerful and moving storytelling to help emerging filmmakers realize their creative aspirations.

“We are proud to present a new slate of captivating projects from across the region and beyond chosen for their innovative filmmaking techniques, reiterating our commitment to nurturing original and independent voices in world cinema. We are particularly excited of the notable presence of female talent, who represent the bold new energy of filmmaking in the Arab world,” she said.