The Doha Film Institute (DFI) has announced Sir Christopher Hampton, David Parfitt, Jacqueline West, Lynne Ramsay and Michael Winterbottom as the confirmed Qumra 2023 Masters, Sunday on the sidelines of the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival.Sir Christopher Hampton is a multi-Academy Award and Bafta-winning British playwright, screenwriter, and director (The Father, Dangerous Liaisons, Atonement).David Parfitt is a theatre, film and TV veteran and Academy Award-winning producer (The Father, Shakespeare in Love, My Week with Marilyn, Loving Vincent).Costume designer Jacqueline West is a four-time Academy Award nominee (The Revenant, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay is a Cannes award veteran (We Need to Talk About Kevin, You Were Never Really Here, Ratcatcher).Michael Winterbottom is a critically acclaimed British filmmaker (The Road to Guantanamo, A Mighty Heart, Welcome to Sarajevo) who has won the Golden Berlin Bear and Silver Berlin Bear Awards.Qumra 2023 is taking place from March 10-15.In the 9th edition of Qumra, the prolific filmmakers will deliver master classes to upcoming filmmakers from the region and around the world, providing them with unique creative development and mentorship opportunities.Qumra also provides participants with mentoring programmes led by global film industry experts, as well as key business meetings with leading film industry professionals.Supporting the script-to-screen journey of emerging filmmakers, Qumra 2023 will be held in an innovative hybrid format, with in-person events being held from March 10-15, and virtual sessions from March 19-21.In a statement, DFI chief executive Fatma Hassan Alremaihi said: "We are honoured to welcome five exceptional film luminaries who have defined individuality in cinema as our Qumra 2023 Masters.""The mentorship these accomplished film professionals provide will be invaluable to the success of the selected filmmakers and their projects," she said."Through our innovative hybrid model, we are able to foster the in-person engagement that is essential to the filmmaking process while offering the opportunity for filmmakers to extend discussions conveniently online," Alremaihi added. "We are excited to advance the work of these emerging talents, and are confident they will follow in the footsteps of earlier Qumra participants who have forged a path to global acclaim.""The latest edition of Qumra will continue its presence as a unique and important platform for important voices and compelling stories in Arab and world cinema," she said.DFI artistic adviser Elia Suleiman said: "The Qumra 2023 Masters are luminaries in world cinema, and bring a unique perspective on filmmaking that will incredibly benefit our filmmakers in their creative journeys. They have established their own distinctive idiom in cinema."Over the past eight editions, Qumra has been central to the success of filmmakers from the Arab world and beyond, and in supporting important independent voices in global storytelling.Selected projects, to be announced shortly, will have access to mentorship and networking sessions with the Qumra Masters as well as the hundreds of industry professionals and experts who will join this year’s edition.
February 19, 2023 | 11:28 PM