The Doha Film Institute (DFI) has announced the recipients of its 2023 Fall Grants cycle, featuring more than 40 films from over 30 nations, which were selected from hundreds of entries submitted by first- and second-time filmmakers and acclaimed Mena (Middle East and North Africa) directors.
The programme has supported more than 800 diverse film projects from 74 countries to date, including feature and short narratives, documentaries, experimental essays, and serial content for broadcast and streaming platforms.
In addition to Qatar, the 2023 Fall Grantees include projects from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Croatia, Egypt, France, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Madagascar, Morocco, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, the Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Spain, South Africa, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tunisia, the UAE, the US, and Zanzibar, among others.
The recipients include 20 women filmmakers, with 12 returning grantees and five projects from Qatar-based talent.
In a press statement, DFI chief executive Fatma Hassan Alremaihi said: “The volatility of today’s economic, social, and political conditions adversely impacts the support for creative talent, especially for independent voices in cinema with limited access to film finance.”
“We are on a mission to identify and support these voices because we believe that their stories mirror the harsh lived realities of many communities through creative visions that need to be realised,” she said.
