Doha Film Institute (DFI) announced the addition of award-winning actor and producer Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense, Knives Out, Hereditary) as a Qumra Master for the 10th edition taking place from March 1-6, 2024 in Doha.
Founder of Vocab Films, Toni joins acclaimed film visionaries, Leos Carax, Claire Denis, Atom Egoyan, Martín Hernandez and Jim Sheridan for the 2024 event dedicated to supporting important new voices from Arab and world cinema.
On its 10th anniversary, Qumra will offer networking and development opportunities for more than 40 projects from emerging filmmakers from over 20 countries, as part of its mission to accelerate the success of filmmakers from the region and beyond and prepare them to bring their stories to audiences around the world.
In a press statement, DFI CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi said: “We are honoured to welcome the contribution of accomplished actor and producer Toni Collette as one of our Masters. Her incredible command of storytelling and bringing humanity to characters makes her a perfect addition to the lineup of cinema luminaries who will provide invaluable mentorship to this year’s projects.
Talents associated with the projects will participate in intensive mentoring sessions from March 1 to 6 in Doha and online sessions from March 9 to 11, providing them with an extended period of training and networking opportunities.
The projects were selected by an expert panel of judges from hundreds of submissions received from filmmakers across the world. These include 13 feature narratives, 11 documentaries, 11 shorts and 7 web/TV series in various stages of production. Among the projects, 11 are helmed by Qatari or Qatar-based directors, including seven by nationals.
Among the selected projects, 32 are recipients of DFI’s Grants programme, and three are supported through the Qatari Film Fund.
Toni Collette
