Doha Film Institute (DFI) announced the recipients of its 2025 Spring Grants cycle representing independent voices from more than 35 countries.

Some 45 diverse projects from the Arab world and internationally will benefit from the Middle East's long-standing film development initiative, that has supported over 950 projects to date from more than 75 countries.

DFI Grants programme, awarded biannually in Spring and Fall, is dedicated to identifying and nurturing first and second-time filmmakers. It champions feature and short narratives, documentaries, experimental and essay films as well as TV and web series.

The Spring Grant 2025 recipients include 16 projects by women filmmakers, 12 returning filmmakers, and five projects by Qatari and Qatar-based talent. This round sees the return of Yemen and Sudan through women’s voices, and Gulf representation across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar.

Alongside Qatar, the selected films represent France, Iraq, Canada, UK, Jordan, Tunisia, Italy, Egypt, Lebanon, the US, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Switzerland, Belgium, Libya, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, South Africa, Mozambique, Palestine, Portugal, Russia, the Netherlands, Iran, India, Norway, Denmark, Morocco, Syria, Rwanda, Yemen, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain.

In a press statement, DFI CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi said: “These 45 films reflect the bold, diverse, and deeply human stories that challenge convention and are shaping the future of cinema."