Argentina’s eminent filmmaker Lucrecia Martel (The Swamp, The Holy Girl and The Headless Woman) and internationally-acclaimed producer Paulo Branco (The Lisbon Story, Cosmopolis, Time Regained) have been confirmed by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) as the final two Masters for the third edition of Qumra, taking place from March 3 to 8.
This was announced during the ongoing 2017 Berlin International Film Festival, where a strong showcase of captivating films supported by DFI are being screened.
Martel and Branco join the previously announced Qumra Masters: contemporary Iranian master Asghar Farhadi, French auteur Bruno Dumont, and Cambodian creative documentarian Rithy Panh. They will mentor first and second-time filmmakers during Qumra to support the development of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, the Arab region and around the world.
“Martel and Branco are luminaries in world cinema, who bring a unique perspective on filmmaking that will incredibly benefit emerging filmmakers who have been selected to participate in Qumra this year,” DFI CEO Fatma al-Remaihi said. She noted that the five Masters, while very different in style, are renowned for their innovative approach to filmmaking, and bring a wealth of experience to Qumra that will be invaluable for the participating filmmakers.
Filmmaker and DFI artistic adviser Elia Suleiman said the works of Martel and Branco have a vivid place in the history of world cinema.
“While Martel has brought some compelling films that stand out for their powerful themes and narrative style, Branco is the mind behind some very accomplished films of our time,” Suleiman added.
Martel studied at the National Experimentation Filmmaking School in Buenos Aires and made a number of short films between 1988 and 1994. Her award-winning short film Dead King was part of the omnibus film Brief Tales I, a collection of shorts by new Argentinian filmmakers.
All her films have been well-received at international film festivals, and she’s been a juror at festivals in Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Sundance and Rotterdam, among many others. Currently, Martel is in post-production with her fourth feature-length film, Zama, slated to premiere in 2017. Honoured by the European Parliament as the ‘Greatest European Producers,’ Branco embodies one of the most important figures of independent production in the world.
He has the largest number of films selected at the Cannes Film Festival (60 films with 36 in official selection) and to have competed for the Golden Palm.
He is recognised for having given their first chances to numerous aspiring filmmakers who turned into immense cinematographers, offering them the opportunity to make their screen debut. He has produced more than 300 films and worked with the most renowned film directors in the world including David Cronenberg, Wim Wenders, Chantal Akerman, Alain Tanner, Werner Schroeter, Olivier Assayas, Cédric Kahn, among many others.
