Film Funding Grants Programme 2013 Film Funding Grants Programme 2013 Doha Film Institute established its Grants We contribute to films that have strong directorial Programme with the vision of fostering creative vision and that are challenging, creative and talent in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) thought-provoking. Support for grantees is holistic, region. We are proud that over its first three- with financial assistance bolstered by professional and-a-half years the programme supported the development, mentorship and creative development development of more than 137 projects from opportunities that are made available throughout 14 countries. a project’s life cycle. In 2013, the Institute embarked on a new phase of the Grants Programme designed to further the It is our hope that through the Grants Programme goal of nurturing emerging talent. Projects from and the growing number of its alumni, we will all over the world became eligible for funding, continue to widen our flourishing community with a special focus on first- and second-time of filmmakers. As we extend our reach, we also filmmakers. enable professional, cultural and creative exchanges between our local talent and the wider international Alongside this expansion, the Institute’s industry. commitment to talent from the MENA region remains strong, with specific categories and I am honoured to welcome our newest grant criteria in place. Our focus on first- and second- recipients to the Doha Film Institute family. time filmmakers will greatly enhance our ability to discover and nurture new voices, both at home in Abdulaziz Al-Khater Qatar and around the globe. CEO, Doha Film Institute TABLE OF CONTENTS Feature Narrative 9 Feature Documentary 53 Short Narrative 83 Experimental / Essay 91 Feature Narrative 2 Rooms and a Parlor Burning Birds By the Time It Gets Dark Ghadi Ghetto Child Hedi History of Fear Honey Cigar House Without Roof James Dean and Me Lamb Land Men in the Sun Mountain Nawara – The Light Blue Satin Robe The Returning Son of a Dog Theeb Tramontane Wooden Rifle The Wounded Angel Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative 2 Rooms and a Parlor Spring Grant 2013 My first short films grew out of Sherif Elbendary graduated from the Renowned producer and scriptwriter ‘Oudtein W Sala’ / Egypt, Qatar / Arabic / 2015 an urge to reincarnate my close Faculty of Applied Arts at Helwan Mohamed Hefzy founded Film Clinic relationships. Then came ‘At Day’s University and studied film directing in 2006. Film Clinic is recognised After his wife’s death Khalil discovers that his routine life is End’, in which I assess my relationship at the High Institute of Cinema in as one of the leading production Sherif Elbendary about to end without exploring all its aspects, so he decides to with my father. Then I came across Cairo. He has taught film directing companies in the MENA region as a Director take a trip to Panama. one of a series of short stories by since 2008. His first short, ‘Rise & result of its creation of unique feature Ibrahim Aslan, in which the father- Shine’ (2006), showed at 75 film films and documentaries that tell son relationship was the same as festivals and won 15 awards. ‘At Day’s unprecedented stories of people, my experience. I decided it would be End’ (2008), Elbendary’s second places, and philosophies. In 2011, Film my next film. Aslan’s stories portray short film and graduation project, Clinic produced the award-winning the simple drama of daily life that I participated in 50 film festivals and films ‘Asmaa’ and ‘Tahrir 2011’, Mohamad Elazab have always loved; his characters are won 14 awards. His short ‘Curfew’ which had significant impact in the Screenwriter carefully studied and alive. Reading was part of the collective feature MENA region and touched audiences Aslan, I felt there was someone in ‘18 Days’, an official selection at the worldwide. Through its screenwriting Mohamed Hefzy, Racha Najdi the world of literature speaking with Cannes Film Festival in 2010. workshops, Film Clinic also acts Producer my own tongue. In literature, Aslan as a mentor to numerous aspiring sees things just as I see them in filmmakers who seek inspiration and cinema. So, mindful of the drama of encouragement. Our philosophy is daily life that I love; of the tiny details to blend the creative, vibrant ideas that make up our lives; of father-son of the younger generation with the relationships, I make my first feature knowledge of top cinema experts, in film: ‘Two Rooms and a Parlor’. an aim to present powerful films on the big screen. Khalil Suleiman has always preferred to stay away from other people, but after his wife’s death, he finds he is lonely. Realising his routine life is coming to its end before he has explored it fully, he decides to take a trip to Panama. His plans come up against many obstacles. He has no passport and only speaks Arabic – and his son disapproves of his plans. FiNANciaL INFOrmatiON Solving these problems and making travel arrangements forces Khalil to revisit his complicated relationship with his son and to become involved Total Budget: $950,649 Looking For: in the lives of his neighbours – all of whom are people he has avoided in Secured Financing: $610,000 • World Sales Agents the past. As Khalil gets closer to each of his neighbours and his son, and Confirmed Financial Partners: • Distributors (Gulf, Arab World, Europe) his travel date looms on the horizon, he finds his old ways of thinking • Doha Film Institute, Qatar • Co-Producers (Arab World) Contact are changing. • Cairo Film Connection, Egypt • Broadcasters (Worldwide except Arab World) Film Clinic • Arab Fund for Art and Culture, Lebanon • Film Funds (USA, Europe) Sherif Elbendary Current Status: Production • Post-Production Support 141 (A) Corniche El Nile, 9th floor, • Digital Partners Maadi Cairo, Egypt Shooting Format: 35mm +20 237 346 918 Runtime: 105 min [email protected] Genre: Dark Comedy, Drama, Family 10 11 Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Burning Birds Fall Grant 2013 When I was nine years old, the state Sanjeewa Pushpakumara’s first Neon Productions is a French Sri Lanka, France, Qatar / Sinhalese / 2014 army killed my mathematics teacher. feature film, ‘Flying Fish’ (2011), production company founded in 2002 That was in 1989. I cannot forget was supported by the Hubert Bals by Antonin Dedet. Since its creation, In a small village in eastern Sri Lanka, Kusum must fight to look how all the teachers and students at Fund. The film has been selected for Neon has produced or coproduced Sanjeewa Pushpakumara after her eight children by herself after her husband is tortured the school were aghast and worried. more than 20 festivals around the 12 feature films, more than 40 Director / Screenwriter / Producer and murdered by the state army. A year later, the army dragged my world, including the International short films and two feature-length young uncle out behind the house Film Festival Rotterdam. It has won documentaries. The company has and shot him in the head. That numerous awards, among them the co-produced work with more than a death left his family distraught and Best Director Award from the St. dozen countries around the world. in poverty. Another year later, my Petersburg International Film Festival, Working with directors who have a father died suddenly. I was just 11. and Best Asian Cinematographer singular viewpoint, the company aims Antonin Dedet My mother was left alone to raise my from the Asian Film Festival. to support ambitious and meaningful Producer seven siblings and me. There were art-house cinema. Neon’s latest days we spent in hunger; I still wonder feature, Algerian director Djamila at times how my mother managed Sahraoui’s ‘Yema’, was selected to feed us all. ‘Burning Birds’ is a film for the Orrizonti competition at that came out scratching my heart. the 2012 Venice International Film It is a look through a microscope at Festival; it has since received more myself, my mother and my country. than a dozen awards, and has been selected for more than 70 festivals. Iranian director Maryam Keshavarz’s ‘Circumstance’ won the Audience Award at Sundance and was released theatrically in numerous countries. 1989. A small village in eastern Sri Lanka. After her husband is abducted, tortured and murdered by state army, Kusum must fight to look after her eight children and mother-in-law all by herself. After being physically and sexually abused, and working a number of odd jobs, Kusum falls into prostitution. The police arrest her while she is working FiNANciaL INFOrmatiON in a brothel. Soon the news spreads throughout the village and her family’s fate is turned upside down… Total Budget: $688,444 Current Status: Pre-Production Secured Financing: $394,511 Looking For: ConfirmedF inancial Partners: • Co-Producers • Doha Film Institute, Qatar • Broadcasters • The Video Team Pvt Ltd, Sri Lanka • Film Funds Contact • Neoncam, Sri Lanka • Additional Funding Neon Productions Antonin Dedet 33, boulevard Longchamps Marseille 13001 France Shooting Format: HD +33 491 082 171 Runtime: 90 min [email protected] Genre: Drama, Family, War 12 13 Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative By the Time It Fall Grant 2013 In one of my most memorable English Anocha Suwichakornpong, also Electric Eel Films is a production lessons, I discovered the present known as ‘Mai’, was born in Thailand company based in Bangkok. Founded Gets Dark perfect progressive tense, which is and studied in the UK and the in 2006 by a group of up-and-coming used for something that happened USA. Her thesis film, ‘Graceland’, and independent filmmakers, we are ‘Dao Khanong’ / Thailand, Qatar / Thai / 2014 in the past and continues until now: became the first Thai short to be a small but high-quality production ‘I have been’.