Grants Catalogue 2017 Table of Contents Message from the CEO Grants Programme Team Feature Narrative Feature Documentary / Feature Experimental or Essay Short Narrative / Short Experimental or Essay Film Funding Seven years since its inception, the Doha Film Institute’s Grants Iceland, the diversity of cinematic voices in these cycles’ selection is truly Doha Film Institute Grants Programme continues to be an unparalleled source of support for emerging distinct. For the first time, we have projects by filmmakers from Bahrain, Programme filmmakers from the Arab world and beyond, and an important tool Somalia, Indonesia, Hungary and Iceland. that contributes to the development of the regional film industry. It is a All the chosen projects bring powerful tales to the fore – stories of hope, 2017 manifestation of a joint vision, ours and that of the filmmakers we support, to self-discovery, women empowerment, tales of family and of life in conflict tell bold stories through films that present compelling insights on humanity. zones – which present new and seldom-heard perspectives. The cultural Identifying and supporting emerging talents from across the world, and diversity that these projects highlight is matched with an amazing presence particularly voices from the Arab region, is central to our commitment to of 38 women filmmakers among the grantees, making up more than half of nurturing the next generation of filmmakers and contributing to the culture 2017’s pool. of storytelling. We support filmmakers from Qatar and the wider Arab region By covering all genres and experimenting with narrative forms, the DFI to highlight our distinct voices and cultural identity, and celebrate our values Grants Programme recipients continue to push cinematic boundaries, and our shared commonalities. contributing to the diversity of global cinema. It gives us a sense of pride to be able to say that over the years we have Through our Grants Programme, we are empowering talented young supported 379 films representing 61 countries. We are humbled to have the filmmakers from our region and beyond, to help fulfill their creative Institute’s name associated with an outstanding list of grantee alumni, whose aspirations. We are proud to be supporting the next generation of Arab and works portray important issues with a strong directorial vision, and earned international film talents, and we are delighted to see their numbers continue critical acclaim and numerous awards at leading global film events. to grow every year. In 2017, the DFI Grants Programme added new members to our I welcome the new Grantees to the DFI family and wish them all the best. community of alumni with a carefully curated selection of 64 projects from 22 countries – by first and second-time filmmakers, as well as three established directors from our region: Merzak Allouache, Annemarie Jacir and – Fatma Al Remaihi Mohamed Zineddaine whose works inspire new talents. CEO, Doha Film Institute I am delighted that this year includes eight new grants awarded to Qatari directors; a testament to the growth of young talents here, who are determined to make meaningful and quality films that add to the pride of our nation. The diversity of submissions for the 2017 cycles has been exceptional, and we selected these 64 projects for their ability to engage with audiences anywhere in the world. With projects from Algeria to Somalia and Chile to Doha Film Institute Hanaa Issa, Director of Strategy and Development Grants Team Khalil Benkirane, Head of Grants Meriem Mesraoua, Grants Senior Coordinator Eliza Subotowicz, Grants Senior Coordinator Vanessa Paradis, Grants Coordinator Wesam Said, Grants Assistant Feature Narrative Abou Leila Ava Beneath the Dunes The Blessed The Day I Lost My Shadow Days of Grace Dead Dog (working title) Disappearance Divine Wind Don’t Tell a Soul The Healer Joint Possession Late to Die Young The Load Noura Dreams Our Madness Papicha Saffron’s Land The Seen and Unseen Sofia The Translator The Unknown Saint Wajib Weldi Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Abou Leila The Algerian civil war of the 1990s Amin Sidi-Boumédiène was Set up in January 2010, Thala Films Spring Grants 2017 claimed thousands of victims born in France in 1982. In 2005, he is a film production company based Algeria, France, Qatar / Arabic and has traumatised the Algerian obtained his film-directing diploma in Algiers. Its ambition is above all people as a whole. This period from the Conservatoire libre du to take an active part in promoting Runtime: 120 is essential to me and to my cinema in Paris. He returned to and preserving Algerian culture. Amin Sidi-Boumédiène Genre: Drama, Road Trip, Thriller generation because it constitutes Algeria in 2008, where he worked Thala Films has produced two full- Director / Screenwriter the unsurpassable background as a director’s assistant, then in length documentary features to Algeria, March 1994. Childhood friends S. and Lotfi travel through the of our youth. To understand the 2010 he directed his first short film, date, as well as six short films that Algerian desert looking for Abou Leila, a dangerous terrorist on the foundations of this tragedy, which ‘Tomorrow, Algiers?’, which was have garnered numerous awards run. are also the foundations of the selected for a dozen festivals around at national and international film violent events in history, we have the world. His second short film, festivals. to go beyond particular debates ‘The Island’, was filmed in Algiers to embrace the root causes of this in 2012. His short film ‘Serial K.’ violence – which we got up close to (2014) screened at several festivals. Fayçal Hammoum and which, because of the trauma Currently, Sidi-Boumédiène is Producer caused, has contaminated all of us preparing his first feature-length in one way or the other. ‘Abou Leila’ film, ‘Abou Leila’. is not a film about the Algerian Civil War; rather, it is about the fragility of a man lost in a violent world. Algeria, 1994. Terrorist attacks have ravaged the north of the country for the past two years. Childhood friends S. and Lotfi travel through the Algerian desert looking for Abou Leila, a dangerous terrorist on the run. Their search seems absurd, given that the Sahara has not been affected by the wave of murders and bomb attacks that have been sweeping through the rest of the country. Lofti has only one priority: to keep S. as far from the capital as possible, knowing his friend is too fragile to face more bloodshed. As they approach the supposed hideout of Abou Leila, they learn of the mysterious Contact plight in a nearby village, where three youths have been killed under terrible Thala Films and suspicious circumstances. The Touareg inhabitants of the village believe Fayçal Hammoum the killer is a djinn, a desert spirit that ceaselessly roams the dunes. To S. the [email protected] demon is Abou Leila. Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Ava ‘Ava’ is a female-driven coming-of- Sadaf Foroughi is an Iranian- Sweet Delight Pictures (SDP) Spring Grants 2017 age drama, which has the cinematic born, Montreal-based filmmaker. is a Montreal-based company Iran, Canada, Qatar / Persian / 2017 aesthetic of a country in which She began her artistic career in founded by Kiarash Anvari and there are restrictions on portraying 2003, creating and producing short Sadaf Foroughi. Since 2001, Runtime: 102 women. The film tells the story films, documentaries and video SDP has produced short films, Sadaf Foroughi Genre: Coming of age, Drama, Social Issues, Women’s Issues, Youth of a teenage girl who is banished art. Foroughi participated in the documentaries and video art pieces, Director / Screenwriter / Producer from all social institutions simply Berlinale Talent Campus, where she which have been showcased at Iranian seventeen-year-old Ava challenges the strict rules of her because she wants to be different. was selected to participate in the various film festivals and cultural traditional upbringing and learns that her mother broke the rules as a My main inspiration in making ‘Ava’ ‘Why Democracy?’ short film project. venues around the world, among young woman as well. is to examine the role and influence Her short documentary ‘Féminin, them the Oberhausen Kurzfilmtage, of women in society. In this respect, Masculin’ (2007) was nominated the Witte de With Centre for my point of departure is a mother for the Best Non-European Film Contemporary Arts in Rotterdam, and a daughter in a small society Award at the Grand Off-European and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de called home. Mistrustful and often Off Film Awards in Warsaw, and Nantes. The first feature-length Kiarash Anvari overprotective, Ava’s conservative won the Best Short Film award at film produced by SDP, ‘The Pot and Producer mother exerts a lot of influence the Oxford Brooks University Annual the Oak’, had its world premiere at over the burgeoning young woman Film and Music Festival. She co- the 2017 International Film Festival as she attempts to pass her firmly wrote, co-produced, and appeared Rotterdam in the Bright Future held traditions down. Written in Kiarash Anvari’s feature-length Competition. ‘Ava’ is SDP’s second and directed in the form of a film ‘The Pot and the Oak’ (2017), feature-length film. Sweet Delight musical variation, ‘Ava’ pictures which had its world premiere in Pictures was nominated for the the possibilities in a society where the Bright Future Competition best Canadian Emerging Producer external determination has become Section of the International Film Award at the 2017 Canadian Media Ava’s first visit to the gynaecologist with her mother is a traumatic experience so overwhelming that the inner- Festival Rotterdam. Sadaf’s debut Producers Association (CMPA) Indie for the young woman.