DFI has also announced the 40 projects by emerging filmmakers from more than 20 countries, that will participate in the event.
Australian actress and producer Toni Collette is set to participate in the Qumra project development incubator hosted by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) in Qatar, scheduled for March. Collette will not only attend but also mentor the creators of projects in the Qumra lab, many of whom are first- or second-time filmmakers.
Joining previously announced masters Leos Carax, Claire Denis, Atom Egoyan, Martin Hernandez, and Jim Sheridan, Collette’s involvement adds further prestige to Qumra’s 10th edition, which will run from March 1-6.
Qumra has curated a selection of 42 projects for its 2024 edition, encompassing 24 features, 11 shorts, and seven web or TV series in various stages of production. Notable among these is Eldorado, The Taste of the South from Alaa Eddine Aljem, the Moroccan director behind the Cannes 2019 Critics’ Week entry The Unknown Saint. The project, which recently participated in DFI’s fall grants round, follows a group of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa arriving at a secret island, navigating the rules of a new society.
These projects will benefit from tailored creative mentorship covering storytelling, filmmaking techniques, directing, editing, cinematography, and sound. Additionally, they will receive business advice on financing, co-production strategy, marketing, packaging, project positioning, festival and distribution strategies, pitching, and matchmaking.
Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, CEO of DFI, highlighted Collette’s storytelling prowess, stating her addition to the lineup is ideal. She emphasised Qumra’s commitment to supporting global filmmakers, particularly those traditionally under-represented in cinema, in their journey from script to screen.
Among the selected projects, 32 are previous recipients of DFI’s Grants programme, three received support through the Qatari Film Fund, and 11 are helmed by Qatari or Qatar-based directors. These projects, spanning feature narratives, documentaries, shorts, and web/TV series, were chosen by an expert panel from hundreds of submissions worldwide.
The diverse array of projects includes Al-Dana by Nora Al-Subai (Qatar), Trouble Magnet by Ahmad Saleh (Palestine, Germany, Jordan, Qatar), Roqia by Yanis Koussim (Algeria, France, Qatar), Aïcha by Mehdi Barsaoui (Tunisia, France, Italy, KSA, Egypt, Qatar), Ma by The Maw Naing (Myanmar, South Korea, France, Qatar), Locust by KEFF (Taiwan, France, USA, Qatar), House No 7 by Rama Abdi (Syria, Qatar), My Mother & I by Dilpak Mated (Iraq, Egypt, Qatar), Hawa by Najba Nouri and Rasul Nouri (Iran, France, The Netherlands, Afghanistan, Qatar), Son of the Streets by Mohammed Almughanni (Palestine, Poland, Qatar), and Khartoum by Rawia Alhaq, Anas Saeed, Timmea Ahmed, Ibrahim Ahmad (Sudan, UK, Germany, Qatar).
