Project talents will undergo intensive mentoring in Doha until March 6, followed by online sessions from March 9 to 11, offering extended training and networking.
The tenth annual edition of Qumra, the Doha Film Institute’s esteemed talent incubator event for Arab and international cinema, commenced with fervour as film auteurs and international industry experts convened to nurture emerging voices in cinema. Exclusive mentorship sessions, in-depth workshops, and a screening series featuring exceptional films that have left a decisive impact on audiences set the stage for this cinematic extravaganza.
Welcoming more than 200 industry experts and the talents associated with over 40 Qumra projects, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of Doha Film Institute, said: “Qumra is an extension of the Institute’s commitment to support promising filmmakers to overcome the various challenges of telling authentic stories. While we celebrate the progress that we have made in nurturing new voices in cinema, we are also confronted with the genocide in Gaza and the ongoing attempts to silence the voices crying out against it. This cultural genocide is a profound reminder of our responsibility as a global community to ensure that all voices are heard, and all lives are treated with dignity and respect.”
She added: “While the situation continues to worsen in Palestine and countries throughout the region including Yemen, Lebanon, Sudan and Syria, providing a platform to acknowledge the courage and resilience of those fighting against oppression becomes even more important. The Doha Film Institute has always been and will remain dedicated to realising important stories and amplifying unheard voices that connect us in our shared humanity. We are proud to be on the journey with these bold and evocative projects that will impact our societies for years to come.”
Doha Film Institute’s Artistic Advisor Elia Suleiman commented: “Qumra offers the opportunity to ask what must be done to take responsibility, and a moral and ethical position on what films enable us to discuss about genocides, massacres and horrible violence around the world. Here we have the benefit of distance from what is going on [in the region]. It allows the questioning of what must be done in the context of storytelling, and in the context of asking cinematic questions as we tell our stories. This is the right time to contemplate, meditate and take a solemn moment but also start to converse and discuss aesthetics to somehow have some inspiration and creativity.”
The opening day featured a master class by Toni Collette, renowned for her roles in The Sixth Sense, Knives Out, and Hereditary. Collette joined esteemed filmmakers Leos Carax, Claire Denis, Atom Egoyan, Jim Sheridan, and sound editor Martín Hernández as this year’s Qumra Masters.
Qumra 2024 aims to accelerate the success of filmmakers from diverse backgrounds, offering networking and development opportunities for more than 40 projects from over 20 countries. These include feature narratives, documentaries, shorts, and web/TV series. Notably, 11 projects are led by Qatari or Qatar-based directors.
Among the selected projects, 32 receive Doha Film Institute’s Grants programme, and three are supported through the Qatari Film Fund. Underlining the year-round support offered by the Doha Film Institute to new and independent voices, 15 projects have earlier participated in DFI Training Programmes such as the Hezayah Scriptwriting Lab, Producers Lab, Shorts Script Lab, Doc Lab with Rithy Panh, Series Lab, and First Cut Lab.
Supported by Doha Film Institute’s Grants programme and the Qatari Film Fund, selected projects will receive tailored mentorship on various aspects of filmmaking, from scripting to distribution strategies. Talents associated with the projects will participate in intensive mentoring sessions both in-person and online.
A limited number of Qumra Passes will be available to the public, offering access to all masterclasses and screenings in Doha on a first-come, first-serve basis. As Qumra 2024 unfolds, it promises to be a milestone event in the journey of nurturing and celebrating the next generation of cinematic talent.
