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Qumra
Qumra 2024 Archive
Doha Film Institute presents Qumra, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world.
Main
Qumra 2024
1 - 6 March
We are very excited to start announcing our upcoming public programme for this year’s Qumra, which includes incredible Master Classes with internationally acclaimed filmmakers, as well as a showcase of some of the best feature films from this region and beyond, supported by the Doha Film Institute.
As part of Qumra, we have made the following programmes accessible to the public:
Qumra Master Classes
This year’s Qumra Masters are legendary figures in filmmaking whose pioneering efforts and visionary works have helped shape our industry and left an indelible mark in world cinema. These include three-time Palme d’Or Nominee Leos Carax, Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated actress Toni Collete, Cannes Grand Prize-winning auteur Claire Denis, five-time Cannes Award Winner Atom Egoyan, two-time Oscar-nominated sound designer Martín Hernández and six-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jim Sheridan.
Our esteemed group of six internationally renowned film luminaries will share their insights in a series of Master Classes that will offer invaluable advice, guidance and inspiration for participating filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences alike.
Qumra Screenings
We are proud to present a selection of eight extraordinary feature-length films from the region and beyond. Our programme for 2024 is a true celebration of the art form, offering insights into different cultures, experiences, and visions that enrich our understanding of the world.
Each supported by the Doha Film Institute, these screenings highlight the institute’s role in championing cinema and reflect our commitment to fostering a dialogue between cultures. Audiences are invited to immerse themselves in a journey that spans genres, themes, and geographies—showcasing the power of film to entertain, enlighten, and unite.
Qumra Pass (In-person with full access)
As a member of the public, you can now gain access to our exceptional Qumra programme. With a Qumra Pass, audiences can attend all our Master Classes and Qumra Screenings in-person in Doha. Capacity is strictly limited, and applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis—so be sure to book your Qumra Pass soon to avoid disappointment.
Qumra Pass Online (Master Classes only)
Unable to attend in person? With Qumra Pass Online, you can still enjoy our series of inspirational Master Classes via our virtual platform.
Individual Screenings
Only interested in attending the film programme? Tickets to individual in-person screenings are also available. Please check our Qumra Screenings programme for more details.
Join us as we celebrate incredible cinema together!
Public Screenings
Qumra Screenings
This year, we are proud to present a selection of eight extraordinary feature-length films from the region and beyond. Our programme for 2024 is a true celebration of the art form, offering insights into different cultures, experiences, and visions that enrich our understanding of the world.
Each supported by the Doha Film Institute, these screenings highlight the institute’s role in championing cinema and reflect our commitment to fostering a dialogue between cultures. Audiences are invited to immerse themselves in a journey that spans genres, themes, and geographies—showcasing the power of film to entertain, enlighten, and unite.
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Bye Bye Tiberias
Director / Screenwriter: Lina Soualem
Followed by Q&A sessionIn her early twenties, Hiam Abbas left her native Palestinian village to follow her dream of becoming an actress in Europe, leaving behind her mother, grandmother, and seven sisters. Thirty years later, her filmmaker daughter Lina returns with her to the village and questions for the first time her mother’s bold choices, her chosen exile, and the way the women in their family influenced both their lives...Read more
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Déserts
Director / Screenwriter: Faouzi Bensaïdi
Set in the vast, unforgiving landscapes of southern Morocco, ‘Déserts’ tells the tale of two petty criminals, Mehdi and Hamid, who traverse the desert in their wrinkled suits and ties. Their mission? To recover defaulted-upon loans for their agency from villagers stricken with poverty and struggling with drought. The film juxtaposes comedy with the harsh realities of life in the desert, presenting a unique road movie experience...Read more
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A Fidai Film
Director / Producer: Kamal Aljafari
Followed by Q&A sessionIn the summer of 1982, the Israeli army invaded Beirut. During this time, it raided the Palestinian Research Center and looted its entire archive. The archive contained historical documents of Palestine, including a collection of still and moving images. Taking this as a premise, 'A Fidai Film' aims to create a counter-narrative to this loss, presenting a form of cinematic sabotage that seeks to reclaim and restore the looted...Read more
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Tiger Stripes
Director / Screenwriter: Amanda Nell Eu
The first amongst her friends to hit puberty, Zaffan, 12, discovers a terrifying secret about her body. Ostracised by her community, Zaffan fights back, learning that to be free, she must embrace the body she feared, emerging as a proud, strong woman. And like a tiger who has been dragged out of its habitat and poked because we fear it because we don’t know it—Zaffan decides to finally reveal her true self, her wrath, rage...Read more
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Geology Of Separation
Director / Screenwriter: Yosr Gasmi, Mauro Mazzocchi
Followed by Q&A sessionA poignant exploration of the migrant experience, this documentary-drama hybrid focuses on the lives of Abderhaman and Laly, two asylum seekers searching for a home but trapped in a land of limbo. The film perfectly captures the endless bureaucratic battles faced by those seeking refuge. The title refers to a time around 230 million years ago when our continents joined as one landmass called 'Pangea'...Read more
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Banel & Adama
Director / Screenwriter: Ramata-Toulaye Sy
Followed by Q&A sessionA touching narrative that examines the complexities of love against the backdrop of cultural and societal expectations in a remote village in northern Senegal. This Palme d'Or-nominated romantic drama film portrays the deep bond between starcrossed lovers Banel and Adama as they navigate the challenges posed by their community and traditions. The narrative is not just a confrontation between tradition...Read more
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About Dry Grasses
Director / Screenwriter: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Followed by Q&A sessionA profound portrait centred around a young teacher named Samet, working in rural eastern Anatolia. With aspirations of relocating to Istanbul, his life takes an unexpected turn when he is accused of abusing a student. The film, noted for its exploration of moral dichotomies such as good versus evil and individualism against collectivism, delves deep into the despair of isolated communities and the complexities of...Read more
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The Mother of All Lies
Director / Screenwriter: Asmae El Moudir
Followed by Q&A session An evocative documentary offering a engrossing exploration of memory, history, and identity. Set against the backdrop of Morocco's tumultuous 1980s, particularly the Bread Riots and Years of Lead—the film uses a creative blend of interviews, miniature recreations, and doll-like figures to tell the story of El Moudir's own family. Through this innovative narrative approach, El Moudir interrogates the absence of her...Read more
Fri, 1 March, 7:00 PM
Fri, 1 March, 9:30 PM
Sat, 2 March, 7:00 PM
Sat, 2 March, 9:30 PM
Sun, 3 March, 7:30 PM
Mon, 4 March, 7:30 PM
Tues, 5 March, 7:30 PM
Wed, 6 March, 7:30 PM
Industry Programme
Qumra 2024
Industry Programming Guide
1–6 March (in-person)
9–11 March (online)
Welcome to Qumra 2024
Doha Film Institute is proud to present Qumra, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world.
Qumra is designed to provide creative and professional support to directors and producers attached to twenty-six features, seven series and ten short film projects in development, production, and post-production, both fiction and documentary.
The primary motive of this gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first and second-time filmmakers.
This year, our Qumra Projects include a number of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, as well as regional and international recipients from the Institute’s Funding and Training Programmes.
Qumra 2024 is organised into five main sections:
Qumra Master Classes are inspiring daily sessions led by one of our esteemed Qumra Masters.
Qumra Screenings are a slate of compelling feature films funded by the Institute through its training, grants, and co-financing initiatives.
Qumra Meetings are a series of one-on-one meetings, roundtables, feedback panels, workshops, and tailored mentoring sessions between representatives from the selected projects and seasoned industry experts.
Qumra Series will see seven teams present their series projects, currently in development, to a group ofme international industry professionals and experts in the serialized format, through individual and group advisory sessions.
Qumra Shorts are an intensive workshop during which 11 Qatar-based filmmakers will present their short film projects, currently in development, to a group of international shorts experts.
Selected participants will have the opportunity to participate in the following events:
QUMRA WORKING BREAKFASTS
Working Breakfasts (Breakfast Talks)
A series of moderated roundtable discussions where representatives of labs and festivals, sales agents, distributors, VoD platforms and financiers present their companies to the projects, share their expertise with them and discuss current industry trends.
Working Breakfasts (Feedback Panels)
Pre-arranged moderated group meetings where participants present their projects for feedback from sales agents, distributors, and financiers.
SCREENINGS
Qumra Shorts Work in Progress Screenings and Feedback panel
Closed preview screenings of 4 Qumra Shorts projects in the final stages of post-production where rough cuts of projects are presented for select festival programmers to provide immediate, individual feedback to the filmmakers.
Work-in-Progress and Picture Lock Industry Screenings (Features)
Closed preview screenings of 20-minute excerpts from 13 feature-length Qumra projects in the final stages of post-production. Twenty-minute excerpts of projects are presented for select festival programmers, sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, post-production funds and VoD platforms.
MEETINGS
The Qumra Meetings are a series of one-on-one meetings, group sessions, roundtables, and tailored mentoring sessions between representatives from the selected projects and seasoned industry experts.
Preparatory Meetings
Briefing meetings for project delegates with moderators and mentors to prepare for their screening and feedback sessions, and consultations with Qumra experts.
Script Consultations
Intensive individual consultations with expert script advisors for grantees with projects in the early stages of development.
Rough Cut Consultations / Editing Consultations
Intensive sessions with industry experts offering individual consultation to grantees with projects in post-production, providing bespoke advice regarding structure and editing.
One-on-One Tutorials
Individual advisory sessions tailored to the needs of the project at hand. Industry experts cover a broad range of subjects, from creative feedback related to storytelling, filmmaking and directing or business advice pertaining to financing strategies and legal considerations for co-productions, marketing & packaging, and project positioning, to festival strategies and sales.
Feedback Panel
A panel of industry experts provides immediate, individual feedback to the Qumra projects in post-production stages, based on the 20-minute excerpt presented.
Match Made Meetings
Pre-arranged one-on-one meetings in which participants present their projects to industry experts and discuss opportunities for collaboration, including sales and distribution.
Group Work Session with Filmmakers
Participants will engage in group work sessions with acclaimed directors who will share their experiences, discuss their vision, inspiration and artistic approaches, as well as the challenges they have been facing on their journey, in an informal atmosphere. Project delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions and to receive insights and creative feedback.
QUMRA SERIES
Seven teams will present their DFI-supported series projects to a group of international industry professionals through individual and group advisory and pitching sessions. They will have the opportunity to meet with writers, producers, creators, showrunners, labs and markets representatives, funders, broadcasters and VoD platforms with the aim of enhancing their projects and getting them a step closer to completion.
QUMRA SHORTS
An intensive workshop where ten filmmakers present their short film projects, currently in development, production, or post-production stages, to a group of international industry professionals—including script consultants, filmmaker mentors, producers, lab representatives, and festival programmers—all experts in the short form. The programme seeks to continue the Doha Film Institute’s support for filmmaking talent in Qatar and the region.
QUMRA ONLINE
Qumra Industry Screenings
Exclusively for programmers, sales agents, distributors and VoD platforms participating remotely in the online extension of Qumra, the 20-minute excerpts of the Qumra feature and the rough cuts of the Qumra shorts projects in post-production will be accessible upon invitation via Festivalscope to watch from March 1-15.
Qumra Shorts Feedback Panels
A panel of three shorts industry experts provides immediate, individual feedback to the Qumra Shorts projects in post-production stages, based on the rough cut presented on Festivalscope. The total time for these feedbacks is 30 minutes for each presented projected, divided among the speakers.
Qumra Shorts Industry Roundtables
A series of online roundtable discussions where representatives of labs and festivals experts in the short form present their companies to the projects, share their expertise with them and discuss current industry trends. These 'Zoom' sessions last 90 minutes and feature three speakers alongside a moderator. Approximately 30 minutes of each session will be dedicated to questions from registered participants.
Qumra Series – Online Pitch
Seven series projects will be presented to a group of international industry professionals and receive direct feedback on their presentation from producers, creators, showrunners, labs and markets representatives, funders, broadcasters and VoD platforms with the aim of enhancing their projects and getting them a step closer to completion.
Online - One-on-One Tutorials
Individual sessions tailored to the needs of the project at hand. Industry experts cover a broad range of subjects, from creative feedback related to storytelling, filmmaking and directing or business advice pertaining to financing strategies and legal considerations for co-productions, marketing & packaging, and project positioning, to festival strategies and sales.
Online - Match Made
25-minute one on one meeting between industry guests and project teams, to discuss opportunities of collaboration and share business advises on their projects.
Master Classes
We are truly honoured to present our Qumra Masters, a group of internationally renowned creative visionaries who will share with us their professional insights in a series of inspirational Master Classes to support the development of global storytelling.
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Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan, C.C., B.A., D.Litt., L.L.D., R.C.A., born in Cairo, Egypt, is a renowned figure in the cinematic world, lauded for his roles as writer, director, and producer. His illustrious career encompasses numerous critically acclaimed feature films...
Read MoreAmong these are six that have competed for the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival—‘Exotica’ (1994), ‘The Sweet Hereafter’ (1997), ‘Felicia’s Journey’ (1999), ‘Where the Truth Lies’ (2005), ‘Adoration’ (2008), and ‘The Captive’ (2014)—a testament to his reputation and standing in the international film community. Egoyan’s ‘Ararat’ (2002), a poignant exploration of the Armenian Genocide, was also featured at Cannes.
Egoyan’s accolades include five awards at the Cannes Film Festival – the Grand Prix, International Critics Awards, and Ecumenical Jury Prizes. His exceptional talent has also earned him two Academy Award® nominations and twenty-five Genie Awards (Canadian Screen Awards), featuring three Best Film Awards. Egoyan’s films have graced numerous international film festivals, including Venice, TIFF, Berlinale and New York, with his work celebrated through retrospectives in cities like Paris, Madrid, New York, Brussels, and Mexico City, offering comprehensive overviews of his remarkable career.
Demonstrating his talent as a storyteller across any form, Egoyan has achieved similar acclaim in opera and theatre. His 2015 direction of ‘Die Walküre’ swept the Dora Awards with nine nominations, with Egoyan winning for Best Direction, and he was honoured with a 2016 Opera Canada Award (Rubie) for Film and Stage Direction. Egoyan’s theatre productions have also received widespread critical recognition, notably his interpretation of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Eh Joe’, which won The Irish Times/ESB Award for Best Direction. This production, starring Michael Gambon and Penelope Wilton, was described as ‘the greatest half-hour in theatrical history’ by The Sunday Times. His art installations have been showcased at the Venice Biennale and various prestigious institutions, with his work ‘Steenbeckett’, commissioned by the UK’s Artangel, forming part of the Tate’s permanent collection.
His latest film, ‘Seven Veils’, just recently had its International Premiere at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival, adding to his legacy of mesmerising storytelling and visual artistry. Egoyan has been knighted by the French government and is a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honour. He is also a recipient of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement—a fitting accolade for a visionary who has profoundly influenced the realms of cinema, opera, theatre, and art. -
Claire Denis
Claire Denis, an illustrious French film director and writer, is celebrated as one of contemporary Europe’s most distinctive auteurs. Her work, deeply rooted in her childhood memories, delves into the complexities of colonial and post-colonial West Africa and modern France...
Read MoreDenis’ directorial debut and Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or nominated ‘Chocolat’ (1988) is a semi-autobiographical reflection on African colonialism that examines racial tension, forbidden desire and belonging—themes that would later go on to define her as a filmmaker.
Her portfolio of work includes acclaimed films such as ‘US Go Home’ (1994), Locarno Golden Leopard winner, ‘Nénette et Boni’ (1996), ‘Beau Travail’ (1999), ‘Trouble Every Day’ (2001), and ‘Vendredi Soir’ (2002). Denis’s ’35 Rhums’ (2009) received widespread acclaim for its portrayal of a father-daughter relationship within a mixed immigrant community. Her film ‘Bastards’ (2013) was presented at Un Certain Regard at Cannes Film Festival in 2013. In 2017, Denis returned to Cannes with ‘Let The Sunshine In’, screened as the opening film in Directors’ Fortnight and winner of the SACD prize. In 2018, she ventured into English-language cinema with ‘High Life’, starring Robert Pattinson. Denis enjoyed an incredibly successful and deservedly acclaimed 2022 with her emotionally cutting ‘Both Sides of the Blade’ winning the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and her enigmatic ‘Stars at Noon’, nominated for the Palme d’Or and awarded the Grand Prize of the Cannes Film Festival.
Recognised for their unique approach, Denis’ films challenge viewers to confront the boundaries of body, culture, and identity. Over the five decades of her career, Denis has become a fearless chronicler of life in colonial and post-colonial Africa, evident in films like ‘White Material’ (2009). In 2023, she received the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s Career Achievement Award, highlighting her status as one of the best living filmmakers and a master at depicting the inner self and the lines that divide us.
Claire Denis’ career is a testament to her extraordinary talent in capturing nuanced human experiences through film. She is renowned for her ability to explore the delicate interplay between individuals and how seemingly trivial connections can profoundly alter lives. At the core of Denis’ cinematic voice lies an intrigue with the joy and challenges of belonging and otherness, often focusing on how the intrusion of an outsider, be it a stranger or a foreigner, necessitates the coexistence of the conventional with the unconventional. Her work has not only inspired and advanced French cinema but also offers a profound reflection on colonial legacies and personal identities. -
Jim Sheridan
Jim Sheridan is an eminent Irish playwright, screenwriter, film director, and producer whose work has significantly influenced both film and theatre over the past four decades. His remarkable journey began with directing two critically acclaimed films set in Ireland, ‘My Left Foot’ (1989) and ‘In the Name of the Father’ (1993), followed by other notable works like ‘The Boxer’ (1997) and ‘In America’ (2002)...
Read MoreThroughout his career, Sheridan has earned six Academy Award nominations, a testament to his profound impact on cinema.
Sheridan’s influence extends beyond the director’s chair. He has been a pivotal figure in Ireland’s cultural landscape, co-founding the avant-garde Project Theatre in Dublin with director Neil Jordan and serving as the Director of The Irish Arts Center in New York. His films, which have garnered 16 Academy Award nominations, 14 Golden Globe nominations, three Berlin International Film Awards, three Writers Guild of America Awards, eight BAFTA, and eight Irish Film and Television Academy Awards, reflect his deep connection to Irish life and its relationship with the wider world.
His collaborations with Daniel Day-Lewis in three films, including the Academy Award-winning ‘My Left Foot’, have not only showcased Sheridan’s ability as a director but also played a part in establishing Day-Lewis as, according to Time Magazine, ‘The World’s Greatest Actor’. Sheridan’s versatility as a filmmaker is further highlighted by his work on big-budget studio productions such as ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2005), ‘Brothers’ (2009), and ‘Dream House’ (2011).
Sheridan has produced his own large-budget productions and has helped nurture the voices of many other rising Irish talents. He has supported Academy Award-winning writer/director Terry George, director John Carney, whose film ‘Once’ won an Academy Award in 2008, and Paul Greengrass for his breakthrough movie ‘Bloody Sunday’. Sheridan also wrote ‘Into the West’ for director Mike Newell, who later directed the critically acclaimed ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’.
Sheridan’s extensive and varied career highlights his unique ability to capture the essence of Irish identity and its nuances. His contributions to film and theatre have truly enriched Irish cultural life and left an indelible mark on the international stage—cementing his place as an iconic contributor and supporter of the creative arts worldwide. -
Leos Carax
Leos Carax is a filmmaker whose work defies the conventional boundaries of narrative and style. Beginning as a film critic, Carax swiftly transitioned to filmmaking, presenting his feature directorial debut ‘Boy Meets Girl’ in 1984 at Cannes Critic’s Week, which signalled the arrival of a prodigious talent, marrying a deep understanding of film language with a unique cinematic voice. Carax’s filmography is rich with thematic and stylistic innovations...
Read MoreFollowing his debut, he directed the Berlinale Golden Bear-nominated ‘Mauvais Sang’ (Bad Blood, 1986), a film that further established his reputation as a director with a distinctive visual and narrative style. This was succeeded by ‘Les Amants du Pont Neuf’ (The Lovers on the Bridge, 1991), a film that combines gritty realism with poetic romanticism, showcasing Carax’s ability to blend contrasting elements into a harmonious whole.
After a hiatus from feature filmmaking, Carax returned with the Palme d’Or nominated ‘Pola X’ in 1999, a film that continued his exploration of intense emotional and visceral landscapes. In 2008, he contributed to the anthology film ‘Tokyo!’, which was screened at Un Certain Regard in Cannes and highlighted his adaptability and willingness to experiment within different formats and storytelling frameworks. Carax’s 2012 film ’Holy Motors’, selected for Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, is perhaps his most audacious and critically acclaimed work. The film, a kaleidoscopic journey through the life of a man living multiple lives in a single day, is a testament to Carax’s skill in bending cinematic conventions and his fearlessness in exploring the surreal and the avant-garde.
His latest feature film, ‘Annette’ (2021), a pop-rock melodrama starring Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver, represents a culmination of his stylistic and thematic preoccupations. The film, which received the prize for Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival, along with four Lumière awards and five Césars, including Best Director, is a testament to Carax’s enduring ability to innovate and captivate. ‘Annette’ blends elements of music, drama, and fantasy, creating a cinematic experience that is both unique and unforgettable. Leos Carax’s career is marked by a relentless pursuit of artistic innovation, an unwavering commitment to emotional authenticity, and a daring that challenges and expands the possibilities of cinema. His work provokes and inspires, solidifying his status as a true master in the world of film. -
Martín Hernández
Martín Hernández is an internationally revered supervising sound editor and sound designer whose distinguished career has seen him become a two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Sound Editing for ‘Birdman’ (2014) and ‘The Revenant’ (2015), directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu...
Read MoreHe is also a BAFTA winner for ‘The Revenant’ and has been nominated for ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, ‘Babel’, and ‘Birdman’.
Recently, Hernández co-supervised and designed for director Issa López the 4th season of the HBO critically acclaimed ‘True Detective: Night Country’. In the last couple of years, Hernández and his team made the sound for ‘Radical’, a film by director Chris Zalla, debuting at Sundance Film Festival 2023, co-supervised ‘Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths’ by Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, ‘The Sky Is Everywhere’ by Josephine Decker, and ‘Emily the Criminal’ by John Patton Ford. In 2020, he re-mixed the ’Amores Perros’ soundtrack released by Criterion Collection on the 20th Anniversary of the film. Martín Hernández has been directing the Sound Post division at Cinematic Media, developing series for HBO, Netflix, and Amazon.
Hernández began his career in 1985 as a radio host and producer at Mexico City’s WFM969, where he worked alongside Alejandro G. Iñárritu, creating radio short stories and an on-air production style that became a hallmark of the era. He ventured into sound design for film with Iñárritu’s first feature, ‘Amores Perros’ (2000), which earned a Golden Globe nomination and an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film. His collaborations extend to directors like Fernando Meirelles for ‘City of God’, Guillermo Del Toro for ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ and ‘Hellboy II’, Sean Penn for ‘Into the Wild’, Walter Salles for ‘On the Road’, Joe Swanberg for ‘Digging For Fire’ and ‘Win It All’, and Josephine Decker for ‘Thou Wast Mild and Lovely’ and ‘Madeline’s Madeline’.
Martín Hernández’s mastery in crafting auditory experiences that elevate the narrative essence of films has established him as a luminary in the field. His critically acclaimed work is a testament to his exceptional ability to create immersive soundscapes that transport audiences into the heart of the story. His nuanced understanding of sound as a narrative tool and his innovative use of technology have not only earned him prestigious accolades but have also profoundly influenced the art of cinematic sound. Through his pioneering efforts, Hernández continues to redefine the boundaries of auditory experience in film, making him a true master of sound design. -
Toni Collette
Toni Collette is a paragon of versatility and depth in the art of role interpretation, theatrical expression, and thespian craftmanship...
Read MoreHer career spans over two decades and is marked by an enviable array of characters she has brought to life with vivid authenticity, masterful depiction, and emotional resonance. Her journey in the performing arts began in Australia, where she honed her craft at the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), laying the groundwork for a career that would see her grace both the screen and the stage with equal aplomb. Collette’s foray into the international cinematic landscape was heralded by her riveting performance in P.J. Hogan’s ‘Muriel’s Wedding’ (1994), a role that not only gained her Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations but also established her as a formidable talent. Her ability to embody complex characters was further showcased in M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Sixth Sense’ (1999), which earned her an Academy Award nomination and cemented her status in the industry.
Collette’s dedication to her craft is evident in her choice of diverse and challenging roles, from the critically acclaimed ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ (2006) to the psychologically intense ‘Hereditary’ (2018), which was lauded at Sundance. Her Primetime Emmy Winning performance for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for ‘United States of Tara’ (2009), followed by her emotionally powerful, Golden Globe-nominated performance in ‘Unbelievable’ (2019) and the Oscar-nominated ‘Knives Out’ in the same year, truly showcase her immense range and depth as an actor. Collette most recently starred in Bong Joon-Ho’s ‘Mickey 17’, which is to be released in spring 2024, as well as Clint Eastwood’s dramatic thriller ‘Juror #2’, reuniting her with actor Nicholas Hoult and due for release in autumn 2024.
Not confined to the silver screen, Collette has also left an indelible mark on the stage, earning critical acclaim for her Broadway performances, notably in ‘The Wild Party’ (2000) and ‘The Realistic Joneses’ (2014), the latter of which saw her, and her fellow actors win the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. Beyond her acting prowess, Collette has ventured into production, most notably through her company Vocab Films with the independent feature ‘Mafia Mamma’ (2023), further demonstrating her multifaceted talent and dedication to the art form. Toni Collette’s journey from the stages of Australia to the sold-out cinema theatres worldwide is a testament to her enduring talent, work ethic, and the profound impact she has made on audiences and peers alike. Her trajectory continues to inspire, reminding us of the transformative power of storytelling through the lens of one of the most gifted actresses of our time.
Qumra Pass
Qumra Pass 2024
Doha Film Institute proudly presents the tenth edition of Qumra, an international gathering for filmmaking talent. Through our Qumra Pass, we are delighted to invite members of the local and regional creative communities to take part in:
Qumra Master Classes
A group of 6 internationally renowned film luminaries will convene in Doha to share their insights in a series of Master Classes offering invaluable guidance for the benefit of participating filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences.
Qumra Screenings
A selection of 8 remarkable feature-length films from the region and beyond—all of which were made with the support of the Doha Film Institute.
There are multiple ways you can participate in Qumra this year, from the ever-popular Qumra Pass (Full in-person access to all Master Classes and Screenings), to our convenient Qumra Pass Online (Master Classes only via our virtual platform) or even just attending individual screenings in Doha.
Capacity is strictly limited for in-person options, and registrations close on 25 February—so be sure to book your Qumra Pass now!
Register for your Qumra Pass here
Pricing
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Qumra Pass (In-person with full access) Standard Price: 500 QAR *Discounted Price: 350 QAR *Valid for Students. • All 5 Master Classes • Al 8 Qumra Screenings • Access to our library of Qumra 2024 Master Classes. |
Qumra Pass Online (Virtual access to Master Classes) Standard Price: 150 QAR *Discounted Price: 120 QAR *Valid for Students. • Access to our library of Qumra 2024 Master Classes. |
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Individual Screenings Tickets to individual screenings are also available. Please check our Qumra Screenings programme for more details. |
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Qumra Projects
Qumra Projects
Qumra is designed to provide creative and professional support to directors and producers attached to twenty-seven features, seven series and ten short film projects in development, production, and post-production, both fiction and documentary.
The primary goal of this gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first and second-time filmmakers. This year, we proudly feature a diverse group of emerging filmmakers from Qatar and beyond, all of whom have benefited from Doha Film Institute’s comprehensive Funding and Training Programmes.
Development / Feature Narrative
In Production / Feature Narrative
Picture Lock / Feature Narrative
Development / Feature Documentary or Essay
Work In Progress / Feature Documentary or Essay
In Production / Feature Documentary or Essay
Qumra Series
Development / Shorts
In Production / Shorts
Work In Progress / Shorts
Development / Feature Narrative
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Eldorado, The Taste of the South
Alaa Eddine Aljem
A group of migrants are looking to reach Eldorado, a secret utopian island where everyone lives in peace. They eventually arrive in a tomato sauce factory of the same name.
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To Leave or To Stay
Azedine Kasri
Dali, a suspended Franco-Algerian pilot, turns to cultivating his parents' olive fields in Algeria. Hindered by a large electrical pole and a dispute with Raïssa over land, they grapple with the decision to leave or stay, encapsulating the Algerian dilemma.
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Al-Dana
Nora Al-Subai
Accused of bringing a curse on the village by the disappearance of the famous black pearl, Al-Dana sets out on an adventure to restore her home, find her missing father, and heal old wounds.
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Trouble Magnet
Ahmad Saleh
Ali, a dramatic teenager, rides an imaginary donkey from Palestine to Germany, carrying to his best friend risky yet humorous tales of his journey, including the story of how he lost his tooth.
In Production / Feature Narrative
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Aisha Can’t Fly Away
Morad Mostafa
The underworld of African migrant society in Cairo and the tension between the different groups, as witnessed by Aisha, a Somali caregiver.
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Roqia
Yanis Koussim
In 1993, Ahmed, rendered amnesic by a car crash, fears his returning memory. Meanwhile, a disciple of an old Raqi (a Muslim exorcist) is worried that his master’s Alzheimer’s may unleash a long-contained evil.
Picture Lock / Feature Narrative
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Across the Sea
Said Hamich Benlarbi
1990. Nour, 27, has immigrated illegally to Marseille. With his friends, he lives a marginal and festive life...
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Ma
The Maw Naing
A young Burmese woman, Mi-Thet, moves to the big city to work in a garment factory to support her family. She is forced to confront traumas in her past as the desperate city life collapses around her during a labour strike.
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Perfumed with Mint
Muhammed Hamdy
Lurking through their city's remains, old friends reunite in a nightmare where mint sprouts out of their bodies. Relentlessly chased by ruthless shadows, will the companions escape the maze, or will they endlessly hide in empty streets filled with memories?
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Celebration
Bruno Anković
We find Mijo hiding in the woods as a soldier of the defeated fascist army at the end of the Second World War. Through his life, we explore the circumstances that led to the expansion of extremism, both in the past and today.
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Locust
KEFF
‘Locust' is set in Taiwan, where a mute twenty-nothing struggles to find meaning in the injustice of everyday life.
Development / Feature Documentary or Essay
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House No 7
Rama Abdi
After escaping their conservative societies, three girls meet and rent rooms in an old Damascene house. They manage to create a safe space isolated from everything. However, the girls soon begin to face many threats and protecting their fragile space becomes a challenge.
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In the Shade of the Royal Palace (Dwellers of the Cabins)
Hend Bakr
My people and I used to live together in the centre of the city, but we were completely detached—as if we lived in a distant, isolated village.
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My Mother & I
Dilpak Majeed
A woman in her seventies, deeply connected with her sheep, embarks on a journey through loss and change when her mother falls ill.
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After Tahar
Soufiane Adel
At 40 years old, in a road movie, I'm drawing a portrait of my father and his fifteen brothers and sisters and my grandfather's Tahar, an Algerian rifleman in Indochina—our self-portrait as Algerian immigrants.
Work In Progress / Feature Documentary or Essay
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Do You Love Me
Lana Daher
A personal journey through Beirut’s fractured historical, social, cultural, and political landscapes. Using archive footage, the film weaves together the past and the present to better understand Lebanon’s history and status today.
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Hawa
Najiba Noori and Rasul Noori
Forty years after her arranged marriage as a child, Hawa is eager to finally begin an independent life and to be literate. However, with the return of the Taliban to power—her dreams and those of her daughter and granddaughter are shattered.
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Naseem, Fight With Grace
Ana Naomi De Sousa
The “people’s history” of British-Yemeni featherweight boxer Naseem Hamed, who became a world champion in 1995. Derided by English commentators and journalists as arrogant and flashy—he was celebrated and lionised from Sheffield to Sanaa.
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Son of the Streets
Mohammed Almughanni
Against all odds, a stateless Palestinian child in a Beirut refugee camp embarks on a courageous journey for recognition, education, and a brighter future in ‘Son of the Streets’.
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The Myth of Mahmoud
Mayar Hamdan and Shaima Al Tamimi
Mayar captures the lives of her Palestinian family, who made Doha their home 60 years ago. Led by her mother, Amal, who is approaching retirement, they once again grapple with the dilemma of moving or fighting to remain.
In Production / Feature Documentary or Essay
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Khartoum
Rawia Alhaq, Anas Saeed, Timmea Ahmed, Ibrahim Ahmad (Snoopy)
A street boy, a civil servant, a tea lady, and a medic—four lives weave together in peace and war in this creative documentary set in the city of Khartoum, Sudan.
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Niemeyer 4 Ever
Aurélia Makdessi
The International Fair, created by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, is officially closed to the public. Nevertheless, in this urban, offbeat and human tale, Spark, Rana, Maher and Mona do everything to rehabilitate the imagined utopia.
Qumra Series
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All About Adam
Mehdi Hmili
An exploration of the tumultuous life of Adam Mejri, also known as the “Tunisian Bernard Madoff”, who is the most reviled figure in the country due to his controversial actions.
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Beautiful Things
Basel Owies
An over-achieving university student is forced into a life of crime to protect her family and advance her legitimate political aspirations.
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Dyouf
Saleh Saadi
A family of five runs a guesthouse in their Bedouin village in Occupied Palestine while living in a turmoil of relations, identity, and career.
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Hazawi
Latifa Al Darwish and Abdulaziz Yousef
An adventure animation series that takes place in the late 1980s, featuring a magical world full of Jinn creatures and two children.
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The Blue Wedding
Samia Dzaïr
In France, an Algerian family celebrates the union of their eldest son with a young woman from their community. The next morning, he is found dead in their wedding bed.
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Rabet
Aya Al Blouchi and Basel Owies
An anthology series of Middle Eastern crime stories that explore the complex ironies of human morality involving members of a tragically absurd society they can’t escape.
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My Sister and I
Zaid Hamdan and Lucy DerTavitian
Two Saudi sisters use education to escape crushing poverty and patriarchy. Their imperfect family is a microcosm for a country grappling with the changes of a rapidly growing economy which propels modernity.
Development / Shorts
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Becoming a Vampire
Kummam Al-Maadeed and Abeer Al-Kubaisi
Sara struggles with her draining corporate job and the social pressure from her mother. But when a vampire bites her—she finds an opportunity to reclaim her autonomy and embrace her freedom.
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Before the Day Breaks
Amal Al-Muftah
Family, work, and financial pressures boil over when Nour, a young truck driver, encounters an obstacle while delivering an urgent, unusual shipment to Qatar.
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Sundial
Atheel Elmalik
Against the backdrop of an intensifying war, a family struggles with an impossible decision about whether to stay or leave. Without access to electricity, Najma has to rely on the sun to find the right time to see Ziyad.
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The Land Was Well Past its Zenith
Rita Mahfouz
What if cameras were fashioned outside the bounds of linear perspective? How would an altered photographic representation depict distressed spaces? This non-perspectival ‘documentation’ of Beirut depicts the forces that regulate the city following the recent events of 2019-20.
In Production / Shorts
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Autumn
Adnan Nassari and Aisha Al-Jaidah
Autumn: a romantic tragedy of the captivity of ambitious thoughts under short roofs.
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La Nuit a Peine
Wiame Haddad
In what appears to be a Palestinian refugee camp, we find ourselves somewhere between 1982 and the present day in a fictionalised documentary reconstruction depicting the eve of the Sabra and Shatila massacre in Lebanon.
Work In Progress / Shorts
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I Lay to Wait for You to Sleep
Ali Al Hajri
Following a serious car accident, a man embarks on a desert odyssey in search of his requiem.
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I Wished for Solitude
Hamad Alfayhani
Bader, a young man, struggles with the news that he is losing his face.
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Can You See Me?
Dhoha Abdelsattar
A lonely woman trapped in the cycle of a mundane life spirals into emotional turmoil until she is forced to confront herself.
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Theatre of Dreams
Fatma Al-Ghanim
The captain of the first-ever Qatari Women’s Football Team grapples with the painful hidden costs that come with being part of the pioneering generation of women who broke through cultural taboos in pursuit of their footballing passion and dreams.
Partners
Qumra 2023 Archive
Doha Film Institute presents Qumra, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world.
Main
Qumra 2023
10 - 15 March
We are very excited to start announcing our upcoming public programme for this year’s Qumra, which includes incredible Master Classes with internationally acclaimed filmmakers, as well as a showcase of some of the best feature films from this region and beyond, supported by the Doha Film Institute.
As part of Qumra, we have made the following programmes accessible to the public:
Qumra Master Classes
A group of 5 internationally renowned film luminaries will convene in Doha to share their insights in a series of Master Classes that will offer invaluable guidance for the benefit of participating filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences.
Qumra Screenings
This year, we are proud to showcase a selection of 8 remarkable feature-length films from the region and beyond as our Qumra Screenings—all of which were made with the support of the Doha Film Institute.
Qumra Pass (In-person with full access)
As a member of the public, you can now gain access to our exceptional Qumra programme. With a Qumra Pass, audiences can attend all our Master Classes and Qumra Screenings in-person in Doha. Capacity is strictly limited, and applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis—so be sure to book your Qumra Pass soon to avoid disappointment.
Qumra Pass Online (Master Classes only)
Unable to attend in person? With Qumra Pass Online, you can still enjoy our series of inspirational Master Classes via our virtual platform.
Individual Screenings
Only interested in attending the film programme? Tickets to individual in-person screenings are also available. Please check our Qumra Screenings programme for more details.
Join us as we celebrate incredible cinema together!
Public Screenings
This year, we are proud to showcase a selection of 8 remarkable feature-length films from the region and beyond as our Qumra Screenings—all of which were made with the support of the Doha Film Institute.
Fri, 10 March, 7:00 PM
Fri, 10 March, 9:30 PM
Sat, 11 March, 7:00 PM
Sat, 11 March, 9:30 PM
Sun, 12 March, 7:30 PM
Mon, 13 March, 7:30 PM
Tues, 14 March, 7:30 PM
Wed, 15 March, 7:30 PM
Industry Programme
Doha Film Institute presents Qumra, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world.
Qumra 2023
10 - 15 March (in-person)
19 - 21 March (online)
Qumra is designed to provide creative and professional support to directors and producers attached to twenty-six features, seven series and eleven short film projects in development, production, and post-production, both fiction and documentary.
They will include a number of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, as well as regional and international recipients from the Institute’s Funding and Training Programmes.
Download Qumra 2023 Catalogue.
This edition will be organised into five main sections:
Qumra Master Classes are inspiring daily sessions led by one of our esteemed Qumra Masters.
Qumra Screenings are a slate of compelling feature films funded by the Institute through its training, grants, and co-financing initiatives.
Qumra Meetings are a series of one-on-one meetings, roundtables, feedback panels, workshops, and tailored mentoring sessions between representatives from the selected projects and seasoned industry experts.
Qumra Series will see seven teams present their series projects, currently in development, to a group of international industry professionals and experts in the serialized format, through individual and group advisory sessions.
Qumra Shorts are an intensive workshop during which 11 Qatar-based filmmakers will present their short film projects, currently in development or production, to a group of international shorts experts.
Selected participants will have the opportunity to participate in the following events:
QUMRA WORKING BREAKFASTS
Working Breakfasts (Breakfast Talks)
A series of moderated roundtable discussions where representatives of labs and festivals, sales agents, distributors, VoD platforms and financiers present their companies to the projects, share their expertise with them and discuss current industry trends.
Working Breakfasts (Feedback Sessions)
Pre-arranged moderated group meetings where participants present their projects for feedback from sales agents, distributors, and financiers.
INDUSTRY SCREENINGS
Work-in-Progress and Picture Lock Industry Screenings
Closed preview screenings of 20-minute excerpts from 13 feature-length Qumra projects in the final stages of post-production. Twenty-minute excerpts of projects are presented for select festival programmers, sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, post-production funds and VoD platforms.
MEETINGS
The Qumra Meetings are a series of one-on-one meetings, group sessions, roundtables, and tailored mentoring sessions between representatives from the selected projects and seasoned industry experts.
Preparatory Meetings
Briefing meetings for project delegates with moderators and mentors to prepare for their screening and feedback sessions, and consultations with Qumra experts.
Script Consultations
Intensive individual consultations with expert script advisors for grantees with projects in the early stages of development.
Rough Cut Consultations / Editing Consultations
Intensive sessions with industry experts offering individual consultation to grantees with projects in post-production, providing bespoke advice regarding structure and editing.
One-on-One and Group Tutorials
Individual and group advisory sessions tailored to the needs of the project at hand. Industry experts cover a broad range of subjects, from creative feedback related to storytelling, filmmaking and directing or business advice pertaining to financing strategies and legal considerations for co-productions, marketing & packaging, and project positioning, to festival strategies and sales.
Feedback Panel
A panel of industry experts provides immediate, individual feedback to the Qumra projects in post-production stages, based on the 20-minute excerpt presented.
Match Made Meetings
Pre-arranged one-on-one meetings in which participants present their projects to industry experts and discuss opportunities for collaboration, including sales and distribution.
QUMRA SERIES
Seven teams will present their DFI-supported series projects to a group of international industry professionals through individual and group advisory and pitching sessions. They will have the opportunity to meet with writers, producers, creators, showrunners, labs and markets representatives, funders, broadcasters and VoD platforms with the aim of enhancing their projects and getting them a step closer to completion.
QUMRA SHORTS
An intensive workshop where eleven filmmakers present their short film projects, currently in development or production, to a group of international industry professionals—including script consultants, filmmaker mentors, producers, lab representatives, and programmers—all experts in the short form. The programme seeks to continue the Doha Film Institute’s support for filmmaking talent in Qatar.
Master Classes
We are truly honoured to present our Qumra Masters, a group of internationally renowned creative visionaries who will share with us their professional insights in a series of inspirational Master Classes to support the development of global storytelling.
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David Parfitt
David Parfitt is an independent film, TV and theatre producer who has had a legendary career in the entertainment industry spanning over 30 years. He is known for his passion for storytelling and ability to bring complex and nuanced characters to life on screen...
Read MorePrior to producing, Parfitt enjoyed a career as an actor before co-founding the Renaissance Theatre Company with Kenneth Branagh. In 1988 Parfitt and Branagh joined with business partner Stephen Evans to form Renaissance Films. They went on to produce the Academy Award-winning ‘Henry V’ (1989) and the contemporary comedy ‘Peter’s Friends’ (1992). Continuing Renaissance’s interest in the classics, they also produced the successful film version of ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ (1993) and the Academy Award-nominated short ‘Swan Song’ (1991).
Parfitt briefly left Renaissance to co-produce ‘Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’ (1994) before returning to the re-formed company to produce the hugely successful films ‘The Madness of King George’ (1994), nominated for four Academy Awards, the highly acclaimed ‘Twelfth Night’ (1996), directed by Trevor Nunn and ‘The Wings of the Dove’ (1997) starring Helena Bonham Carter which was also nominated for four Academy Awards. In 1998, Parfitt produced the multi-award-winning ‘Shakespeare in Love’, winner of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and four BAFTA Awards, including Best Film. In 2010 he produced the BAFTA and Oscar-nominated ‘My Week with Marilyn’, followed in 2011 by Tom Stoppard’s award-winning adaptation of ‘Parade’s End’ for BBC and HBO. Parfitt was Executive Producer on the world’s first hand-painted animated feature film, the DFI-supported ‘Loving Vincent’, which was nominated for both BAFTA and Academy Awards in the Animation category.
Most recently, Parfitt produced ‘The Father’ (2020), which was written by Florian Zeller and fellow Qumra Master, Sir Christopher Hampton. The poignant film starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman was nominated for numerous awards, winning two Academy Awards and two BAFTAs. Parfitt has produced some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful films of the last few decades. He has also held prestigious roles in the industry, such as Chairman of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) from 2008–2010 and Chair of Film London from 2010–2017. Throughout his career, he has been celebrated for his ability to find and nurture new talent and his determination to bring unique and compelling stories to the screen. -
Jacqueline West
Jacqueline West is a visionary costume designer who has brought to life some of the most memorable characters in contemporary cinema. She has earned a remarkable four Academy Award nominations for her work on ‘Dune’ (2021), ‘The Revenant’ (2015), ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ (2008) and ‘Quills’ (2000)...
Read MoreFor ‘Dune’ and ‘Benjamin Button’, she also received BAFTA and Costume Designer Guild Award nominations, winning the Costume Designer Guild Award for Sci-Fi/Fantasy for ‘Dune’. West received another Costume Designer Guild Award nomination for ‘Argo’ (2012).
After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, West followed in the footsteps of her mother, a popular avant-garde fashion designer in the 1940s and 50s. From 1988 to 1997, West ran her own company and designed a nationally acclaimed clothing line—going on to own retail stores in the Bay Area and contemporary departments in Barney’s New York and Tokyo. West’s first foray into film, as a creative consultant on ‘Henry and June’ (1990), was the start of a long relationship with award-winning director Phillip Kaufman. This led to future projects with such illustrious filmmakers as Terrence Malick, David Fincher, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Ben Affleck, Denis Villeneuve, and Martin Scorsese.
With an eye for detail and an unwavering commitment to authenticity, Jacqueline has a reputation for creating costumes that not only look stunning but also serve to truly enhance the story being told. She has done five films with Malick starting with ‘The New World’ (2005) and including ‘The Tree of Life’ (2011), ‘To the Wonder’ (2012), and ‘Knight of Cups’ (2015). She has also designed ‘Live by Night’ (2016) for Ben Affleck, ‘The Gambler’ (2014) for Rupert Wyatt, ‘Water for Elephants’ (2011) for Francis Lawrence, ‘The Social Network’ (2010) for David Fincher, and ‘State of Play’ (2009) for Kevin MacDonald amongst others. West recently designed Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and ‘Dune: Part II’ for Denis Villeneuve. Her unique style and dedication to her craft have made her one of the most sought-after designers in the world, and her work continues to inspire and captivate audiences. -
Lynne Ramsay
Lynne Ramsay is an award-winning Scottish filmmaker known for her unique visual style and powerful storytelling. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Ramsay initially studied fine art and photography at Napier College, Edinburgh. Discovering her passion for filmmaking after seeing Maya Deren’s film ’Meshes of the Afternoon’ (1943),...
Read Moreshe went on to study cinematography and direction at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, England. Ramsay began making short films in college and immediately established herself as a rising star in the industry with her graduation short ‘Small Deaths’. The film won the Jury Prize for Best Short Film at Cannes Film Festival in 1996, followed soon after by ‘Gasman’, which won the same prize in 1998.
Transitioning to the longer form, Ramsay had a similar meteoric rise, winning a BAFTA award for Most Promising Newcomer for her haunting debut feature ‘Ratcatcher’ (1999). She then went on to direct ‘Morvern Callar’ (2002), a psychological drama which received a slew of awards, including two at Cannes. In 2011, Ramsay directed the highly acclaimed film ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’, which starred 2018 Qumra Master, Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly. The film explored the complex relationship between a mother and her son and received widespread critical praise and recognition, including a Palme d’Or nomination —solidifying Ramsay’s reputation as a filmmaker with a unique and uncompromising vision.
Ramsay’s most recent feature film, ‘You Were Never Really Here’ (2017), starred Joaquin Phoenix as a traumatised veteran turned mercenary. The film was lauded for its atmospheric cinematography, powerful performances, and uncompromising vision—earning Ramsay another Palme d’Or nomination, the Best Screenplay Award and Phoenix the Best Actor Award at Cannes Film Festival in 2017. Throughout her career, Ramsay has proved herself as a filmmaker who is unafraid to tackle difficult and unconventional subject matter. She is celebrated worldwide for her ability to create deeply emotional and impactful stories that truly resonate with viewers. -
Michael Winterbottom
Michael Winterbottom is a critically acclaimed British filmmaker known for his diverse body of work that ranges from unconventional narratives to hard-hitting social commentary. Born in 1961 in Blackburn, England, Winterbottom began his career in British television, going on to direct the BAFTA-winning mini-series ‘Family’ (1994) and long-running and much-lauded ‘The Trip’ (2010–2020)...
Read MoreWinterbottom transitioned to film in the early 1990s and quickly established himself as an innovative director and writer—known for his unconventional approach to storytelling, often blending genres and utilising non-linear narratives in his films. His early work, including ‘Butterfly Kiss’ (1995) and ‘Go Now’ (1995), showcased his willingness to experiment with both form and style. He continued to push the boundaries of conventional filmmaking with films like ‘Welcome to Sarajevo’ (1997) and ’24 Hour Party People’ (2002), which entwined elements of drama, comedy, and documentary.
In addition to his unique style, Winterbottom is also known for his socially conscious films, which often tackle issues such as political injustice, poverty, and human rights. Such films include 'In This World' (2002), which followed the journey of two Afghan refugees as they make their way from Pakistan to London, 'The Road to Guantanamo' (2006), a dramatised account of the experiences of three British Muslims who were imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay and the heartrending 'Eleven Days in May' (2022), which documents the bleak reality of life in Gaza today.
Winterbottom has received numerous awards for his work, including a BAFTA and Golden Berlin Bear Award for ‘In This World’ (2002), a Silver Berlin Bear Award for ‘The Road to Guantanamo’ (2006) and the François Chalais Award at Cannes Film Festival for ‘A Mighty Heart’ (2007). He has also been nominated three times for the Palme d’Or for ’24 Hour Party People’ (2002), ‘Wonderland’ (1999) and ‘Welcome to Sarajevo’ (1997). Winterbottom’s work has consistently been recognised for its unparalleled style, thought-provoking subject matter, and ability to both engage and entertain audiences. -
Sir Christopher Hampton
Sir Christopher Hampton is a multi-award-winning British playwright, screenwriter, and director known for his thought-provoking and emotionally resonant works. Born in 1946 in London, Hampton began his accomplished career at eighteen with the play ‘When Did You Last See My Mother?’—making him the youngest playwright on record to have a show in the West End...
Read MoreHampton’s work quickly gained recognition and acclaim, with plays such as ‘The Philanthropist’, ‘Savages’, ‘Tales from Hollywood’, ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses’, ‘White Chameleon’, ‘A German Life’ and ‘Visit from an Unknown Woman’.
In addition to his work as a playwright and screenwriter, Hampton has also been a director and translator, bringing works by playwrights such as Ibsen, Molière, von Horváth, Chekhov, Yasmina Reza, and Florian Zeller to the English-speaking stage. His plays, musicals and translations have so far garnered four Tony Awards, three Olivier Awards, five Evening Standard Awards and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award.
Hampton is equally prolific in writing for film with an incredible slate of screenplays that include ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ (1988), ‘The Quiet American’ (2002), ‘Atonement’ (2007) ‘A Dangerous Method’ (2011), ‘The Father’ (2020) and ‘The Son’ (2022). In recognition for his work in film and television, Hampton has received two Academy Awards, three BAFTAs, a European Film Award, a Writers’ Guild of America Award, the Prix Italia, a Special Jury Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Hollywood Screenwriter of the Year, and The Collateral Award at the Venice Film Festival for Best Literary Adaptation.
Throughout his career, Hampton has tackled a wide range of subject matter, from political satire to psychological drama. A proven master of the written word, he is celebrated for his ability to delve deep into the human psyche and explore complex themes such as power, desire, and morality. Hampton’s work is an inspiration to many aspiring writers, and his innate ability to tell stories that truly resonate with audiences is a testament to his talents as a storyteller and dedication to his craft.
Qumra Pass
Doha Film Institute proudly presents the ninth edition of Qumra, an international gathering for filmmaking talent. Through our Qumra Pass, we are delighted to invite members of the local and regional creative communities to take part in:
Qumra Master Classes
A group of 5 internationally renowned film luminaries will convene in Doha to share their insights in a series of Master Classes offering invaluable guidance for the benefit of participating filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences.
Qumra Screenings
A selection of 8 remarkable feature-length films from the region and beyond—all of which were made with the support of the Doha Film Institute.
There are multiple ways you can participate in Qumra this year, from the ever-popular Qumra Pass (Full in-person access to all Master Classes and Screenings), to our convenient Qumra Pass Online (Master Classes only via our virtual platform) or even just attending individual screenings in Doha.
Capacity is strictly limited for in-person options, and registrations close on 25 February—so be sure to book your Qumra Pass now!
Pricing
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Qumra Pass (In-person with full access) Standard Price: 500 QAR *Discounted Price: 350 QAR *Valid for holders of the Culture Pass by Qatar Museums, One Pass Members and Students. • All 5 Master Classes • Al 8 Qumra Screenings • Access to our library of Qumra 2023 Master Classes. |
Qumra Pass Online (Virtual access to Master Classes) Standard Price: 150 QAR *Discounted Price: 120 QAR *Valid for holders of the Culture Pass by Qatar Museums, One Pass Members and Students. • Access to our library of Qumra 2023 Master Classes. |
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Individual Screenings Tickets to individual screenings are also available. Please check our Qumra Screenings programme for more details. |
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Qumra Projects
Projects at various stages of production have been selected to benefit from bespoke mentorship and business meetings with international experts. The primary motive of this international gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first- and second-time filmmakers.
Development / Feature Documentary or Essay
Development / Feature Narrative
Development / Short Documentary or Essay
Development / Short Narrative
Development / TV or Web Series
In Production / Feature Documentary or Essay
In Production / Feature Narrative
In Production / Short Documentary or Essay
Picture Lock / Feature Documentary or Essay
Picture Lock / Feature Narrative
Work-in-Progress / Feature Documentary or Essay
Work-in-Progress / Feature Narrative
Development / Feature Documentary or Essay
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Souraya Mon Amour (Working Title)
Nicolas Khoury
An introspection of Souraya Baghdadi through her relationship with her deceased husband, Maroun Baghdadi.
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The Woman I Never Called Mum
Sabrina Idiri Chemloul
Fatima (73) is retired and lives alone in Oran, Algeria. She’s never done the right thing. She had a daughter out of wedlock and could not keep her.
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Fouledh
Mehdi Hmili
In the largest steel factory in Tunisia, two workers who suffer from psychological and physical disorders are haunted by the loss of their colleague.
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The Myth of Mahmoud
Mayar Hamdan
Mahmoud Said, a Palestinian man, dies at 93 years old after attempting to build a home in a transient city, Doha.
Development / Feature Narrative
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Perfumed with Mint
Muhammed Hamdy
Lurking through their city's remains, old friends reunite in a nightmare where mint sprouts out of their bodies. Relentlessly chased by ruthless shadows, will the companions escape the maze, or will they endlessly hide in empty streets filled with memories?
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The Other Wife (working title)
Meriem Mesraoua
By adopting extreme measures to save the illusory refuge of her marriage, Salima is confronted with the fragility of her long-preserved image.
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El Bastardiya (Once Upon a Time in Tripoli)
Abdullah Al-Ghaly
In the midst of anarchy in chaotic Libya, three friends try to survive in Tripoli, where violence is the rule of the land. A close-up story of the transformation of three ordinary young Libyans into murderers.
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Weedestine
Said Zagha
Abbas, a self-righteous, middle-aged car mechanic living in Palestine’s lawless “Area-C”, where marijuana cultivation is thriving, will do anything to avenge his older son’s death.
Development / Short Documentary or Essay
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Bel Falstini
Obada Jarbi
This documentary tells the story of Palestinian refugees living in the Shatila Refugee Camp in Lebanon. It will focus on the history of its people, the burden of their hope, and how the tension created by the two affects the lives of the different generations of Palestinians living in the camp.
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This I Remember
Alessandra El Chanti
A young woman pieces together her memories of the city she was never able to call her home—Beirut.
Development / Short Narrative
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I Wished For Solitude
Hamad Alfayhani
A man losing his face decides to become a recluse and has his final conversations with the people in his life.
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Missed Connections (Working Title)
Dhoha Abdelsattar
A married couple repeatedly try and fail to connect emotionally, ultimately finding themselves stuck in a cycle of quiet conflict.
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Holy Feet
Karim Emara
In the Northeast of the United States, Iman is forced into a difficult decision to save her ailing husband—using her glamorous feet as a means to secure the funds needed for his treatment.
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Alaqiq: Darkness of Media
Mohammed A. Al-Suwaidi and Kummam Al Maadeed
In a city warped by social media and technology and after a brutal attack against his grandfather—Aqiq discovers he is the first in a new generation of a superhero group called “The Guardians”.
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Continuity (Working Title)
Nadia Al-Khater
Upon starting a new editing project, a young woman discovers that she is editing her own life.
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Beauty in Solace
Ali Al-Hajri
When a man is faced with his own mortality, images from his past force him to understand his state of melancholy and his need to release it.
Development / TV or Web Series
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Land of Nairi
Ovsanna Gevorgyan
Ill-managed demolition of a chemical plant floods Nairi with a purple liquid that puts the town's young people to sleep. When they start to die from terrible nightmares, a team of researchers use a dream projection machine to enter their patients' subconscious.
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Miara
Talal Selhami and Jawad Lahlou
8th century. North Africa. After the brutal murder of her father, Miara, a young Amazigh woman, discovers that he was a Viking king. Torn between her yearning for identity and the desire for revenge, Miara has to become a fierce warrior, a legend.
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Nguya
Michiel Robberecht and Precy Numbi
Nia’s life is turned upside down when she meets Nguya—a superhero robot born in the coltan mines of Eastern Congo. When they become the target of an evil mining company, the pair are forced to travel in search of Nguya’s superpower.
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Status Quo
Gilbert Karam
Beirut heats up as three unsuspecting girlfriends are forced to unite against the corrupt regime after they mistakenly kidnap a powerful politician’s son.
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From the Mountain
Faisal Attrache
A fiery young farmer returns from war to fill the shoes of his executed father. Leading his family while starting his own, he rises to become his community’s hero in the Arab nationalist fight for independence against the Ottomans.
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The House That My Mother Built
Alyaa Musa
Eight women from across Sudan share their astonishing encounters with the inhabitants of the households they take refuge in during Sudan’s revolution 2019–2022.
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Let The Earth Burn
Sofia Alaoui
Despite getting excellent results, fresh police academy graduate Kenza is posted to a remote station in a small town in the Atlas Mountains.
In Production / Feature Documentary or Essay
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West of May
Sarah Srage
A chronicle following the fate of a fisherman’s family in the heart of a working-class neighbourhood in Beirut. Behind the affection that unites this home, and despite ideological disputes, 'West of May' narrates the fractures that run through a contemporary Lebanese society.
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Women of My Life
Zahraa Ghandour
Director Zahraa witnessed violence against women from early on. In a dreamy journey today, she interrogates the past in search of a lost childhood friend, confronts fears and nightmares, and works with other women to imagine a better future.
In Production / Feature Narrative
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Thank You for Banking with Us!
Laila Abbas
In a legal system that favours men, specifically economically, two bickering and poor sisters overcome their differences in order to beat the system. They successfully concoct a scheme and finally get a chance to start over.
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Sink
Zain Duraie
Suffocated by motherhood and her mundane life, Nadia’s life begins to slowly change when she finds herself sinking into her teenage son’s undiagnosed mental illness.
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The Station
Sara Ishaq
In a war-torn village in Yemen, pacifist Layal runs a women-only petrol station to shield her younger brother from the war. The unexpected arrival of their estranged sister puts the siblings at risk and pushes their relationship to a breaking point.
In Production / Short Documentary or Essay
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Gihan
Hadeer Omar
A performative and self-discovery journey for a jewellery designer taking control of her body and spirituality through movement and introspection while becoming an actress.
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Villa 187
Eiman Mirghani
Driven by the sudden cancellation of her family’s residency visa in Qatar, Sudanese filmmaker Eiman Mirghani documents her family’s house—and the memories that made it a home—for over 30 years.
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17-0: The Untold Story (Working Title)
Fatma Al-Ghanim
The captain of the first-ever Qatari Women’s Football Team grapples with the painful hidden costs that come with being a part of the first generation of women to break through cultural taboos in pursuit of their footballing passion and dreams.
Picture Lock / Feature Documentary or Essay
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Bye Bye Tiberias
Lina Soualem
Thirty years ago, Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass left her native village Deir Hanna in Galilee, to follow her acting dream in France. Her daughter Lina questions her mother’s bold choices and how the women in her family, whom she left behind, have influenced her life.
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Machtat
Sonia Ben Slama
Fatma and her daughters, Najeh and Waffeh, are ‘machtat’, wedding musicians in Mahdia, Tunisia. The sisters follow opposite paths—while Najeh, divorced, tries to remarry to escape the authority of her brothers, Waffeh wishes to divorce her violent husband.
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After the Bridge
Davide Rizzo and Marzia Toscano
On June 3 2017, Valeria Collina’s life is shaken by the death of her son Youssef, one of the three jihadist terrorists who killed eight people on London Bridge. Valeria finds herself mourning and having to put her life back together.
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Monisme
Riar Rizaldi
In the shadows of recent eruptions, several professional actors and non-actor professionals portray a dynamic of human-nature relationships in one of the most active stratovolcanoes in the world, Mount Merapi.
Picture Lock / Feature Narrative
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Brief History of a Family
Jianjie Lin
Post-one-child China, the fate of a middle-class family becomes intertwined with a mysterious new friend of their only son.
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If Only I Could Hibernate
Zoljargal Purevdash
A poor but prideful teenager is determined to win a Physics contest for a scholarship, but his illiterate mother leaves him with his siblings in the middle of winter. He tries to keep his siblings warm while preparing for the competition.
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Hounds
Kamal Lazraq
In the working-class suburbs of Casablanca, father and son Hassan and Issam, struggle to survive from day to day. They get by on small-time deals and running errands for local gangs, until one night—they are asked to carry out an abduction.
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Tiger Stripes
Amanda Nell Eu
Zaffan experiences puberty, discovering a terrifying secret about her physical self. As she is further provoked by her own community, she soon learns that embracing her true self is the only answer to her freedom.
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Backstage
Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane
Aida, a member of a contemporary dance troupe touring Morocco, provokes Hedi during a performance, who injures her onstage—triggering a series of events over a long night through a forest on the way to the next village’s doctor.
Work-in-Progress / Feature Documentary or Essay
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River of Toads
Juan Carlos Núñez Chavarría
A sensory documentary about a family of healers who maintain the ancient practice of the cult of death in a small town in Veracruz, Mexico. The film is an experimental ethnographic look at the world of hidden ceremonies and an intimate approach with its faithful.
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The Forgotten (Working Title)
Ghada Terawi
A journey in the life of Kozo, a Japanese freedom fighter and member of the Japanese Red Army, who gave up his life in Japan to join the Palestinian Liberation Movement.
Work-in-Progress / Feature Narrative
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Dead Dog
Sarah Francis
Temporarily reunited in the same space, a middle-aged couple faces the dysfunctional status of their relationship and their inability to break the cycle they’ve become trapped in.
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Motherhood
Meryam Joobeur
‘Motherhood’ is the story of a mother who blinds herself to the darkness in her son’s soul. Through her eyes, we see how an individual’s inner darkness can emanate outward to consume an entire community.
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Qumra 2022 Archive
Doha Film Institute presents Qumra, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world.
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Over the past seven years, Qumra has been a one-of-a-kind professional incubator crucial to the success of filmmakers from the Arab world and beyond.
Please note that due to the current global health and safety concerns, this edition of Qumra will be held online to ensure participants’ utmost benefits and the safety of everyone involved, from delegates and participants to members of our team.
Industry Programme
Over the past seven years, Qumra has been a one-of-a-kind professional incubator crucial to the success of filmmakers from the Arab world and beyond.
Please note that due to the current global health and safety concerns, this edition of Qumra will be held online to ensure participants’ outmost benefits and the safety of everyone involved, from delegates and participants to members of our team.
Qumra is designed to provide creative and professional support to Directors and Producers attached to up to twenty-eight, six series and eleven short in development or post-production, in Fiction and Documentary. They will include a number of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, as well as Regional and International recipients from the Institute’s Funding Programmes.
This edition will be organised in four main sections:
The Industry Screenings are closed online previews of feature projects supported by the Institute through its grants programme and in the final stages of post-production
The Qumra Meetings are a series of one-on-one meetings, roundtables, feedback panels, workshops and tailored mentoring sessions between representatives from the selected projects and seasoned industry experts.
Qumra Series, where six teams will present their series projects currently in development, to a group of international industry professionals and experts in the serialized format, through individual and group advisory sessions.
Qumra Shorts, an intensive workshop during which 11 Qatar-based filmmakers will present their short film projects, currently in development and post-production, to a group of international shorts experts.
Twenty-eight feature-length, six series and eleven short film projects with an emphasis on first- and second-time filmmakers, including independent filmmakers from Qatar and recipients of funding from the Institute, are selected to participate in Qumra. The industry programme will connect the filmmakers with industry mentors for tailored consultations and workshops.
Selected participants will have the opportunity to participate in the following events:
QUMRA INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLES
A series of online roundtable discussions where representatives of labs and festivals, sales agents, distributors, VOD platforms and financiers present their companies to the projects, share their expertise with them and discuss current industry trends. These 'Zoom' sessions last 90 minutes and feature three speakers alongside a moderator. Approximately 30 minutes of each session will be dedicated to questions from registered participants.
SCREENINGS
Work-in-Progress and Picture Lock Industry Screenings Closed online preview screenings of 20-minute excerpts from 17 feature-length Qumra projects in the final stages of post-production. Twenty-minute excerpts of projects are presented for select festival programmers, sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, post-production funds and VoD platforms via Festivalscope Pro.
MEETINGS
The Qumra Meetings are a series of online one-on-one meetings, group sessions, roundtables and tailored mentoring sessions between representatives from the selected projects and seasoned industry experts.
Preparatory Meetings
Briefing meetings for project delegates with moderators and mentors to prepare for their screening and feedback sessions, and consultations with Qumra experts.
Script Consultations
Intensive individual consultations with expert script advisors for grantees with projects in the early stages of development.
Rough Cut Consultations / Editing Consultations
Intensive sessions with industry experts offering individual consultation to grantees with projects in post-production, providing bespoke advice regarding structure and editing.
One-on-One and Group Tutorials
Individual and group advisory sessions tailored to the needs of the project at hand. Industry experts cover a broad range of subjects, from creative feedback related to storytelling, filmmaking and directing or business advice related to financing strategies and legal considerations for co-productions, marketing & packaging, project positioning, to festival strategies and sales.
Feedback Panel
A panel of three industry experts provides immediate, individual feedback to the Qumra projects in post-production stages, based on the 20-minute excerpt presented. The total time for these feedbacks is 30 minutes for each presented project, divided among the speakers.
Group Work Session with Filmmaker Mentors
Participants will engage in group work sessions with acclaimed directors who will share their experiences, discuss their vision, inspiration, and artistic approaches, as well as the challenges they have been facing on their journey. Project delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions and to receive insights and creative feedback.
Match Made Meetings
Pre-arranged one-on-one meetings in which participants present their projects to industry experts and discuss opportunities for collaboration, including sales and distribution.
Film Case Studies
Filmmakers share in a group their experiences working on a film they directed or produced, covering subjects like development, financing, festival and distribution strategies, sales, and the successes and challenges faced during production.
QUMRA SERIES
Six teams will present their DFI supported series projects to a group of international industry professionals through individual and group advisory and pitching sessions. They will have the opportunity to meet with writers, producers, creators, showrunners, labs and markets representatives, funders, broadcasters and VoD platforms with the aim of enhancing their projects and getting them a step closer to completion.
QUMRA SHORTS
An intensive workshop where eleven filmmakers present their short film projects, currently in development or in post-production, to a group of international industry professionals—including script consultants, filmmaker mentors, editor mentors, producers, lab representatives, and programmers—experts in the short form. The programme seeks to continue the Doha Film Institute’s support for filmmaking talent in Qatar.
Qumra Projects
Projects at various stages of production have been selected to benefit from bespoke mentorship and business meetings with international experts. The primary motive of this international gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first- and second-time filmmakers.
Development: Feature Documentary
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Chasing the Dazzling Light
Yaser Kassab
Yaser—and his father in Aleppo—decide to make a collaborative film that challenges the distance between them from Sweden to Syria. The film becomes a place for family members to meet.
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My Dream to Fly
Asmaa Gamal
An immersive portrait of a group of young people from the crowded slums of Cairo who escape their daily hardships on motorcycles by night.
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My Father Killed Bourguiba
Fatma Riaha
The coup of 1987 was not only a political event in Tunisia but also a personal family event that turned Fatma and her family's lives upside down.
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Those Who Watch Over
Karima Saïdi
Those Who Watch Over’ are Muslims, Jews, the Orthodox and marginalised people buried in their host country. Those who watch over are also their loved ones, who set up a new relationship with them here, in Brussels—in a unique cemetery, where care is taken to respect plurality for the dead and their living relatives.
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When the News Break You
Hamad Al Hajri
Conflict journalists fulfil an important civic function. In an era of increasing globalisation, they keep the world informed of war, revolutions, political unrest, natural and manmade disasters often far from our shores that now have the potential to affect us directly.
Development: Feature Narrative
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Al Baseer - The Blind Ferryman
Ali Al-Fatlawi
The blind ferryman Ayoub finds his way around the southern Iraqi marshes despite lacking eyesight, until one night he gets lost and meets a mysterious woman.
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Blacklight
Karim Bensalah
Algerian student in France, Sofiane is suddenly victim of an administrative decision and becomes illegal. In order to legalize his situation he finds a job in a muslim funeral home, a life changing experience...
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Khuzama
A.J. Al-Thani
Azzam, the young heir to the notorious Ibn Adwan bedouin tribe is discovered to be a woman the night before her wedding to Khuzama, sent by her mother to save her from the perilous, barbaric land of Remal.
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The Pearl
Noor Al-Nasr
A tech-obsessed Qatari boy who is detached from his family travels back in time to an era before his beloved technology existed, when pearl diving was the primary source of income.
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The Photographer
Anas Khalaf
A photographer working in a unique position at the heart of the Syrian government during the revolution in 2011 decides to defect, smuggling out with him the evidence he believes will bring down the regime of Bashar Al Assad.
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The Teacher
Farah Nabulsi
Palestinian school teacher Basem El-Saleh struggles to reconcile his risky commitment to political resistance with the chance of a new relationship with volunteer-worker Lisa and his emotional support for his most promising student Adam.
Picture Lock: Feature Documentary
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Green Line
Sylvie Ballyot
“One day, I broke my watch into small pieces to stop a militiaman from tearing it off me. Then, I gave up my life; that's how they failed to take it from it”. Today, Fida decides to meet those fighters who frightened her as a child.
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Khmerica
Antoine Guide
Sokha, a 36-year-old Khmerican returnee, embodies the narrative arc of the film. With him, we explore some pieces of his shattered personal history and dive into the meanders of his exile.
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Places Of The Soul
Hamida Issa
A Qatari woman travels on an environmental expedition to Antarctica in search of hope for a sustainable future before returning to Qatar in search of inspiration to make positive change.
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While We Watched
Vinay Shukla
This raw and timely film offers an intimate portrait of the frontlines of truth in India.
Picture Lock: Feature Narrative
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Autobiography
Makbul Mubarak
A timid housekeeper diligently obeys his master until a seemingly minor affront sets in motion a violent chain of events.
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Domingo and the Mist
Ariel Escalante Meza
Domingo’s house is due to be expropriated to make way for the construction of a highway. But his land hides a secret—the ghost of his deceased wife visits him within the mist. Domingo is sure he will never give up his land, even if that means resorting to violence.
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Mediterranean Fever
Maha Haj
An aspiring but depressed writer from Haifa befriends his new neighbour in an attempt to convince the man to help him commit suicide.
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The Dam
Ali Cherri
Every evening, Maher—a worker in a traditional brickyard by the Merowe Dam on the Nile—secretly builds a mysterious mud construction. 'The Dam' is a political fable about the power of imagination set against the backdrop of the Sudanese revolution.
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The Last Queen
Damien Ounouri
Algiers, at the beginning of the 16th century. After the death of her husband, a queen must stand up to the most fearsome pirate
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The Return
Meyar Al-Roumi
Taysir returns to Syria in order to move the remains of his younger brother Kamal from the suburbs of Damascus where he was shot as a freedom fighter during the revolution to the north of the country.
Work-in-Progress: Feature Documentary
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Concrete Land
Asmahan Bkerat
'Concrete Land' is an intimate look at the lives of a nomadic Bedouin family in its struggle to hold on to their traditional life under the pressures of urbanisation.
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Let’s Play Soldiers
Mariam Al-Dhubhani
Nasser is a child-soldier who tries to find his place in his community in Yemen, where the war forced him to become the guardian of his younger siblings' fate.
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Qatar Stars
Danielle Beverly
In Doha, a girls rhythmic gymnastics school led by a former Russian gymnast provides a space for empowerment and freedom.
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The Tokyo Reel
Mohanad Yaqubi
An open invitation to discover the restored digital scan of a lost 16 mm film reel found in the outskirts of Tokyo.
Work-in-Progress: Feature Narrative
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Backstage
Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane
Aida, member of a Tunisian contemporary dance troupe touring Morocco, provokes during a representation, her life and stage partner Hedi, who injures her onstage triggering a series of events through a long night across a forest, on the way to the next village’s doctor.
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The Wind Blew On
Katrín Ólafsdóttir
“Perhaps I’m already dead?” says a boy, to himself. But these words are spoken in an unsettling world where no one can confirm this to be true or false for him.
Development: TV & Web Series
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Day Off
Lina Lamara
It’s the weekend o’clock! Madani, Amina, Soukaina, Pierre, Atef, and Noor take us on their typical rest day. From Paris to Doha, via Casablanca, the day off is the one we prefer. Could it be longer?
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Out of My Mind
Mo Yusuf
A struggling Somali writer living in Dubai decides to become the stand-up comedian he always wanted to be.
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Traditional Qatari Songs
Aisha Al-Jaidah & Koloud Al Ali
A series of traditional Qatari children’s songs, contemporised for the kids of Qatar today.
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Under This Roof
Areej Mahmoud
A frail, yet strong willed, seventy year old woman tries to assassinate a presidential candidate and fails.
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Why Did the Bluesman Cross the Road
Meedo Taha
A pair of Latin-Arab mechanics and the boss’s daughter escape the garage in search of freedom, love, and music.
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Yasmine/Jasmine
Yossera Bouchtia
After the sudden and mysterious death of her mother, a grieving daughter starts to contend with haunting visitations from her doppelganger and is forced to confront a mysterious curse to reclaim a part of herself she never knew.
Development: Short Narrative
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Abu Fanoos
Amira Abujbara & Horia El Hadad
In 1980s Qatar, on a routine trip to the petrol station, a grandfather and grandson encounter a strange and eerie presence in the desert that will change their lives forever.
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I Wished for Solitude
Hamad Al-Fayhani
A mother grapples with the loss of her identity as she takes on the arduous job of caretaking for her ill son.
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Mercy
Abdulaziz Ameen
A woman finds herself in a moral struggle when a man asks her help with a difficult request.
Picture Lock: Short Narrative
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A Proposal
Nadia Al-Khater
A young Qatari man dreams of marrying his American fiancé. However, he must first face a panel who hold his fate in their hands.
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The Key
Rakan Mayasi
The sound of a key opening the Biton family’s door is haunting young Edina at night. But when all the family starts experiencing this nightmare, panic sets in. Will Dr. Naftali be able to explain this strange phenomenon?
Work-in-Progress: Short Narrative
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A Simple Cut
Maha Al-Jefairi
A young girl goes to ridiculous lengths to hide her haircut from her overbearing mother
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Kinship
Ali Al Hajri
When a shadow emerges with the birth of his newborn, Khalid must come face to face with his past.
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Manity
Hussen Ibraheem
On his first bird-hunting trip, a coming of age boy defies his oppressing father’s logic on the conception of manhood.
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The Swinging Chandelier
Karim Emara
After moving back into the old worn-out house he grew up in, Ameen, a newlywed Egyptian man, struggles to attend a crucial online job interview due to a visit from his needy in-laws.
Qumra 2021 Archive
Click here to download Qumra 2021 Catalogue.
Welcome to Qumra 2021, an incredible online experience that brings together fascinating Master Classes with world-renowned filmmakers, inspiring talks with distinguished artists and a selection of screenings showcasing some of the very best new feature-length and short films made with the support of the Doha Film Institute.
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Qumra Master Classes
Our five internationally acclaimed Masters for 2021 encompass the full spectrum of filmmaking as a craft, from direction and screenwriting to cinematography and sound. Between them, these luminaries of the film industry have created some of the finest examples of contemporary world cinema and will provide invaluable guidance and inspiration to all Qumra participants.
The programme includes legendary French auteur Claire Denis, BAFTA and Academy Award® nominated cinematographer Phedon Papamichael, internationally celebrated director and Cannes veteran James Gray, Silver Lion winning film director and screenwriter Jessica Hausner and Academy Award® winning sound designer Mark Mangini.
Qumra Talks
Our Qumra Talks invite leaders from film and the arts to weigh in on diverse topics impacting the creative industries. We are honoured to host pioneering singer-songwriter Yasmine Hamdan, and the influential photographer Brigitte Lacombe.
Qumra Screenings (MENA Access Only)
Our Qumra Screenings are a selection of acclaimed feature-length and short films made with the support of the Doha Film Institute’s Grants Programmes and Filmmaking Labs. This year we present bold stories from both new and seasoned voices—offering audiences fresh, original perspectives from the MENA region and beyond.
All Qumra Screenings include a pre-recorded Q&A with the filmmaker, moderated by film critic and programmer Joseph Fahim.
Qumra Pass
To get the most from your Qumra experience, we recommend our Qumra Pass package as it will give you access to our entire programme.
Public Screenings
Our Qumra Screenings are a selection of acclaimed feature-length and short films made with the support of the Doha Film Institute’s Grants Programmes and Filmmaking Labs. This year we present bold stories from both new and seasoned voices—offering audiences fresh, original perspectives from the MENA region and beyond.
Download Qumra 2021 Catalogue.
Screenings available online from 12 -25 March.
All Screenings include a pre-recorded Q&A with the filmmaker and moderated by film critic and programmer Joseph Fahim.
Moderator: Joseph Fahim
Joseph Fahim is an Egyptian film critic and programmer. He is the Arab delegate of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, the 2018 curator of London's Safar Film Fest, a former member of Berlin Critics' Week and the ex-director of programming of the Cairo International Film Festival. He co-authored various books on Arab cinema and has written for numerous outlets around the world, including Middle East Eye, the Middle East Institute, BBC, MUBI, Verite, Al-Monitor, Al Jazeera, and The National (U.A.E.). To date, his writings have been translated into six different languages. He is also a script consultant and has worked with various funds and producers in the Arab World and Europe.
Qumra Talks
The Qumra Talks bring together leaders from film and the arts to weigh in on diverse topics impacting the creative industries. These talks are geared towards expanding different forms of storytelling across all arts and platforms.
YASMINE HAMDAN – ON MUSIC AND FILM
Saturday, 13 March
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM AST (Arabia Standard Time)
Lebanese singer-songwriter Yasmine Hamdan is one of the most pioneering musicians in the Middle East. Her personal, contemporary take on Arabic pop has won her fans across the world. Often crossing genres and blending traditional boundaries, she has worked with visionary artists from all disciplines including filmmakers Jim Jarmusch and Elia Suleiman, as well as theatre productions at the Comédie-Française. In this inspirational Qumra Talk, Yasmine will take us on a journey of discovery, outlining her creative process and discussing what it is like to work in a collaborative creative process.
Yasmine Hamdan
Hailed as “Arabic music’s modern voice” by the New York Times, Yasmine Hamdan draws inspiration from the many great Arab women singers from the middle of the 20th century. ‘Hal’, a track from her critically-acclaimed debut album ‘Ya Nass’, was featured in Jim Jarmusch’s film ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’. Over her career, she has composed several film scores and collaborated with renowned directors such as Elia Suleiman, Ghassan Salhab, Khalil Joreige, Joana Hadjithomas, Faouzi Bensaïdi, and Danielle Arbid. In 2014, Yasmine was honoured with the ‘Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres’ by the French Minister of Culture, and she actively contributes to the promotion of Arabic culture—acting as a vocal advocate of its dynamism and richness.
Moderated by: Rania Stephan
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Rania Stephan graduated in Cinema Studies from Latrobe University, Australia and Paris VIII University, France. She has worked as a first assistant with renowned filmmakers, including Simone Bitton and Elia Suleiman. She has directed numerous short and medium length videos and creative documentaries, which are notable for their play with genres, and the long-running investigation of memory and identity. Anchored in the turbulent reality of her country, her documentaries give a personal perspective to political events. Her first feature film, ‘The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni’ (2011), described as a contemporary classic, was internationally acclaimed and won numerous prizes. She has had solo exhibitions at MoMA PS1, New York, Alt Art Space, Istanbul, and Marfa’ Gallery, Beirut.
BRIGITTE LACOMBE – THE ART OF GROUNDBREAKING PHOTOGRAPHY
Sunday, 14 March
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM AST (Arabia Standard Time)
In this intimate conversation, influential and acclaimed photographer Brigitte Lacombe will showcase her renowned body of work in photography and discuss her experiences and inspirations. The presentation will span Brigitte Lacombe’s illustrious career in the world of cinema, working with some of the film industry’s biggest names including Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Mike Nichols, Lynne Ramsay, David Mamet, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Sofia Coppola, Wes Anderson, and Quentin Tarantino, amongst many others.
Brigitte Lacombe
French photographer Brigitte Lacombe is known for her influential and revelatory portraiture. Over the past four decades, she has created iconic and intimate photographs of many of the world’s most celebrated artists, actors, politicians and intellectuals. Lacombe has won the Eisenstaedt Award for Travel Photography (2000), the Lifetime Achievement Award for Photography (Art Directors Club Hall of Fame, 2010), and the Lucie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Travel & Portraiture (2012). As a special photographer, Lacombe has worked behind the scenes on many film sets, starting with Alan Pakula’s ‘All the President’s Men’ and ‘Fellini’s Casanova’ both in 1975.
Moderated by: E. Nina Rothe
E. Nina Rothe is a journalist and blogger who was born in Florence, Italy and grew up in New York City. She has written for Vogue Italia, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Cosmo Middle East, The Art Newspaper, Empire Arabia, the HuffPost, Tehelka, The National, Bespoke and several other publications. She currently contributes to the Los Angeles-based magazine Flaunt, where she explores the crossroads between cinema and fashion and has recently co-founded The Moving Image Middle East which will launch in the Spring of 2021 as a platform for everything visual in and from the region.
Industry Programme
Qumra is designed to provide creative and professional support to Directors and Producers attached to thirty features, six series and twelve shorts in development or post-production in fiction and documentary. They include a number of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, as well as regional and international recipients from the Institute’s funding programmes.
Download Qumra 2021 Catalogue.
The event is organised in six main sections:
The Qumra Master Classes are daily sessions, led by one of the Qumra Masters.
The Qumra Screenings of feature projects funded by the Institute through its training, grants and co-financing initiatives, accompanied by Q&A sessions.
The Qumra Talks bring together leaders from film and the arts to weigh in on diverse topics impacting the creative industries. Taking the form of panel-style talks, these are geared towards expanding different forms of storytelling across all arts and platforms.
The Qumra Meetings are a series of one-on-one meetings, roundtables, panels, workshops, and tailored mentoring sessions between representatives from the selected projects and seasoned industry experts.
Qumra Series, where six teams will present their series projects currently in development, to a group of international industry professionals and experts in the serialized format, through individual and group advisory sessions.
Qumra Shorts, an intensive workshop during which twelve Qatar-based filmmakers will present their short film projects, currently in development and post-production, to a group of international shorts experts.
Thirty feature-length, six series and twelve short film projects with an emphasis on first- and second-time filmmakers, including independent filmmakers from Qatar and recipients of funding from the Institute, are selected to participate in Qumra. The industry programme will connect the filmmakers with industry mentors for tailored consultations and workshops, as well as master classes with acclaimed Qumra Masters.
Selected participants will have the opportunity to participate in the following events:
MASTER CLASSES
The Qumra Master Classes are daily online sessions, led by one of the Qumra Masters 2021: Claire Denis, James Gray, Jessica Hausner, Mark Mangini and Phedon Papamichael.
QUMRA TALKS
The Qumra Talks bring together leaders from film and the arts to weigh in on diverse topics impacting the creative industries. Taking the form of panel-style talks, these are geared towards expanding different forms of storytelling across all arts and platforms.
QUMRA INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLES
A series of online roundtable discussions where representatives of labs and festivals, sales agents, distributors, VOD platforms and financiers present their companies to the projects, share their expertise with them and discuss current industry trends. These 'Zoom' sessions last 90 minutes and feature three speakers alongside a moderator. Approximately 30 minutes of each session will be dedicated to questions from registered participants.
SCREENINGS
Work-in-Progress and Picture Lock Industry Screenings
Closed online preview screenings of 20-minute excerpts from 16 feature-length Qumra projects in the final stages of post-production. Twenty-minute excerpts of projects are presented for select festival programmers, sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, post-production funds and VoD platforms via Festivalscope Pro.
Qumra Shorts and Rithy Panh Documentary Lab 2021 Industry Screenings
Exclusive online preview screenings of 8 short film projects by Qatar-based filmmakers currently in the final stages of post-production. The presented Documentary Shorts were made as part of the DFI Doc Lab with renowned award-winning filmmaker Rithy Panh. Projects are screened for select festival programmers via Festivalscope Pro.
New Voices in Cinema Screenings
The Qumra Screenings also feature New Voices in Cinema, a selection of critically acclaimed feature-length and short films funded by the Doha Film Institute, accessible to the general public in the MENA region via the DFI website and on Festivalscope Pro for all Qumra Industry Delegates.
MEETINGS
The Qumra Meetings are a series of online one-on-one meetings, group sessions, roundtables and tailored mentoring sessions between representatives from the selected projects and seasoned industry experts.
Preparatory Meetings
Briefing meetings for project delegates with moderators and mentors to prepare for their screening and feedback sessions, and consultations with Qumra experts.
Script Consultations
Intensive individual consultations with expert script advisors for grantees with projects in the early stages of development.
Rough Cut Consultations / Editing Consultations
Intensive sessions with industry experts offering individual consultation to grantees with projects in post-production, providing bespoke advice regarding structure and editing.
Meet the Masters
Participants with projects engage in individual consultation sessions with one of the Qumra Masters.
One-on-One and Group Tutorials
Individual and group advisory sessions tailored to the needs of the project at hand. Industry experts cover a broad range of subjects, from creative feedbacks related to storytelling, filmmaking and directing or business advices related to financing strategies and legal considerations for co-productions, marketing & packaging, projects positioning, to festival strategies and sales.
Feedback Panel
A panel of industry experts provides immediate, individual feedback to the Qumra projects in post-production stages, based on the excerpt presented on Festival Scope Pro. The total time for these feedbacks is 30 minutes for each presented projected, divided among the speakers.
Group Work Session with Elia Suleiman
In this group work session, participants will engage with acclaimed filmmaker Elia Suleiman in an informal atmosphere. Selected filmmakers will have the opportunity to share their projects and concerns, ask specific questions, and discuss their visions and the challenges they are facing to receive insights and feedback from the master filmmaker. The session will be moderated by Kamal Aljafari.
Match Made Meetings
Pre-arranged one-on-one meetings in which participants present their projects to industry experts and discuss opportunities for collaboration, including sales and distribution.
Film Case Studies
Filmmakers share in a group their experiences working on a film they directed or produced, covering subjects like development, financing, festival and distribution strategies, sales, and the successes and challenges faced during production.
QUMRA SERIES
Seven teams will present their DFI supported series projects to a group of international industry professionals through individual and group advisory and pitching sessions. They will have the opportunity to meet with writers, producers, creators, showrunners, labs and markets representatives, funders, broadcasters and VoD platforms with the aim of enhancing their projects and getting them a step closer to completion.
QUMRA SHORTS
An intensive workshop where twelve filmmakers present their short film projects, currently in development or in post-production, to a group of international industry professionals—including script consultants, filmmaker mentors, editor mentors, producers, lab representatives, and programmers—experts in the short form. The programme seeks to continue the Doha Film Institute’s support for filmmaking talent in Qatar.
Master Classes
We are truly honoured to present our Qumra Masters, a group of internationally renowned creative visionaries who will share with us their professional insights in a series of inspirational Master Classes held online to support the development of global storytelling.
Our five distinguished Masters for 2021 encompass the full spectrum of filmmaking as a craft, from direction and screenwriting to cinematography and sound. Between them, these luminaries of the film industry have created some of the finest examples of contemporary world cinema and will provide invaluable guidance and inspiration to all Qumra participants.
This year the programme includes legendary French auteur Claire Denis, BAFTA and Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Phedon Papamichael, internationally celebrated director and Cannes veteran James Gray, Silver Lion-winning film director and screenwriter Jessica Hausner and Academy Award-winning sound designer Mark Mangini.
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Claire Denis
A true master of her craft, Claire Denis is a French film director and writer who is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most distinctive auteurs. Speaking on her collaborative approach to filmmaking, she will take participants through her body of work which continues to influence European cinematic identity...
Read MoreDenis’s feature film directorial debut ‘Chocolat’ (1988), competed for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and is a semi-autobiographical reflection on French colonialism in Africa that examines racial tension, and belonging.
With films such as ‘US Go Home’ (1994), Locarno Golden Leopard winner ‘Nénette et Boni’ (1996), ‘Beau Travail’ (1999), ‘Trouble Every Day’ (2001), and ‘Vendredi Soir’ (2002), she established a reputation as a filmmaker who is able to “reconcile the lyricism of French cinema with the impulse to capture the often harsh face of contemporary France”. Denis went on to win widespread acclaim for ’35 Rhums’ (2009), a compelling portrayal of a father-daughter relationship in a mixed immigrant community. Her film ‘Bastards’ (2013) was presented at Un Certain Regard at Cannes Film Festival in 2013. In 2017, Denis returned to Cannes with ‘Let The Sunshine In’, screened as the opening film in Directors’ Fortnight and winner of the SACD prize. In 2018, she completed and released ‘High Life’, her first English-language feature film, with Robert Pattinson cast as the lead.
Ultimately, the films of Claire Denis ask us to examine the lines that divide us and to confront the Other. The intrusion of the body, of borders, of culture and of limits, asks both Denis’s characters and her audience to come face to face with their differences. Wesley Morris, a cultural critic for the New York Times, has compared her work to a stew that’s been cooking all week—a reduced and potent pleasure. -
James Gray
World-renowned director, screenwriter and Cannes Veteran James Gray will share with us his personal approach to filmmaking and how he captures the full range and depth of human emotions in his work...
Read MoreHe made his directorial debut in 1994 at the age of twenty-five with crime drama ‘Little Odessa’, a widely acclaimed film that won the Silver Lion award at the 51st Venice International Film Festival. Since then, he has made six other features, four of which competed for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2000, Gray wrote and directed ‘The Yards’, his second feature and his first with Joaquin Phoenix, who would go on to become a frequent collaborator. The drama premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
Gray’s New York crime drama ‘We Own the Night’ (2007) starred Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes and Robert Duvall. The film received a César nomination in 2008 for Best Foreign Film and screened in competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. His fourth feature, ‘Two Lovers’ (2008), received nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards for Best Director and Best Female Lead.
In 2013, ‘The Immigrant’, which starred Joaquin Phoenix, Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Renner, went on to garner numerous awards, including Best Actress (Marion Cotillard) and Best Cinematography (Darius Khondji) prizes from the New York Film Critics Circle. Gray’s film ‘The Lost City of Z’ was based on the best-selling novel by David Grann and starred Charlie Hunnam, Sienna Miller, Robert Pattinson and Tom Holland. Gray first confirmed his plans to write and direct sci-fi space epic ‘Ad Astra’ during the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, and the visually compelling journey to the vast reaches of space, starring Brad Pitt, was released to critical acclaim in 2019. -
Jessica Hausner
Distinguished Austrian film director and screenwriter Jessica Hausner developed a deep love of film as she grew up in Vienna, spending her days at the city’s independent cinemas. Hausner will discuss with us her passion for cinema and what she draws on for inspiration in her films that often depict defiant portrayals of female protagonists, love and the human condition...
Read MoreHausner initially studied psychology and later trained as a director at the Vienna Film Academy. While studying, she made the short film ‘Flora’ (1996), which won the Léopard de Demain at the Locarno Festival. ‘Inter-view’, her graduation film, won the Prix du Jury of the Cinéfondation at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999.
She received international attention in 2001 when her first feature ‘Lovely Rita’—a portrait of a young girl who feels confined by family constraints—was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. Just three years later, she returned to Cannes with her thriller ‘Hotel’ (2004). Her next film, ‘Lourdes’, a mysterious and brilliantly composed drama, had its premiere at Venice Film Festival 2009 in International Competition where it won the FIPRESCI Prize.
Her 2014 film ‘Amour Fou’, based on the tragic life of the German writer Henrich von Kleist, was selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. She was appointed a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2017. Hausner’s fifth and most recent film, ‘Little Joe’, is her first English-language feature. It was presented in the main competition at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and garnered the acting award for lead actress Emily Beecham. -
Mark Mangini
Mark Mangini is an Academy Award-winning, and five-time nominated sound designer. Drawing on over four decades of experience, he will share with us the vital importance of sound in realising the full gamut of creative expression in filmmaking...
Read MoreBest known for films including ‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), ‘The Fifth Element’ (1997), ‘Gremlins’ (1984) and ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (1981), Mangini won the 2015 Academy Award for Best Sound Editing for his work on ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015).
A native of Boston, Mark Mangini was a foreign language major in college, until he could no longer ignore his love of film and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in sound design. Mangini’s first job in entertainment was as a cartoon sound editor at Hanna Barbera Studios. “Having grown up a musician, I am avowed of the idea that all organized sound is music.” he says to underpin his roots in music. “My works are no less considered, designed, creative or manipulative. They just aren’t hummable.” He has spent his entire 42-year career in Hollywood imagining and composing altered sonic realities for motion pictures. He is a frequent lecturer, an outspoken proponent for sound as art and a guitarist/songwriter.
He founded and ran Weddington Productions, a successful Hollywood post-production sound company for 25 years. Today he works at the Formosa Group in Hollywood, California continuing his work as a supervising sound editor, sound designer and re-recording mixer on such recent films as ‘Black Mass’ (2015), ‘The Accountant’ (2016) and the upcoming ‘Dune’ (2021).
Phedon Papamichael
Phedon Papamichael is an Academy Award-nominated and internationally acclaimed cinematographer. He is widely regarded for his collaborations with directors James Mangold, Alexander Payne, and Wim Wenders. During Qumra, Papamichael will take us through his extensive body of work, which is celebrated for its versatile array of visual styles...
Read MoreBorn in Athens, Greece, Papamichael later moved with his family to Germany, where in 1982, he completed his education in Fine Arts in Munich. Working as a photojournalist brought Papamichael to NYC in 1983, where he started crossing over into cinematography. Papamichael now counts over 45 features to his credit as Director of Photography, including the early blockbusters, ‘While You Were Sleeping’ (1995), ‘Cool Runnings’ (1993) and ‘Phenomenon’ (1996), all directed by Jon Turteltaub. Papamichael was accepted as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1997, where he served several years on the Cinematographers Branch Executive Committee.
In 2000, Papamichael shot ‘The Million Dollar Hotel’ by Wim Wenders, which was chosen as the Opening Film of the 2000 Berlin Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize, the Silver Bear, as well as the Golden Camera.
In 2001, Papamichael shot ‘Moonlight Mile’, directed by Brad Silberling, starring Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon. It was followed by ‘Identity’ (2003), directed by James Mangold, and the Oscar-nominated ‘Sideways’ (2004), directed by Alexander Payne. His credits continued with ‘Walk the Line’ (2005), again directed by Mangold. Papamichael also shot the Academy Award-nominated western ‘3:10 to Yuma’ (2007) by James Mangold, and the blockbuster ‘Pursuit of Happyness’ (2006) by Gabriele Muccino. Incredibly, he shot two of the most award-winning films of 2011, Alexander Payne’s ‘The Descendants’ and ‘The Ides of March’, directed by George Clooney.
For his exceptional black and white lensing on the highly acclaimed ‘Nebraska’ (2013) by Alexander Payne, which received six Academy Award nominations, Papamichael received an Oscar nomination, a BAFTA nomination, and an ASC nomination. Papamichael’s work for Mangold’s ‘Ford V Ferrari’ (2019) earned him another BAFTA nomination, and he has been recently lauded for his capturing of 1960s’ Americana in ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ (2020).
Masterclasses Moderator: Richard Peña
Richard Peña was the Programme Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Director of the New York Film Festival from 1988 until 2012. At the Film Society, Peña organised retrospectives of many film artists, as well as major film series devoted to numerous national cinemas...
Read MoreTogether with Unifrance, in 1995 he created Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, the leading American showcase for new French cinema. He is Professor of Film and Media Studies at Columbia University, where he specialises in film theory and international cinema, and has served as a Visiting Professor at the Sorbonne, Beijing University, UNAM-Mexico City and the University of São Paulo. He also currently hosts WNET/Channel 13’s weekly ‘Reel 13’.
Qumra Pass
Qumra Pass 2021 – Online Edition
Welcome to Qumra 2021, an incredible online experience that brings together fascinating Master Classes with world-renowned filmmakers, inspiring talks with distinguished artists and a selection of screenings showcasing some of the very best new feature-length and short films made with the support of the Doha Film Institute.Download Qumra 2021 Catalogue.
To get the most from your Qumra experience, we recommend our Qumra Pass package as it will give you access to our entire programme.
Our Qumra Master Classes and Talks are live events that will be streamed on the Qumra platform as per the schedule. Do not worry if you miss the live stream; they will be available on-demand until midnight on 25 March.
Qumra Master Classes
Our five internationally acclaimed Masters for 2021 encompass the full spectrum of filmmaking as a craft, from direction and screenwriting to cinematography and sound. Between them, these luminaries of the film industry have created some of the finest examples of contemporary world cinema and will provide invaluable guidance and inspiration to all Qumra participants.
This year the programme includes legendary French auteur Claire Denis, BAFTA and Academy Award® nominated cinematographer Phedon Papamichael, internationally celebrated director and Cannes veteran James Gray, Silver Lion winning film director and screenwriter Jessica Hausner and Academy Award® winning sound designer Mark Mangini.
Qumra Talks
Our Qumra Talks invite leaders from film and the arts to weigh in on diverse topics impacting the creative industries. This year we are honoured to host pioneering singer-songwriter Yasmine Hamdan, and the influential photographer Brigitte Lacombe.
Qumra Screenings (MENA Access Only)
Our Qumra Screenings are a selection of acclaimed feature-length and short films made with the support of the Doha Film Institute’s Grants Programmes and Filmmaking Labs. This year we present bold stories from both new and seasoned voices—offering audiences fresh, original perspectives from the MENA region and beyond.
All Qumra Screenings include a pre-recorded Q&A with the filmmaker, moderated by film critic and programmer Joseph Fahim.
Pricing
Qumra Pass (including screenings): 250 QAR
Please note that our Qumra Screenings are only accessible to inhabitants of the MENA region.
Qumra Pass (without screenings): 200 QAR
Qumra Student Pass: 100 QR
Individual Master Class: 50 QAR
Individual Qumra Talk: 30 QAR
Individual Qumra Screening: 25 QAR
Discounts
A 20% discount is available for all Qatar Museum Culture Pass holders. To avail of this discount, enter your membership number when purchasing tickets or a Qumra Pass.
Qumra Projects
Projects at various stages of production have been selected to benefit from the experience of the Qumra Masters, as well as bespoke mentorship and business meetings with international experts. The primary motive of this international gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first- and second-time filmmakers.
Download Qumra 2021 Catalogue.
Development: Feature Documentary
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Companions of the White Arc
Elia Youssef, Mohammed Al Thani
After a long and arduous journey, Moe Al Thani attempts his last climb solo in an effort to become the first Qatari to achieve mountaineering’s coveted “Grand Slam” title. His North Pole expedition pushes him far beyond his comfort zone, allowing him to truly discover his inner voice and deep connection with nature.
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Handala, The Boy Without a Face
Mahmoud Kaabour
A treasure hunt, emanating from a sketch of a young refugee that has been circulating around the world for over fifty years.
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Jodari Meno
Jamal Al-Khanji, David Ochoa
A Qatari spearfisherman embarks on a journey of self-exploration by chasing his dream of catching a once in a lifetime fish. This is the story of how passion helps shape his world and the life of those around him in a way he never thought possible.
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The Camera Never Cries
Abuzar Adam, Elsadig Abdelgayoum
Driven by their passion for change, two filmmakers encounter death to document the 2019 Sudanese revolution. A year later, during the Covid-19 lockdown, they re-examine their personal intentions and political drives as they explore the story of the revolution and their growing friendship.
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Theft of Fire
Amer Shomali
A lonely Palestinian artist hatches a daring plot to break into a secret Israeli prison and steal back a trove of looted antiquities from a legendary general in this hybrid documentary based on a true story.
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Wall of Death
Amine Sabir
Hassan and Khadra have been performing the motorcycle acrobatics show “The Wall of Death” for four decades. But they refuse to let their daughter Zahra, a young woman passionate about football and motorcycles, take over. At 27 years of age, Zahra is torn between solidarity with her family and the desire to assert her personality by choosing another path.
Development: Feature Narrative
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A Road To Damascus
Meedo Taha
An ambitious policewoman conducts a murder investigation that threatens to turn her own hometown against her.
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Ashkal
Youssef Chebbi
In the gardens of Carthage in Tunis—a new neighbourhood where modern constructions rub shoulders with abandoned construction sites and vacant scrubby lots—Batal and Fatma are investigating a strange case of immolation. The charred body of the caretaker of a vacant building has been discovered on the site...
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Cotton Queen
Suzannah Mirghani
In a cotton-farming village in Sudan, 15-year-old Nafisa must stand up for the idea of love and stand up to her greatest obstacle: her grandmother, the foreboding Al-Sit.
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Hounds
Kamal Lazraq
In the working-class suburbs of Casablanca, father and son Hassan and Issam, struggle to survive from day to day. They get by on small-time deals and running errands for local gangs until one night; they are asked to carry out an abduction.
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In a Dream You Saw a Way to Survive and You Were Full of Joy
Remi Itani
Faced with an unintended pregnancy, a young Lebanese woman’s shame, fear and denial turn into a ghostly veil that haunts her, forcing her to redefine her relationship with men, her city and her oblivious mother.
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My Classmate Ali for Supreme Leader
Nadia Al-Khater
A class clown challenges the teacher’s pet for the title of presidency in a sensational student election, while his little sister mounts her own humble campaign for secretary.
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The Pearl
Noor Al-Nasr
A tech-obsessed Qatari boy who is detached from his family travels back in time to an era before his beloved technology existed, when pearl diving was the primary source of income. Gaining his independence, he learns to communicate face-to-face, reconnecting with his family with a new-found sense of appreciation.
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Under Construction
Nadim Tabet
Syrian workers mysteriously start disappearing from a construction site located near a Lebanese village. In the middle of this paranoiac atmosphere, Tarek, a 30-year-old worker, is subject to strange visions. He slowly begins to realize that the site is haunted by the ghost of a woman who was allegedly murdered by a Syrian soldier in the 1990s, when the village was under Syrian military occupation.
Picture Lock: Feature Documentary
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Atlantide
Yuri Ancarani
Among the gondolas, canals, and palaces of the Venetian lagoon—tourists have replaced inhabitants. Behind this sobering reality, some locals have formed a resistance movement. At the heart of this alternative society is a group of teenagers seeking their way to adulthood on their powerboats called “Barchini”.
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Children of the Enemy
Gorki Glaser-Müller
He lost his daughter to Islamic State. Can he save his grandchildren?
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Les Enfants Terribles
Ahmet Necdet Cupur
In a village near the Syrian border of Turkey, a young man, Mahmut wants to divorce his newly-wed wife. At the same time, his sister Zeynep, an adolescent girl, decides to get a factory job and starts studying by distance learning. Their idea is regarded as a sin, and an impossible battle begins.
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Our Little Palestine
Abdullah Al Khateeb
The story of a group of Palestinian civilian activists from the Yarmouk refugee camp near Damascus. Defying bombings, displacement and hunger that has hit their small community, they turn it into a small besieged ghetto, by doing civil work, practising agriculture, studying and spreading music, theatre, love and joy.
Picture Lock: Feature Narrative
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El Gran Movimiento
Kiro Russo
A worker falls ill upon his arrival to the city of La Paz, and his godmother attempts to save him through a healer.
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The Exam
Shawkat Amin Korki
Rojin and her sister Shilan know that starting university is Rojin’s only way to avoid a forced marriage. So, they plan to cheat on the admission exam by buying the correct answers.
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The Sea Ahead
Ely Dagher
A young woman suddenly returns home after a long absence and finds herself reconnecting with the familiar, yet strange life she had once left.
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Tug of War
Amil Shivji
A runaway Indian-Zanzibari bride forms a strong bond with a young communist in the winding alleyways of 1950s British colonial Zanzibar. Love and resistance escalate.
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Whether the Weather is Fine
Carlo Francisco Manatad
‘Whether the Weather is Fine’ follows Miguel after he wakes up in the chaos of Typhoon Haiyan, which destroyed Tacloban—a coastal city in the Philippines, in November 2013.
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White Building
Kavich Neang
Samnang faces the demolition of his lifelong home in Phnom Penh coupled with pressures from family, friends, and neighbours—which all arise and intersect at this moment of sudden change.
Work-in-Progress: Feature Documentary
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5 Seasons of Revolution
Lina
Lina wanted to become simply a camerawoman. But after the uprising in Syria, it didn’t take long until events escalated, and arrests, torture, and potentially life-threatening situations became a reality for Lina to negotiate as a new norm.
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Fragments from Heaven
Adnane Baraka
Looking for stones in the desert of Morocco might seem ludicrous unless those stones are celestial and able to change one’s life forever. That’s the story of nomad Mohamed, scientist Abderrahmane, and other Bedouins. They all search for the same stone, but each one has his own reasons. Their search merges into an inherent quest that resonates with that of all the others.
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The Miracle of Almería
Moon Blaisse
The legal and illegalised inhabitants of Almeria, the biggest vegetable garden in Europe, cooperate to reveal the system of violence behind our tomatoes.
Work-in-Progress: Feature Narrative
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Costa Brava Lebanon
Mounia Akl
The Badri family lives in isolation in Lebanon’s mountains. When the government inaugurates a landfill outside their fence, everything they escaped catches up with them.
Development: TV & Web Series
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Jet Set Arabia
Abdulla Al-Abdulla, Basel Owies
A glimpse into the glamorous exploits of celebrity Khaleeji social media influencers Fatima Al Momen, Ascia Farraj, Abdulla Al Abdulla, Reem Al Sanea and Rawan Bin Hussain—who juggle their unconventional modern lifestyles under the microscopes of their families and traditional cultures of the Middle East.
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Locals. Qatar
Saud Al-Thani, Stephen Ochsner
A hyper-inclusive look into what responsibility and sense of belonging mean in a place where 90% of the population are guests.
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Mornings in Jenin
Annemarie Jacir
Beginning in Palestine in 1947, 'Mornings in Jenin' centres on the intertwining lives of three siblings who make starkly different choices in the face of turmoil and conflict. This deeply human chronicle is a searing exploration of friendship, love, courage, and hope.
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Oddity Tales from a Strange Land
Ahmad Samara
A coming-of-age story, following a girl named Aya, through which we explore a collection of stories that share with us the diverse ancient historical tales and mythologies spread throughout the Arab world.
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Rise of the Mad Cat
Meshaal Al Abdulla, Ibrahim Al Abdulla
The adventures of a stray cat named Chimbir and Casper the goldfish as they team up and take on the world in an effort to establish their scientific tech empire!
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TCA186: The Tarmac Year
Mohamed Berro
Set in an alternative timeline of the 1980s, two Lebanese cousins hijack a plane demanding the release of political prisoners. They land the plane in Strovia, a Soviet-backed island state in the Mediterranean. Negotiations get tangled up with cold war politics, and the hijackers and passengers alike find themselves attempting to survive the longest hijacking in history.
Development: Short Narrative
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A Simple Cut
Maha Al-Jefairi
A young girl goes to ridiculous lengths to hide her haircut from her overbearing mother.
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Al Fanar
Aisha Al-Muhannadi
When a young woman is left alone in her neighbourhood after her father ventures to sea, her life suddenly takes a tragic turn.
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Kinship
Ali Alhajri
When a shadow emerges with the birth of his newborn, Khalid must come face to face with his past in order to live his future.
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The Experiment
Abdulla Alhor
A bullied 30-year-old researcher must prove that his prisoner rehabilitation experiment works—or risk being fired and losing face to his nemesis.
Picture Lock: Short Documentary
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…And I Was Left Behind
Maysaa Almumin
Created in DFI’s Short Documentary Lab with Rithy Panh
When I was a child—my grandmother would tell me stories of longing and loss of relatives during desert travels and sea voyages—and now as an adult, her words finally make sense to me.
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And Then They Burn the Sea
Majid Al-Remaihi
Created in DFI’s Short Documentary Lab with Rithy Panh
‘Burn the Sea’ is an elegy to the filmmaker’s mother. Weaving through images, personal archives, and cultural motifs, the film is a meditation on ambiguous loss, the sea, and dreams.
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Don’t Get Too Comfortable
Shaima Al-Tamimi
More than fifty years after his death, Shaima Al-Tamimi shares a heartfelt multimedia letter addressed to her paternal grandfather reflecting on her family’s journey of migration and resettlement—while examining the intergenerational burden of relocation impacting Yemeni migrants and their descendants for decades to come.
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Virtual Voice
Suzannah Mirghani
Created in DFI’s Short Documentary Lab with Rithy Panh
Suzi is the voice of her generation…the virtual voice of her generation.
Work-in-Progress: Short Documentary
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Let’s Play Soldiers
Mariam Al-Dhubhani
Nasser is a sixteen-year-old child soldier who follows in his older brother’s footsteps, Adham, to provide for their family. Their younger sibling, Ahmed, who is in the fifth grade, is fascinated by the manhood appeal of becoming a child soldier and plans to leave school to join once he becomes 16. A story of three generations lost in the war cycle in Yemen.
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Fever Dream
Ania Hendryx Wójtowicz
Created in DFI’s Short Documentary Lab with Rithy Panh
When dreams overtake waking life and reality masquerades as fiction—“Do Not Leave the House”.
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Ode to Loneliness
Rawane Nassif
Created in DFI’s Short Documentary Lab with Rithy Panh
A woman lives alone in a cubical hotel room with a view of the city. She films herself, the city, and her dreams for a month.
Work-in-Progress: Short Narrative
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Revenge Knows Nothing
Abdulla Al-Janahi, Abdulaziz Khashabi
'Revenge Knows Nothing' combines two stories in a creative manner showcasing the horrific effects of human injustice and selfish actions on its victims—human or otherwise.
Qumra 2020 Archive
Click here to download Qumra 2020 Catalogue.
Doha Film Institute presents Qumra, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world.
Over the past six years, Qumra has been a one-of-a-kind professional incubator crucial to the success of filmmakers from the Arab world and beyond. Due to current global concern regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, and with an awareness of our responsibility towards the health and safety of our valued guests and partners, and in an effort to reduce travel during this time, the decision has been made to cancel the 2020 edition of Qumra and proceed with an adapted online mentorship and support format
Industry Events Programme
Qumra is designed to provide creative and professional support to Directors and Producers attached to up to twenty-five features, seven series and ten shorts in development or post-production in Fiction and Documentary. They will include a number of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, as well as Regional and International recipients from the Institute’s Funding Programmes.
The event is organised in six main sections:
The Qumra Master Classes are daily sessions, led by one of the Qumra Masters each day.
The Qumra Talks brings together leaders from technology, media, film, television and arts to weigh in on diverse topics impacting the creative industries. These talks are geared towards technological innovation, industry trends and expanding different forms of storytelling across all platforms.
The Qumra Meetings are a series of one-on-one meetings, roundtables, panels, workshops and tailored mentoring sessions between representatives from the selected projects and seasoned industry experts.
The Qumra Screenings of feature projects funded by the Institute through its grants and co-financing initiatives, as well as a series of films chosen by the Qumra Masters accompanied by Q&A sessions.
Qumra Shorts, an intensive workshop during which 10 Qatar-based filmmakers will present their short film projects, currently in development and post production, to a group of international shorts experts.
Qumra Series, a new addition to the programme where seven teams will present their series projects currently in development, to a group of international industry professionals and experts in the serialized format, through individual and group advisory sessions.
Twenty-five feature-length, 7 series and 10 short film projects with an emphasis on first- and second-time filmmakers, including independent filmmakers from Qatar and recipients of funding from the Institute, have been selected to participate in Qumra. The industry programme will connect the filmmakers with industry mentors for tailored consultations and workshops, as well as master classes with acclaimed Qumra Masters.
Selected participants will have the opportunity to participate in the following events:MASTERCLASSES
Master Classes are led by acclaimed filmmakers.MEETINGS
Preparatory Meetings
Briefing meetings for project delegates with moderators and mentors to prepare for their screening and feedback sessions, and consultations with Qumra experts.
Script Consultations
Intensive individual consultations with expert script advisors for grantees with projects in the early stages of development.
Rough Cut Consultations
Intensive sessions with industry experts offering individual consultation to grantees with projects in post-production, providing bespoke advice regarding structure and editing.
Meet the Masters
Participants with projects engage in individual consultation sessions with one of the Qumra Masters.
One-on-One and Group Tutorials
Individual and group advisory sessions tailored to the needs of the project at hand. Industry experts cover a broad range of subjects, from financing strategies and legal considerations for co-productions, to festival strategies and sales.
Film Case Studies
Filmmakers share their experiences working on a film they directed or produced, covering subjects like development, financing, festival and distribution strategies, sales, and the successes and challenges faced during production.
Group Work Sessions
Participants share their projects and discuss the challenges they are facing. They also have the opportunity to work in groups and develop film packaging and pitch training with the project coach.
Match Made Meetings
Pre-arranged one-on-one meetings in which participants present their projects to industry experts and discuss opportunities for collaboration.
Working Breakfasts (Breakfast Talks)
Moderated working sessions for participants and industry executives in an informal atmosphere. Producers, representatives of labs and festivals, sales agents, distributors, and financiers share their expertise and discuss current industry trends.
Working Breakfasts (Feedback Sessions)
Pre-arranged moderated group meetings in which participants present their projects for feedback from sales agents, distributors, and financiers.
PROJECT SCREENINGS
Work-in-Progress Screenings and Feedback
Closed screenings of 20-minute excerpts from six feature-length Qumra works-in-progress (Narrative and Documentary). A panel of three industry experts provides immediate, individual feedback.
Picture Lock Screenings
Exclusive preview presentations of six feature-length Qumra projects (Narrative and Documentary) in the final stages of post-production. Twenty-minute excerpts of projects are screened for select festival programmers, sales agents, and distributors.
Industry Screenings
Exclusive preview screenings of 20-minute excerpts from the 12 narrative and documentary Qumra projects that are completed or works-inprogress, for select sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, and postproduction fund and VoD platform representatives.
Modern Masters Screenings
The Qumra Screenings include the Modern Masters series – a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters.
New Voices in Cinema Screenings
The Qumra Screenings also features New Voices in Cinema, a selection of critically acclaimed feature-length and short films funded by the Doha Film Institute.QUMRA SHORTS
An intensive workshop where ten filmmakers present their short film projects, currently in development or post-production, to a group of international industry professionals, including script consultants, filmmaker mentors, editor mentors, producers, lab representatives, and programmers— experts in the short form. The programme seeks to continue the Doha Film Institute’s support for filmmaking talent in Qatar.QUMRA SERIES
Doha Film Institute has started nurturing a space for series projects from the MENA region through its labs and financial support mechanisms over the past two years. This year we are taking it a step further and making web and TV series an integral part of Qumra. Seven teams will present their DFI supported series projects to a group of international industry professionals through individual and group advisory and pitching sessions. They will have the opportunity to meet with writers, producers, creators, showrunners, labs and markets representatives, funders, broadcasters and VoD platforms with an aim of enhancing their projects and getting them a step closer to completion.
Master Classes
Qumra Master Classes are sessions with each of the Qumra Masters, where they will share their professional experiences and offer guidance to the participants of the event.
Our sixth edition of Qumra includes master classes from James Gray, Jessica Hausner, Mark Mangini, Claire Denis and Phedon Papamichael
Qumra Masters Biography
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Claire Denis
Born in Paris, Claire Denis wrote and directed her first feature film, Chocolat, in 1988. A semi-autobiographical story of racial tension in colonial Africa in the 1950s, the film was screened at Cannes Film Festival...
Read MoreIn 1996, she won the Golden Leopard Locarno for Nenette and Boni. Denis’ other notable films Trouble Every Day (2001), 35 Shots of Rum (2008), White Material (2009) and Bastards (2013) were presented at Un Certain Regard at Cannes Film Festival in 2013. In 2017, Claire Denis returned to Cannes with Bright Sunshine In, screened as the opening film in Directors’ Fortnight and winner of the SACD prize.
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James Gray
New York City native James Gray is a film director and screenwriter. He went on to study at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts before making his feature directorial debut with the crime drama Little Odessa (1994) at the age of twenty-five which won the Silver Lion award at the 51st Venice International Film Festival...
Read MoreHe has made six other features, four of which competed for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
His body of work includes The Yards (2000), We Own the Night (2007) starring Joaquin Phoenix, Two Lovers (2008), The Immigrant (2013), The Lost City of Z (2016) and the sci-fi adventure Ad Astra (2019). -
Jessica Hausner
Born in Vienna, Austria in 1972, Jessica Hausner studied directing at the Film Academy of Vienna where she made the award-winning short films Flora (1996) and Inter-View (1999), which won the Jury Prize of the Cannes Cinéfondation. Her body of work includes the Cannes nominated feature films Lovely Rita (2001) and Hotel (2004) selected to the Festival’s Un Certain Regard segment...
Read MoreHer feature Lourdes (2009), won the FIPRESCI Prize at the 66th Venice Film Festival.
In 1999, Hausner founded the Viennese film production company coop99. She was appointed a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2017. Her fifth feature film Little Joe (2019) premiered in competition at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival where its lead actress won the award for Best Actress. -
Mark Mangini
Born in 1956 in Boston, Massachusetts, Mark Mangini grew up as a musician and attended Holy Cross College as a foreign language major. His passion for filmmaking and music prompted a move to Los Angeles in 1976, where he launched his career in sound department working for children’s cartoons before founding Weddington Productions – a successful post-production sound company that he ran for 25 years...
Read MoreHis extensive body of work as a supervising sound editor, sound designer, and recording mixer earned him five Oscar® nominations for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), Aladdin (1992), The Fifth Element (1997), and Blade Runner 2049 (2017). He won the award in 2015 for his work on Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).
Phedon Papamichael
Phedon Papamichael, an Academy Award® nominated cinematographer was born in Athens, Greece and moved with his family to Germany where in 1982 he completed his education in Fine Arts in Munich...
Read MoreHe is widely regarded for his collaborations with directors James Mangold, Alexander Payne and Wim Wenders. Working as a photojournalist brought Papamichael to NYC in 1983, where he started crossing over into cinematography. Papamichael now counts over 45 features to his credit as Director of Photography, including the early blockbusters, While You Were Sleeping (1995), Cool Runnings (1993) and Phenomenon (1996), all directed by Jon Turteltaub. He was nominated for both the Academy Award® and BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography for Payne's 2013 film Nebraska. Papamichael’s recent works include Mangold’s Ford V Ferrari (2019), which earned him a BAFTA nomination.
Qumra Projects
Thirty-six projects at various stages of production have been selected to benefit from the experience of the Qumra Masters, as well as bespoke mentorship and business meetings with international experts. The primary motive of this international gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first- and second-time filmmakers.
Feature Narrative: Development
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81’
Dawood Al-Anwari and Ali Al Ansari
Based on a true story, coach Evaristo guides the underdog Qatari youth team to a historical display at the 1981 FIFA Youth World Championships in Australia
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Arabnovela
A.J. Al-Thani
Set in Doha, Qatar in 1997, ‘Arabnovela’ is a satirical story about how society and family can crush dreams. A young woman named Noor dreams of becoming a khaleeji telenovela actress. She lives a double life as she juggles being an actress under the alias of Reem Ahmed and her actual job as a resident doctor from her family.
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Behind Closed Doors
Hend Fakhroo
Six-year-old Leila wakes up one day and finds her mother gone with only her father to take care of her. After months of trying, the small family finally settles into an emotional equilibrium, only to have their mother suddenly return.
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Beirut 1931
Kamal Aljafari
A man arrives in his native Jaffa after the sudden death of his uncle, who was kept in a mental hospital for over 25 years. Like a lurking shadow, the man would only occasionally visit his family back home—but this trip quickly leads him into an oscillation between the present crisis and memories from the last 70 years.
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Dowayha
Mahdi Ali Ali
A boy goes through a psychological change process to discover the reason for the divorce of his parents.
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Down and Out in Doha
Waheed Khan and Fahad Al Kuwari
A young, reckless Qatari man abandons his fortune in a challenge and learns that there is more to life than money.
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Omar La Fraise
Elias Belkedar
Omar, a crook forced to be on the run in Algeria, needs to quiet down to avoid prison. Deprived of adrenalin, he swings between his urges and strikes his own balance.
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Queens
Yasmine Benkiran
To give her daughter a brighter future, 27-year-old Zineb escapes from prison and kidnaps her 9-year-old, Ines. On the road, she holds up a truck, taking the young Asma hostage and forcing her to drive them away from the police. From this road trip in a truck soon flourishes a deep friendship.
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Sabah
Ben Robinson
After a conservative Twitter campaign shuts down a high school play for its satirical content, a rebellious Qatari teenager directs her fellow drama students to broadcast their controversial performance live across social media.
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Vanishing
Lucien Bourjeily
Rita, a single mother, juggles her family and work with the crucial help of Zofan—a domestic worker, whose mysterious disappearance draws Rita into an investigative journey with unexpected consequences.
Feature Documentary: Development
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The Flower Men
Yousra Ishaq
In Yemen, a country shrouded in complexities, one ancient tribe is split between the borders of two bitter enemies at war with each other. Yet the divided tribe stands against both factions, refusing to be part of the war threatening their respective homelands. But what are their motives, and are they really as united as they let on?
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Kashkash
Lea Najjar
In a region torn apart by conflicting traditions, rapid modernization, recurring wars, forced migration, and a myriad of political struggles, we have discovered an unusual link—the age-old Kash-Hamam game of the Levant. As a pastime, vocation, heritage, or addiction, the game spans a unique apolitical network from Syria to Lebanon, connecting people of all religious sects and political views.
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Machtat
Sonia Ben Slama
A chronicle of Fatma and her daughters Najeh and Waffeh—"machtat" wedding musicians in the small Tunisian city of Mahdia, who escape the hardship of their daily lives through performance.
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Searching for Kikhia
Jihan Kikhia
A daughter unravels the disappearance of her father, the peaceful opposition leader to Qaddafi, and pieces together her mother's 19-year search to find him.
TV Series: Development
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Al Zubara
Hamad Al Mansouri
A futuristic take on Qatar, where Jassim Mohammed sets out to avenge his brother’s murder.
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Faraya
Nadim Tabet and Mounia Akl
When the lifeless body of an Ethiopian housemaid is discovered in the luxurious Lebanese ski resort of Faraya—Said, a local policeman decides to conduct his investigation against all the odds. Will he be able to pursue his quest for truth until the end, at the risk of disrupting the entire community?
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Heim
Liwaa Yazji and Mohammad Abou Laban
You can never escape a war. You take it with you wherever you go. All it takes is a handful of secrets and a terrible murder for old scars to turn into fresh wounds, and what at first appears to be Islamist terrorism turns out to be very much worse.
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The Life of Abdulla
Abdulla Al Abdulla
Follow Abdulla Al Abdulla and his social media influencer friends through every dramatic and exclusive moment as he strives to develop a high-end fragrance line worth of securing shelf space among the best boutique brands in the world.
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Meskoun
Hicham Lasri
Lotfi loses his fiancée and his mind. Deciding to emigrate illegally, he ends up drowning with seven other strangers. A month later, he reappears, buoyed by the souls of the seven drowned people who are now living within him.
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The Source
Erige Sehiri
Five childhood friends from Tunisia’s Thala high school, come together to investigate the mysterious death of Hicham, an older student. In tracing his footsteps over the months before he disappears, the group members leave behind their adolescence and end up on the frontline of the Arab Spring.
Feature Narrative: Work-in-Progress
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Honey Cigar
Kamir Aïnouz
The coming-of-age story of a teenage Algerian girl born and raised in France—set against the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Algeria in the 1990s.
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The Maiden’s Pond
Bassem Breche
In a small Lebanese town, a mother struggles to lend support to her estranged and newly-divorced daughter, as both women come to terms with their unresolved wounds.
Feature Documentary: Work-in-Progress
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The Earth Doesn’t Move
Yosr Gasmi and Mauro Mazzocchi
In a reception centre for asylum seekers in Italy, we follow the destiny of three protagonists—Laly a 43-year-old from Senegal, Abderrahman a Libyan poet, and Demba a Gambian aspirant actor and director.
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The Labudovic Reels
Mila Turajlić
Stevan Labudovic, the cameraman of Yugoslav President Tito, takes us on an archival road trip through the birth of the Non-Aligned Movement. Revealing his role in filming the Algerian revolution, he plunges us into the heart of an epic battle of images in which cinema gave voice to a decolonising world.
Web Series: Work-in-Progress
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The Closet Sessions
Ahmad Satti
A music web series that documents and showcasesthe diversity of the music scene in Jordan and the Arab region.
Feature Narrative: Picture Lock
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Liborio
Fernando Martinez Sosa
Liborio is a Dominican peasant who disappears in a hurricane and returns as a prophet, understanding that the best way to help the people is to keep them together. He cures the sick and offers food for the body and soul. His community grows until something changes—the country is invaded by the US Marines.
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Noche De Fuego
Tatian Huezo
Life in a war-torn town, seen through the eyes of three young girls on the path to adolescence.
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Streams
Mehdi Hmili
Amel is released from prison after an illicit affair. In the lower depths of Tunis, she looks for her missing son Moumen. During her journey, Amel faces a Tunisian society in almost total collapse.
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The Translator
Rana Kazkaz and Anas Khalaf
As the Syrian Revolution begins, a political refugee returns illegally to Syria and risks everything to free his brother from the Assad regime
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The Winter Within
Aamir Bashir
Nargis finds herself at the crossroads of a new beginning with Yaseen. Just then, her husband returns.
Feature Documentary: Picture Lock
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After A Revolution
Giovanni Buccomino
‘After A Revolution’ was filmed over six years, and tells the intimate story of a brother and sister who struggle to rebuild their lives after fighting on opposite sides of the Libyan revolution.
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School of Hope
Mohamed El Aboudi
‘School of Hope’ tells the story of a nomad tribe struggling to get education for their children, and a young teacher trying to help them while suffering himself under the government’s indifference toward rural regions.
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Their Algeria
Lina Soualem
The longstanding journey of the exile of my grandparents Aïcha and Mabrouk. A couple of Algerian immigrants living in France for sixty years, whose lives were a succession of separations and silences.
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Wake Up on Mars
Dea Gjinovci
A 10-year-old Roma boy living in Sweden struggles to come to terms with the mysterious Resignation Syndrome that has put his two sisters into comas. The tight-knit family is trying to rebuild a normal life far from their native Kosovo, where they were victims of persecution. While their entire future hangs in the balance of a pending asylum request, the little boy dreams of building a spaceship to leave it all behind.
Short Narrative: Work-in-Progress
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Al-Sit
Suzannah Mirghani
In a Sudanese cotton-farming village, 15-year-old Nafisa’s parents have arranged her marriage to Nadir, a young Sudanese businessman living abroad. However, before any wedding can take place, Nafisa’s grandmother Al-Sit, the powerful village matriarch, must first give her blessing. But will Nafisa ever be able to make her own choices?
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J’ai Le Cafard
Maysaa Al Mumin
A woman in her forties struggles to make sense of her downhearted mood until she encounters a cockroach in the office toilets.
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Olayan
Khalifa Al Marri
Hamad is a 6-year-old boy who lives with his parents and their camels in the desert. When one of their camels gives birth to a baby calf, Hamad’s reclusive life changes and the two become fast friends. When his father decides to sell the calf in the market, Hamad goes to extreme lengths to free his friend and bring him back home.
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Under Her Skin
Meriem Mesraoua
Oran, Algeria. When her mother forbids her from biting her nails, Sarah must now abide by rules she does not fully understand. By regaining control over her actions and projected image, Sarah slowly redefines her attitude towards herself and others.
Short Documentary: Picture Lock
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And Then They Burn the Sea
Majid Al-Remaihi
‘And Then They Burn the Sea’ is a film-poem that reflects on the memories of a mother whose dementia alienated her.
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Ander
Alina Mustafina
A short documentary about the world of an energetic five-year-old-boy who, despite his asthma and a very severe rare dairy allergy that isolates him from other kids during mealtime, simply enjoys his childhood.
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Emily
Anna Prokou
Most people keep their trauma locked up inside, but for Emily, a Filipina singer in Doha, opening her “box of trauma” and confronting a painful past is her only chance to break free.
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Ghareeb (Stranger)
Yasser Mustafa and Christophe Buffet
The security guard of an abandoned elementary school explores remains of the neighbourhood's past residents, weaving their mysteries into his own narrative.
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Ode to Loneliness
Rawane Nassif
A woman lives alone in a cubical hotel room with a view to the city. She films herself, the city, and her dreams for a month.
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Woman of Steel (Okht Rjal)
Obada Yousef Jarbi
In a broken welfare system, a mother takes to the streets to collect and sell scrap metal to provide for her family.
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Under the Lemon Tree
Noor Alasswad
An exiled Palestinian woman partakes in a humble fireside repast under a lemon tree that takes her backwards through the decades to her homeland.
Qumra Pass
Qumra is a programme developed for professionals from diverse backgrounds, aimed at advancing knowledge about, and promoting discussion around media and filmmaking.
The Qumra Pass experience is a unique platform that allows members of the local and regional creative industries to participate in Qumra. It is an opportunity for discovery, networking and inspiration.
Qumra Pass gives you access to:
Qumra Master Classes
A total of five master classes led by acclaimed filmmakers that take place in the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium.
Qumra Screenings
Screenings of feature films presented by the Qumra Masters and recipients of funding from the Institute, followed by question-and-answer sessions.
Qumra Talks
The Qumra Talks brings together leaders from technology, media, film, television and arts to weigh in on diverse topics impacting the creative industries. These talks are geared towards technological innovation, industry trends and expanding different forms of storytelling across all platforms.
Selection Criteria
● Open to citizens and residents of Qatar, the region and international. Please note that the Doha Film Institute will NOT be responsible for any visa or residence procedures.
● Doha Film Institute will review all applications, and accepted applicants will receive an e-mail to finalize their payment. Kindly note that requests will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis and capacity is limited.
Participation Cost:
Standard Price: 500 QAR
Student Discount: 350 QAR
Culture Pass by Qatar Museums Discount: QAR 350
To get in touch, please email us at qumrapass@dohafilminstitute.com
Qumra 2019 Archive
Click here to download Qumra 2019 Catalogue.
Doha Film Institute presents Qumra, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world.
The primary motive of this international gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first- and second-time filmmakers, alongside a series of screenings for Doha audiences featuring films by international masters and recipients of support from the Institute.
The Qumra gathering is categorised in three sections:
Master Classes
Master Classes with Qumra Masters, including the most influential and beloved artists of our time, Agnes Varda, world renowned film director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Academy Award winner, BAFTA winner and Cannes Best Director winner Pawel Pawlikowski, Academy Award winning production designer Eugenio Caballero and Cannes Grand Prix Best Screenplay award winner Alice Rohrwacher.Meetings
Emphasising work by first- and second-time filmmakers, approximately 25 feature-length, 7 series and 10 short film projects have been selected to benefit from the experience of international film industry experts in bespoke mentorship labs and business meetings.Screenings
The Modern Masters and New Voices in Cinema include a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters and critically acclaimed films funded by the Institute.
Public Screenings
Modern Masters and New Voices in CinemaThe Modern Masters and New Voices in Cinema include a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters and critically acclaimed films funded by the Institute.
Schedule
Qumra 2019 screenings take place Wednesday, 13 March to Wednesday, 20 March.
Click here to download Qumra 2019 Catalogue.
Thu, 14 March, 8:00 PM
New Voices Shorts Programme
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Fri, 15 March, 7:00 PM
MODERN MASTERS
The Gleaners and I
Directed by: Agnès Varda
Followed by a Q&A session with Richard Pena
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Sat, 16 March, 7:30 PM
MODERN MASTERS
Pan's Labyrinth
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Followed by a Q&A session with Eugenio Caballero
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Mon, 18 March, 7:30 PM
MODERN MASTERS
Tokyo Sonata
Directed by: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Followed by a Q&A session with Kiyoshi Kurosawa
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Tue, 19 March, 7:00 PM
MODERN MASTERS
Happy as Lazzaro
Directed by: Alice Rohrwacher
Followed by a Q&A session with Alice Rohrwacher
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Wed, 20 March, 7:00 PM
NEW VOICES IN CINEMA
Still Recording
Directed by: Saeed Al Batal, Ghiath Ayoub
Qumra Talks
Qumra Talks
Qumra Talks gather leaders from the technology, film, television and online worlds to weigh in on diverse topics. The panel-style talks are geared toward the evolution of technology in digital storytelling and distribution.
Click here to download Qumra 2019 Catalogue.
Saturday, 16 March at 5:00pm
THE BLACK LIST: REVOLUTIONISING HOW FILMS GET CHOSEN
In partnership with Northwestern University in Qatar
Technology, culture, and politics have changed Hollywood film production irrevocably. Franklin Leonard will explore what it all means, with particular attention to the story of ‘The Black List’, the annual list of Hollywood's most liked unproduced screenplays. He founded the Black List in 2005, which has since grown into an industry leading company celebrating and supporting great screenwriting and production. More than 400 Black List scripts have been produced, grossing over $26 billion in box office worldwide, and have won an incredible 53 Academy Awards from 262 nominations.
Franklin Leonard
Franklin Leonard is a film producer, cultural commentator, professor, and entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of the Black List. Franklin has worked in feature film development at Universal Pictures and the production companies of Will Smith, Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella, and Leonardo DiCaprio. He has been a juror at the Sundance, Toronto, and Guanajuato Film Festivals and for the PEN Center Literary Awards. He’s been one of Hollywood Reporter’s '35 Under 35', Black Enterprise magazine’s '40 Emerging Leaders for Our Future', The Root’s '100 Most Influential African-Americans', and Fast Company’s '100 Most Creative People in Business'.
Monday, 18 March at 5:00pm
WELCOME TO THE NEW REALITY: HOW VR IS CHANGING OUR WORLD.
In partnership with Northwestern University in Qatar
Virtual Reality (VR) is on the cusp of an explosion in popularity. Experts expect the technology will start becoming embraced by individuals as a ubiquitous platform for communication, training, education, commerce, general services and entertainment. In his fascinating talk, VR virtuoso Michel Reilhac will address both the practical challenges that lay ahead for the immersive industry, as well as the deeper issues that this fundamental paradigm shift in our connection with reality may entail.
Michel Reilhac
Michel is a narrative architect and long-time transmedia and immersive media pioneer. He is Head of the award-winning independent production company Submarine Channel in Amsterdam, and is known as a leading international expert for innovation in hybrid storytelling across participatory, interactive and immersive experiences. As the Head of Studies at the Venice Biennale College, and the VR competition curator for the Venice Biennale International Film Festival, Michel is regularly invited to speak and teach at major international events, including the Cannes International Film Festival, SXSW, Tribeca Film Festival, TEDx, CPH:DOX, and much more.
16, 18 March from 2 pm – 4 pm
17, 19 March from 2 pm – 6 pmTHE QUMRA VR LOUNGE POWERED BY DIVERSION CINEMA
Qumra is delighted to present an unprecedented exploration into the world of virtual reality. This year, we will be presenting the two internationally acclaimed works below in association with Diversion Cinema at the Majilis Lounge of MIA.
Arden's Wake / Tide's Fall
Join us for an animated fiction story in six degrees of freedom, about a young girl living alone with her father in the middle of an endless sea. You must take the helm as we go underwater in search of her lost father when he does not come back from one of his dives. A modern masterpiece in VR directed by Eugene Chung, it received the Grand Prix in Venice VR 2017.
Spheres
A stunning documentary series in three, ten-minute chapters, ‘Spheres’ explores how the planets in our solar system generate their own magnetic fields that translate into music. Interactive in every way, it is both educational and visually stunning. Internationally celebrated in the VR industry, it is regarded as a technological breakthrough in interactive visualisation, receiving the Grand Award at Venice VR 2018. Produced by Darren Aronofsky, the three actresses narrating each episode are Jessica Chastain, Patti Smith and Millie Bobby Brown.
READ MORE
To gain exclusive access to this experience, simply register or purchase your Qumra Talk ticket here.
Industry Events Programme
Qumra is designed to provide creative and professional support to Directors and Producers attached to up to twenty-five features, seven series and ten shorts in development or post-production in Fiction and Documentary. They will include a number of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, as well as Regional and International recipients from the Institute’s Funding Programmes.
The event is organised in six main sections:
The Qumra Master Classes are daily sessions, led by one of the Qumra Masters each day.
The Qumra Talks brings together leaders from technology, media, film, television and arts to weigh in on diverse topics impacting the creative industries. These talks are geared towards technological innovation, industry trends and expanding different forms of storytelling across all platforms.
The Qumra Meetings are a series of one-on-one meetings, roundtables, panels, workshops and tailored mentoring sessions between representatives from the selected projects and seasoned industry experts.
The Qumra Screenings of feature projects funded by the Institute through its grants and co-financing initiatives, as well as a series of films chosen by the Qumra Masters accompanied by Q&A sessions.
Qumra Shorts, an intensive workshop during which 10 Qatar-based filmmakers will present their short film projects, currently in development and post production, to a group of international shorts experts.
Qumra Series, a new addition to the programme where seven teams will present their series projects currently in development, to a group of international industry professionals and experts in the serialized format, through individual and group advisory sessions.Twenty-five feature-length, 7 series and 10 short film projects with an emphasis on first- and second-time filmmakers, including independent filmmakers from Qatar and recipients of funding from the Institute, have been selected to participate in Qumra. The industry programme will connect the filmmakers with industry mentors for tailored consultations and workshops, as well as master classes with acclaimed Qumra Masters.
Selected participants will have the opportunity to participate in the following events:MASTERCLASSES
Master Classes are led by acclaimed filmmakers.MEETINGS
Preparatory Meetings
Briefing meetings for project delegates with moderators and mentors to prepare for their screening and feedback sessions, and consultations with Qumra experts.
Script Consultations
Intensive individual consultations with expert script advisors for grantees with projects in the early stages of development.
Rough Cut Consultations
Intensive sessions with industry experts offering individual consultation to grantees with projects in post-production, providing bespoke advice regarding structure and editing.
Meet the Masters
Participants with projects engage in individual consultation sessions with one of the Qumra Masters.
One-on-One and Group Tutorials
Individual and group advisory sessions tailored to the needs of the project at hand. Industry experts cover a broad range of subjects, from financing strategies and legal considerations for co-productions, to festival strategies and sales.
Film Case Studies
Filmmakers share their experiences working on a film they directed or produced, covering subjects like development, financing, festival and distribution strategies, sales, and the successes and challenges faced during production.
Group Work Sessions
Participants share their projects and discuss the challenges they are facing. They also have the opportunity to work in groups and develop film packaging and pitch training with the project coach.
Match Made Meetings
Pre-arranged one-on-one meetings in which participants present their projects to industry experts and discuss opportunities for collaboration.
Working Breakfasts (Breakfast Talks)
Moderated working sessions for participants and industry executives in an informal atmosphere. Producers, representatives of labs and festivals, sales agents, distributors, and financiers share their expertise and discuss current industry trends.
Working Breakfasts (Feedback Sessions)
Pre-arranged moderated group meetings in which participants present their projects for feedback from sales agents, distributors, and financiers.PROJECT SCREENINGS
Work-in-Progress Screenings and Feedback
Closed screenings of 20-minute excerpts from six feature-length Qumra works-in-progress (Narrative and Documentary). A panel of three industry experts provides immediate, individual feedback.
Picture Lock Screenings
Exclusive preview presentations of six feature-length Qumra projects (Narrative and Documentary) in the final stages of post-production. Twenty-minute excerpts of projects are screened for select festival programmers, sales agents, and distributors.
Industry Screenings
Exclusive preview screenings of 20-minute excerpts from the 12 narrative and documentary Qumra projects that are completed or works-inprogress, for select sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, and postproduction fund and VoD platform representatives.
Modern Masters Screenings
The Qumra Screenings include the Modern Masters series – a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters.
New Voices in Cinema Screenings
The Qumra Screenings also features New Voices in Cinema, a selection of critically acclaimed feature-length and short films funded by the Doha Film Institute.QUMRA SHORTS
An intensive workshop where ten filmmakers present their short film projects, currently in development or post-production, to a group of international industry professionals, including script consultants, filmmaker mentors, editor mentors, producers, lab representatives, and programmers— experts in the short form. The programme seeks to continue the Doha Film Institute’s support for filmmaking talent in Qatar.QUMRA SERIES
Doha Film Institute has started nurturing a space for series projects from the MENA region through its labs and financial support mechanisms over the past two years. This year we are taking it a step further and making web and TV series an integral part of Qumra. Seven teams will present their DFI supported series projects to a group of international industry professionals through individual and group advisory and pitching sessions. They will have the opportunity to meet with writers, producers, creators, showrunners, labs and markets representatives, funders, broadcasters and VoD platforms with an aim of enhancing their projects and getting them a step closer to completion.
Master Classes
Qumra Master Classes are sessions with each of the Qumra Masters, where they will share their professional experiences and offer guidance to the participants of the event.
Our fifth edition of Qumra includes master classes from Agnès Varda, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Pawel Pawlikowski, Eugenio Caballero and Alice Rohrwacher.
Only Qumra Pass holders are eligible to attend our master classes.Click here to download Qumra 2019 Catalogue.
Qumra Masters Biography
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Agnès Varda
One of the most influential, inventive and beloved artists of our time, the “Grandmother” of French New Wave, Agnès Varda began her career as a still photographer, and has since maintained a fluid interrelationship between photographic and cinematic forms. Her films, photographs, and art installations focus on documentary realism, feminist issues, and social commentary with a distinctive experimental style...
Read MoreHer body of work includes 33 short, feature-length documentary, and narrative films.
Her first feature ‘La Pointe Courte’ (1955) is widely considered by critics to be the first French New Wave film. She has won numerous recognitions in her career including the Silver Bear Prize at Berlinale (1965) for her film ‘Cleo from 5 to 7’ (1965); Golden Lion at Venice International Film Festival (1985) for her film ‘Vagabond’ (1985), Léopardo d’Onore at the Locarno Film Festival (2014), Palme d’Or d’Honneur at Festival de Cannes (2015), and Grolsch Audience Award for Best Documentary at Toronto Film Festival (2017) for ‘Faces, Places’ (2017).
In 2003, Varda launched a third career as a visual artist, and her installations have been exhibited at the world’s most prominent galleries and museums. Recipient of the Academy Honorary Award for her contribution to cinema, Agnès Varda continues to redefine documentary filmmaking with her playful yet political body of work. -
Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Born in 1955 in Hyogo Prefecture, Kiyoshi Kurosawa is a world-renowned film director, writer, film critic, and professor at Tokyo University of the Arts. After graduating from Rikkyo University, where he produced 8mm independent films, Kurosawa made his commercial feature film directorial debut in 1983 with 'Kandagawa Wars'...
Read MoreHe attracted international attention with 'Cure' (1997), and went on to deliver other notable works including 'License to Live' (1998), 'Barren Illusion' (1999), and 'Charisma' (1999).
His film 'Pulse' (2000) was awarded the FIPRESCI Prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. His subsequent films received acclaim at home and abroad, including 'Bright Future' (2002), which was selected in competition at Cannes in 2003, 'Doppelganger' (2002), 'Loft' (2005), and 'Retribution' (2006), which screened at that year’s Venice Film Festival.
'Tokyo Sonata' (2008) won the Jury Prize in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, and Best Film at the 2009 Asian Film Awards. Recent works include 'Real' (2013), 'Seventh Code' (2013), which won Best Director at that year’s Rome Film Festival, 'Journey to the Shore' (2014), winner of Best Director in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section and the 33rd Kawakita Award in 2015, 'Creepy' (2016), an official selection of that year’s Berlin International Film Festival, and 'Daguerrotype' (2016) which marked Kurosawa’s first overseas production, made with a French cast and crew.
Kurosawa was the recipient of the 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival’s Samurai Award. His 2017 film 'Before We Vanish' screened in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard and its spin-off 'Foreboding' in Berlinale’s Panorama. His latest film, 'To the Ends of the Earth' (working title) is a co-production with Uzbekistan, shot entirely on location. -
Pawel Pawlikowski
Paweł Pawlikowski was born in Warsaw, and has lived in London, Germany and Italy. A graduate of literature and philosophy at London University, he started making short films during his postgraduate studies at Oxford, later joining BBC’s documentary department...
Read MoreIn the late 1980s and 1990s, Pawlikowski was best known for his documentaries, whose blend of lyricism and irony won him many fans and awards around the world.‘Serbian Epics’ (1992), made at the height of the Bosnian War, aroused a storm of controversy and incomprehension at the time but has now secured something of a cult status.
Pawlikowski's transition to fiction occurred in 1998 with a small 50-minute hybrid film ‘Twockers’, a lyrical and gritty love story set on a sink estate in Yorkshire. Among Pawlikowski’s other acclaimed narrative works are ‘Last Resort’ (2000); ‘My Summer of Love’ (2004); ‘The Woman in the Fifth’ (2011), and ‘Ida’ (2015 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar).
His most recent film, ‘Cold War’ earned him the Best Director Award at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, and an Academy Award nomination for the same. It also won five awards at the 2018 European Film Awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress Awards.
In 2013, he moved back to Warsaw, where he continues to make films and teaches film writing and directing at the Wajda School. The masterful quality of his work across both documentary and fiction has established him as one of the esteemed filmmakers of our time.
Eugenio Caballero
Eugenio Caballero is the Academy Award-winning production designer of Guillermo de Toro’s 'Pan’s Labyrinth'. Mr. Caballero’s work on the film also earned him an Ariel Award, an Art Directors’ Guild Award (the most prestigious award in his field), a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, and BAFTA Award nominations...
Read MoreMr. Caballero’s credits include near 30 films, 20 of them as a designer. He has worked with directors Jim Jarmusch (The Limit of Control), Baz Luhrmann (Romeo and Juliet), Alfonso Cuaron (ROMA), Sebastian Cordero (Cronicas, Rabia and Europa Report), Floria Sigismondi (The Runaways), Claudia Llosa (Aloft), Fernando Eimbcke (Club Sandwich) Carlos Cuaron (Rudo y Cursi), among others.
In 2015 and 2016 he worked on the film 'A Monster Calls', directed by J.A. Bayona, earned him a Goya on his third nomination to this award. He received the Gaudi Award, the Fenix Award and the Platino Award for the same film.
In 2017-2018 he designed the film 'Roma' working alongside with the director Alfonso Cuarón, for this work he has earned multiple international awards and nominations, including the Critics Choice Awards, the Art Directors’ Guild, the BAFTAs and the Academy Award.
Mr. Caballero’s has been nominated seven times for the Ariel Award (Mexico’s main film award) from which he has won two. He has served as a Jury member on numerous international festivals, and he is a member of the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), the Mexican and Spanish film academies
Alice Rohrwacher
Born in Tuscany, Alice Rohrwacher graduated from Torino University in Literature and Philosophy. She has worked as an editor and composer for theatre...
Read MoreHer first experience in filmmaking was in 2006, when directing a part of the Italian documentary ‘Checosamanca’. In 2011, she directed her first feature film ‘Heavenly Body’, which premiered at the Directors' Fortnight during the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
Her second feature film, ‘The Wonders’, won the Grand Prix at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Also in 2014, Rohrwacher was appointed the President of the International Jury for the “Luigi De Laurentiis” Award for a Debut Film at the 71st Venice International Film Festival. Her latest film, ‘Happy as Lazzaro’, was released to critical acclaim and won the Best Screenplay award at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
Qumra Projects
Thirty-six projects at various stages of production have been selected to benefit from the experience of the Qumra Masters, as well as bespoke mentorship and business meetings with international experts. The primary motive of this international gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first- and second-time filmmakers.
Click here to download Qumra 2019 Catalogue.
Feature Narrative: Development
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Behind Closed Doors
Hend Fakhroo
Leila wakes up one day and finds her mother gone with just her father to take care of her. After weeks of struggling, the small family settles into an emotional equilibrium, only to have Leila’s mother suddenly return.
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Daughters of Abdul-Rahman
Zaid Abu Hamdan
Four estranged and offbeat sisters are forced to come together to find their suddenly-missing father.
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Lavandula
Mahdi Ali Ali
A boy goes through a psychological change process to discover the reasons behind the divorce of his parents.
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In Vitro
Larissa Sansour
After an eco-apocalypse, the dying founder of a vast underground orchard passes on instructions to her younger successor who was born underground, making her a stranger to the place she is destined to rebuild.
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Khuzama
A.J. Al-Thani
Set against the harsh desert backdrop, a Bedouin girl is thrown into a world of turmoil and violence which she can only survive with the help of a group of nomadic women.
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Mediterranean Fever
Maha Haj
An aspiring but depressed writer from Haifa befriends his new neighbour in an attempt to convince the man to help him commit suicide.
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My Little One
Kadija Leclere
Sarah, a Belgian woman of Moroccan descent, adopts a little girl in Morocco. But when the Belgian authorities deny her child’s visa, it is the beginning of an arduous ordeal for both of them.
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Severed Head
Lotfi Achour
Two teenage shepherds are captured on a Tunisian mountainside by jihadists. Decapitating the eldest, the 14-year-old sheepherder must return his cousin’s head to the victim’s mother.
Feature Documentary: Development
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Femmetasia
Mouhssine El Badaoui
Hanane, a young woman from a modest village in Marrakech decides to enter the traditionally male-only festival of battle bravery, Fantasia. Assembling her own troupe of horsewomen, she must face the prejudices of a patriarchal society.
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Qatar Stars
Danielle Beverly
Qatar is one of the wealthiest, most aspirational, and most scrutinised countries in the world. What is it like to grow up as a girl in this rapidly changing, majority-Muslim nation; that is a clash of tradition and modernity? For the Olympic Stars, a rhythmic gymnastics team for girls aged 9-15, it offers empowerment opportunities their mothers never had.
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The Earth Doesn't Move
Yosr Gasmi
This is a contemporary story about migration, borders and an eternal wanderer. It’s about exile and space, movement and the human race.
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We Are Inside
Farah Kassem
Returning to her father’s house in the radicalised city of Tripoli, Farah realises that the only way to connect with him is by joining his male-dominated poetry club.
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You Don't Die Two Times
Ager Oueslati
Prisca, Gift, and Jenny fled their home countries in Africa in the hope of a better life in Europe. A migratory odyssey fraught with violence, smugglers, and closed borders, where the three women attempt to reach their ‘El Dorado’ at any price.
Feature Narrative: Work-in-Progress
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Abou Leila
Amin Sidi-Boumédiène
Algeria, March 1994. Childhood friends S. and Lotfi travel through the Algerian desert looking for Abou Leila, a dangerous terrorist on the run.
Feature Documentary: Work-in-Progress
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Children of the Famine
Reine Mitri
Between 1915 and 1918, an estimated 200,000 people died from hunger in Mount Lebanon. For them, there is no memorial. Few photos remain, and ruins emerge from oblivion.
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Places Of The Soul
Hamida Issa
A Qatari woman travels on an environmental expedition to Antarctica in search of hope for a sustainable future before returning to Qatar in search of inspiration to make positive change.
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Republic of Silence
Diana El Jeiroudi
She grew up in a land of dictators and surveillance. Today, from her exile, she is reclaiming the images and sounds of Syrians, half of whom are scattered around the world.
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The Forbidden Strings
Hasan Noori
Born and raised in Iran, four Afghan musicians risk a dangerous journey from Iran to Afghanistan to make a dream come true— their first rock concert in their war-torn motherland.
Feature Narrative: Picture Lock
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Bombay Rose
Gitanjali Rao
Painted frame by frame, ‘Bombay Rose’ is an animated love story set on the streets of Bombay.
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Noura Dreams
Hinde Boujemaa
Noura struggles to raise her three children alone while her husband is in jail—until she meets Lassaad. Their plans to be together, however, are jeopardised by the impending release of her husband, and the two decide to flee.
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Papicha
Mounia Meddour
Nedjma refuses to submit to fear during the Algerian Civil War by fulfilling her dream of putting on a fashion show.
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Sanctorum
Joshua Gill
A child’s spiritual and magical quest for his disappeared mother in a small town racked between the army and drug traffickers.
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Sister
Svetla Tsotsorkova
The lie of a teenage girl destroys the world of her elder sister. Struggling to regain her sister’s trust, she finds out the truth about their mother.
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The Unknown Saint
Alaa Eddine Aljem
After years in captivity, a thief returns to retrieve the money he stole and discovers a mausoleum unexpectedly built on the site where he stashed the money.
Feature Documentary: Picture Lock
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Froth
Ilya Povolotskiy
The story of three people living on the coast of the Barents Sea who are united by an incredible blend of humility, inherent rebelliousness, a very specific moral code, and their attitude towards life.
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The Cave
Feras Fayyad
A group of female doctors establish a subterranean hospital in order to save the lives of victims of chemical and conventional weapons during the Syrian civil war.
Short Narrative: Development
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6 Months and 1 Day
Yassine Ouahrani
After his pension gets withheld, Aziz, an old retired immigrant, must confront his landlord at the risk of losing his home.
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Al-Azza
Eiman Mirghani
Following the death of her estranged mother, Arwa returns to her childhood home, where she must comply with religious traditions and wash her mother’s body before burial—setting a turn of events which will make her question her identity and why she ran away from home.
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Border
Khalifa Al-Thani
Border is a short film about a Middle Eastern man who wants to cross the border. But bypassing the security becomes a near impossible journey.
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J'ai le Cafard
Maysaa Almumin
In a demanding corporate office, forty-two-year-old Maryam develops a relationship with a cockroach that becomes both her saving grace and cause for angst.
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Msa7ar
Hassan Al-Malki
Fatima seeks to capture the local Msa7ar (em-sa-har) to wake up her dying grandmother, but can she overcome her fear of the dark in order to save her grandma?
Short Narrative: Work-in-Progress
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Beit Byoot
Mayar Hamdan
Jameela, a friendly little girl, wants nothing more than to fit in with two-carbon copy mean girls. But when she meets odd Yasmine, she must choose between conformity and being herself.
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Black Veil
A.J. Al-Thani
Many women around the world suffer under oppression and dream of escaping it. ‘The Black Veil’ is the story of one woman who puts her life at risk in order to find her freedom.
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End of the Road
Ahmad Al-Sharif
When a mysterious old man appears on the side of the road, Munir, an honest and God-fearing taxi driver, must make a choice on the night of his daughter’s birthday. His decision will shape his faith in humanity forever.
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In the Middle
Mariam Al-Dhubhani
Forced to pick up arms, Ali is stranded between his crushed dreams and the harsh reality of Aden— a city torn apart by the ongoing war in Yemen.
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Paper Plane
Nada Bedair
In a strict school, a new girl, Zayn, prompts her classmate Noor to make her dream kite. As both twelve-year-old girls embark on a kite-making mission, they soon find themselves in trouble with the school nuns.
Qumra 2018 Archive
Click here to download Qumra 2018 Catalogue.
Doha Film Institute presents Qumra, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world.
The primary motive of this international gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first- and second-time filmmakers, alongside a series of screenings for Doha audiences featuring films by international masters and recipients of support from the Institute.
The Qumra gathering is categorised in three sections:
Master Classes
Master Classes with Qumra Masters, including Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton, Academy Award nominated Bennett Miller, Cannes Jury Prize winner and Academy Award nominated Andrey Zvyagintsev, Cannes Palme d’Or, Un Certain Regard Award and Jury Prize winner Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Berlinale Golden Bear winner and Academy Award nominated Gianfranco Rosi, and nine times Oscar nominated and three times Academy Award winner Sandy Powell.Meetings
Emphasising work by first- and second-time filmmakers, approximately 23 feature-length and 11 short film projects have been selected to benefit from the experience of international film industry experts in bespoke mentorship labs and business meetings.Screenings
The Modern Masters and New Voices in Cinema include a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters and critically acclaimed films funded by the Institute.
Public Screenings
Qumra Screenings:
Modern Masters and New Voices in CinemaThe Modern Masters and New Voices in Cinema include a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters and critically acclaimed films funded by the Institute.
Click here to download Qumra 2018 Catalogue.
Schedule
Qumra 2018 screenings take place Wednesday, 7 March to Wednesday, 14 March.
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Thu, 8 March, 7:30 PM
MODERN MASTERS
Okja
Directed by: Bong Joon-ho
SOLD OUT
Followed by a Q&A session with Tilda Swinton
For those unable to obtain tickets for the sold-out screening, tickets may be available for Rush Sales.
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Fri, 9 March, 7:00 PM
MODERN MASTERS
Fire at Sea
Directed by: Gianfranco Rosi
Followed by a Q&A session with Gianfranco Rosi
Sat, 10 March, 4:30 PM
New Voices Shorts Programme
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Sat, 10 March, 7:00 PM
MODERN MASTERS
Footprints of Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Short Films Programme
Directed by: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Followed by a Q&A session with Apichatpong Weerasethakul
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Sun, 11 March, 7:00 PM
MODERN MASTERS
Moneyball
Directed by: Bennett Miller
Followed by a Q&A session with Bennett Miller
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Mon, 12 March, 7:30 PM
MODERN MASTERS
The Return
Directed by: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Followed by a Q&A session with Andrey Zvyagintsev
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Tue, 13 March, 7:00 PM
MODERN MASTERS
The Young Victoria
Directed by: Jean-Marc Vallée
Followed by a Q&A session with Sandy Powell
Qumra Talks
Qumra Talks
Qumra Talks gather leaders from the technology, film, television and online worlds to weigh in on diverse topics. The panel-style talks are geared toward the evolution of technology in digital storytelling and distribution.
Click here to download Qumra 2018 Catalogue.
Industry Events Programme
23 feature-length and 11 short film projects with an emphasis on first- and second-time filmmakers, including independent filmmakers from Qatar and recipients of funding from the Institute, have been selected to participate in Qumra. The industry programme will connect the filmmakers with industry mentors for tailored consultations and workshops, as well as master classes with five acclaimed Qumra Masters.
Click here to download Qumra 2018 Catalogue.
Click here to download Qumra 2018 Delegates Guide.
Click here to download Qumra 2018 Industry Programming Guide.Selected participants will have the opportunity to participate in the following events:
Script Consultations
Intensive individual consultations with expert script advisors for grantees with projects in the early stages of development. Sessions include online follow-up.Rough Cut Consultations
Intensive sessions with industry experts offering individual consultation to grantees with projects in post-production, providing bespoke advice for post-production, editing and seeking finishing funds.Working Breakfasts
Moderated working sessions for participants and industry executives in an informal atmosphere. Producers, representatives of labs and festivals, sales agents, distributors and financiers share their expertise and discuss current industry trends.Qumra Master Classes
Master Classes are led by acclaimed filmmakers.Meet the Masters
Participants with projects in development engage in individual consultation sessions with one of the Qumra Masters.One-on-One and Group Tutorials
Individual and group advisory sessions tailored to the needs of the project at hand. Industry experts will cover a broad range of subjects, from financing strategies and legal considerations for co-productions, to festival strategies and sales.Match Made Meetings
Pre-arranged one-on-one meetings in which participants present their projects to industry experts and discuss opportunities for collaboration.Work-in-Progress Screenings and Feedback
Closed screenings of 20-minute excerpts from the four narrative and four documentary Qumra projects in post-production. A panel of selected industry experts provides immediate, individual feedback tailored to each project.Picture Lock Screenings
Exclusive preview presentations of approximately four feature-length Qumra projects in the final stages of post-production. Twenty-minute excerpts of projects are screened for select festival programmers, sales agents and distributors.Industry Screenings
Exclusive preview screenings of 20-minute excerpts from the approximately 12 narrative and documentary Qumra projects that are completed or in post-production, for select festival programmers, sales agents and distributors.Qumra Shorts
For its third edition, Qumra introduces an intensive workshop during which approximately 9 short filmmaker will present their short film projects, currently in development, to a group of international industry professionals, including script consultants, producers, lab representatives, programmers and buyers, all of whom are experts in the short form. The programme seeks to continue the Doha Film Institute’s support for filmmaking talent in Qatar.Modern Masters Screenings
The Qumra Screenings include the Modern Masters series – a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters.New Voices in Cinema Screenings
The Qumra Screenings also features New Voices in Cinema, a selection of critically acclaimed feature-length and short films funded by the Doha Film Institute.
Master Classes
Qumra Master Classes are sessions with each of the Qumra Masters, where they will share their professional experiences and offer guidance to the participants of the event.
Our fourth edition of Qumra includes master classes from Tilda Swinton, Bennett Miller, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Gianfranco Rosi, and Sandy Powell.Only Qumra Pass holders are eligible to attend our master classes.
Click here to download Qumra 2018 Catalogue.
Qumra Masters Biography
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Tilda Swinton
Tilda Swinton started making films with the English experimental director Derek Jarman in 1985, with ‘Caravaggio’. They made seven more films together, including ‘The Last of England’ (1987), ‘War Requiem’ (1989), ‘The Garden’ (1990), ‘Edward II’ ¬(1991) – for which she won the Best Actress award at the Venice International Film Festival – and ‘Wittgenstein’ (1993), before Jarman’s death in 1994...
Read MoreSwinton gained wider international recognition in 1992 with her portrayal of the titular character of ‘Orlando’, based on the novel by Virginia Woolf under the direction of Sally Potter. She has established rewarding ongoing filmmaking relationships with directors including Wes Anderson, Joel and Ethan Coen, Jim Jarmusch, Lynn Hershman Leeson, John Maybury, and Luca Guadagnino, with whom she made ‘The Love Factory’ (2002), the widely applauded ‘I Am Love’ (2009), ‘A Bigger Splash’ (2015) and the soon-to-be-released ‘Suspiria’.
She has also worked with Bong Joon-ho on the international hits ‘Snowpiercer’ (2013) and ‘Okja’ (2017), and has featured in the Judd Apatow’s critically acclaimed comedy ‘Trainwreck’ (2015), written by Amy Schumer; Scott Derrickson’s Marvel Studios blockbuster ‘Doctor Strange’ (2016), and David Michod’s ‘War Machine’ (2017). She received both the BAFTA and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2008 for Tony Gilroy’s ‘Michael Clayton’.
Swinton starred in and executive-produced Lynne Ramsay’s ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’ (2011). The film debuted in the main competition at the Festival de Cannes to huge critical acclaim and garnered multiple honours, including Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for Best Actress. -
Bennett Miller
Bennett Miller is an Academy Award-nominated film director best known for his narrative features ‘Capote’, ‘Moneyball’, and ‘Foxcatcher’. Miller made his feature debut in 1998 with the critically acclaimed and award-winning documentary ‘The Cruise’. In 2005, he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Director for ‘Capote’, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman in his Oscar-winning performance as Truman Capote...
Read MoreMiller’s 2011 feature ‘Moneyball’, starring Brad Pitt, was also praised by critics, and went on to receive six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Miller was honoured at the Festival de Cannes in 2014 with the Best Director prize for his most recent feature film, ‘Foxcatcher’, starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo. ‘Foxcatcher’ was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Miller’s second nomination for Best Director.
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Andrey Zvyagintsev
Andrey Zvyagintsev was born in 1964 in Novosibirsk, and graduated from the acting programme at the Russian University of Theatre Arts (GITIS) in 1999, under the tutelage of Evgeny Lazarev. He later went on to take part in independent theatre productions and had a few small parts in films and television programmes...
Read MoreIn 2003, Zvyagintsev shot his first feature-length film, ‘The Return’. A debut not only for the director but for the majority of the crew as well, the film was accepted for the main competition at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion. It also took the Luigi de Laurentiis Lion of the Future prize for best first work, with the commendation: “a sublime film about love, loss, and coming of age.”
His second film, ‘The Banishment’, was presented at the Festival de Cannes in 2007, when Konstantin Lavronenko became the first Russian ever to receive the festival’s Best Leading Actor award. Cannes also presented the international premiere of Zvyagintsev’s third film, ‘Elena’, which took the Special Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section. ‘Leviathan’ (2014) was selected for the Official Competition at Cannes, and won the award for Best Screenplay. ‘Leviathan’ also became the first Russian film since 1969 to win the Golden Globe for Best Foreign-Language Film; it was nominated for the Academy Award in the same category, and took the Best Film award at the London Film Festival.
His most recent film, ‘Loveless’ (2017) has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and was selected for the Cannes Official Competition, where it won the Jury Prize at Cannes. It also went on to be named Best Film at the London Film Festival, making Zvyagintsev only the second director to have won that award twice.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
DIRECTOR
Apichatpong Weerasethakul is recognised as one of the most original voices in contemporary cinema. His six feature-length films, short films, and installations have won him widespread international recognition and numerous awards, including the Palme d’Or at the Festival de Cannes in 2010 for 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives'...
Read MoreIn 2002, his 'Blissfully Yours' (2002) took the Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes; 'Tropical Malady' (2004) won the Jury Prize in the Cannes Official Competition, and ‘Syndromes and a Century’ (2006) was recognised as one of the best films of the previous decade in several 2010 polls. Working independently of the Thai commercial film industry, Weerasethakul devotes himself to promoting experimental and independent filmmaking through his production company Kick the Machine Films.
Lyrical and often fascinatingly mysterious, Weerasethakul’s film works are non-linear, dealing with memory, and subtly invoking personal politics and social issues. He has also mounted exhibitions and installations in many countries since 1998, and is now recognised as a major international visual artist. His accolades include the Sharjah Biennial Prize (2013), and South Korea’s prestigious Yanghyun Art Prize (2014).
His installations have included the multi-screen project ‘Primitive’ (2009), acquired for major museum collections (including the Tate Modern in London and the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris), a major installation for Documenta 13 in Kassel, Germany, in 2012, and, most recently, the film installations ‘Dilbar’ (2013) and ‘Fireworks (Archives)’ (2014), variously presented in one-person exhibitions in galleries in Kyoto, London, Mexico City, and Oslo.
Gianfranco Rosi
Gianfranco Rosi was born in Asmara, Eritrea, and attended university in Italy before emigrating to the United States in 1985 to study Film at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Following a journey to India, he produced and directed his first documentary, ‘Boatman’ (1993), which was selected for film festivals including the Festival del Film Locarno, the Sundance Film Festival, and the Toronto International Film Festival...
Read MoreIn 2008, his first feature-length documentary, ‘Below Sea Level’ won the Orizzonti Award at the Venice Film Festival, as well as the Grand Prix and the Prix des Jeunes at Cinéma du Réel, the prize for Best Documentary at the One World Film Festival in Prague, the Vittorio De Seta prize for Best Documentary at the Bari International Film Festival; it was also nominated for the European Film Award for Best Documentary.
In 2010, Rosi directed ‘El Sicario, Room 164’, a film-interview about a killer-turned-informer from a Mexican drug cartel. Despite contrasting reviews, it won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Venice Film Festival and the Doc/it Professional Award for Best Documentary, and was named Best Film at DocLisboa. In 2013, ‘Sacro Gra’, won the Golden Lion at the 2016 Venice Film Festival, becoming the first documentary to ever land the prize. His most recent documentary, ‘Fire at Sea’ (2016), won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, as well as the European Film Award for Best Documentary. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Sandy Powell
Costume designer Sandy Powell has won three Academy Awards, for her work on Jean-Marc Vallée’s ‘The Young Victoria’ (2009), Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Aviator’ (2004), and John Madden’s ‘Shakespeare in Love’ (1998). She has also been nominated for Oscars nine times: for Todd Haynes’s ‘Carol’ (2015) and ‘Velvet Goldmine’ (1998); Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Cinderella’ (2015); Scorsese’s ‘Hugo’ (2011) and ‘Gangs of New York’ (2002); Julie Taymor’s ‘The Tempest’ (2010); Stephen Frears’s ‘Mrs Henderson Presents’ (2005); Iain Softley’s ‘The Wings of the Dove’ (1997); and Sally Potter’s ‘Orlando’ (1992)...
Read MorePowell has collaborated numerous times with Neil Jordan, on ‘The End of the Affair’ (1999), ‘The Butcher Boy’ (1997), ‘Michael Collins’ (1996), ‘Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles’ (1994), and ‘The Crying Game’ (1992). She worked extensively with Derek Jarman, on ‘Wittgenstein’ (1993), ‘Edward II’ (1991), ‘The Last of England’ (1987), and ‘Caravaggio’ (1986). Her work can also be seen in Justin Chadwick’s ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ (2008), Christine Jeffs’s ‘Sylvia’ (2003), Haynes’s ‘Far from Heaven’ (2002), Mike Figgis’s ‘Miss Julie’ (1999), and Anand Tucker’s ‘Hilary & Jackie’ (1998).
In 2011, Powell was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her services to the film industry. In 2016, along with its Oscar nominations, her work on Branagh’s ‘Cinderella’ and Haynes’s ‘Carol’ was nominated for BAFTAs and Costume Designers Guild Awards. Her more recent credits include John Cameron Mitchell’s ‘How to Talk to Girls at Parties’ (2017), for which she received a British Independent Film Award nomination, and Haynes’s ‘Wonderstruck’ (also 2017). Powell recently completed work on Rob Marshall’s upcoming ‘Mary Poppins Returns’, and is currently working with Scorsese on ‘The Irishman’, marking her seventh collaboration with the director, with whom she also previously worked on ‘The Wolf of Wall St’ (2013), ‘Shutter Island’ (2010), and ‘The Departed’ (2006).
Qumra Projects
Twenty-three feature-length and eleven short film projects at various stages of production have been selected to benefit from the experience of the Qumra Masters, as well as bespoke mentorship and business meetings with international experts. The primary motive of this international gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first- and second-time filmmakers.
Click here to download Qumra 2018 Catalogue.
Feature Narrative: Development
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Behind Closed Doors
Hend Fakhroo
Six-year-old Leila wakes up one day to find her mother gone, with only her father to take care of her. After months of trying, the small family finally settles into an emotional equilibrium, only to have the mother suddenly return.
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Dead Dog (working title)
Sarah Francis
When Farid, a 60-year-old man living abroad, visits his wife, he learns that his beloved dog has died. Tensions arise and Farid confesses he is returning home for good.
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A Gaza Weekend
Basil Khalil
When a viral epidemic consumes Israel, Gaza becomes the safest place in the region.
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Khuzama
A.J. Al Thani
A Bedouin girl dreams of exploring the desert – until she discovers it is not what she had imagined it to be.
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Noura Dreams
Hinde Boujemaa
Noura struggles to raise her three children alone while her husband is in jail – until she meets Lassaad. Their plans to be together, however, are jeopardised by the impending release of her husband, and the two decide to flee.
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The Unknown Saint
Alaa Eddine Aljem
After years in captivity, a thief returns to retrieve the money he stole and discovers a mausoleum unexpectedly built on the site where he stashed the money.
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The Voice of Amirah
Khalifa Al-Thani
After Amirah’s vengeful half-sister Assyah steals her private journal, secrets come out, and these began to jeopardize her freedom of pursuing an education. Amirah’s relationship with her neglectful father is re-enacted once he begins to see the strength in her.
Feature Documentary: Development
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Displaced in Heaven
Khaled Jarrar
By following a family across the Balkan route, a Palestinian director plunges into the horror of exile in a desperate need to recover his lost memories.
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Naz (working title)
Omar El-Khairy, Ana Naomi de Sousa
‘Naz’ is a feature-length documentary that explores the historical and cultural formations of the British Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem Hamed. It is a film that not only celebrates a forgotten era, but also sheds light on where we are now.
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Suspended Wives
Merieme Addou
‘Suspended Wives’ follows three women who were abandoned by their husbands, and their lengthy battle to obtain divorces.
Feature Essay: Development
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The Fifth Resurrection of Farid
Khalid Youssef
In Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, a new life is awarded to Olympic champion, pilot, Hollywood actor, war hero, and all-around professional hell-raiser Farid Semeka.
Feature Narrative: Works-in-Progress
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1982
Oualid Mouaness
When 11-year-old Wissam decides to tell a classmate that he loves her, his will is challenged, his courage falters and an impending war threatens to separate them permanently.
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Sofia
Meryem Benm’Barek
Casablanca. At 22, Sofia is the only daughter in a rather traditional family. While having dinner with her family, she discovers she is about to give birth.
Feature Documentary: Works-in-Progress
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Batata
Noura Kevorkian
Filmed over an eight-year period, ‘Batata’ documents the life of a charismatic Syrian migrant worker Maria. An intimate story of love, friendship and perseverance set to the back-drop of an age-old conflict between Syria and Lebanon.
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Chaos
Sara Fattahi
The story of three Syrian women, each living in a different time and place, separated by the very things that unite them – fear and trauma.
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Tiny Souls
Dina Naser
A documentary film that portrays the changes in Marwa’s life, as she goes from childhood to adolescence within the walls of the Al Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan, reflecting its effect on her reality and future.
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Underdown
Sarah Kaskas
‘Underdown’ is the pulsating journey of three unbreakable characters struggling to live below the poverty line in the chaos of Beirut.
Feature Narrative: Picture Lock
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Late to Die Young
Dominga Sotomayor
In an isolated community, Sofía, Clara, and Lucas prepare for New Year’s Eve. They may live far from the dangers of the city, but not from those of nature.
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The Load
Ognjen Glavonić
During the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999, Vlada is driving a truck. He does not know what the load is, but his cargo slowly becomes his burden.
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Weldi
Mohamed Ben Attia
A father is confronted by his own reality and has to question himself and his choices.
Feature Documentary: Picture Lock
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Constructions
Fernando Martín Restelli
A 60-year-old watchman of buildings under construction has a second chance in life to become a father.
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Nine Months War
László Csuja
Jani has left his family to serve in the Ukrainian Army for nine months. His mother wants her son back. Jani just wants independence.
Short Narrative: Development
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Bandits
Sara Al Obaidly
Two young rebels leave behind their London lives for dreams of the Middle East, but when reality sets in they realize they have taken on more than they bargained for.
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Connect
Maha Al-Jefairi
A young mother dies and is brought back to life in a robotic body – and must confront her new reality, in which her six-year-old son is afraid of her.
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Hatshepsut in the Box
Hadeer Omar
In a world where people wear transparent boxes on their heads to reveal their identities, 14-year-old Leila goes rogue and divides the materials in her box to become more like the Pharaoh Hatshepsut.
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Al Sit
Suzannah Mirghani
In a Sudanese farming village, old Al Sit must be consulted for her blessings ahead of any wedding. But in a modernising world, does the matriarch’s word hold any power?
Short Documentary: Development
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Pastimes
Majid Al Remaihi
‘Pastimes’ interrogates the repetition of traditional scenery in painting practice in Doha, and the factors that sustain as well as complicate it.
Short Narrative: Work-in-Progress
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Amphitheatre
Mahdi Ali Ali
A young girl rebels against her family’s traditions in front of a professional photographer’s lens.
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Burn the Bird
Zahed Bata
Samaa and her son Sari drive out in the dead of night to bury Naghnoush, their pet parrot. Ultimately, they realise the only way to set him free is to set him on fire.
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Chained Prey
Mohammed Refaat
A domestic falcon who lives a life of prestige at his falconer’s house in Doha faces the threat of losing his secure lifestyle forever.
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Gubgub
Noof Al-Sulaiti
An adventurous young girl goes crab-hunting with her father and brother. Discouraged when her father undervalues her accomplishments compared to her brother’s, she sets out to win her father’s approval.
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Sh’hab
Amal Al-Muftah
Upon hearing a myth about falling stars, a young girl’s curiosity is sparked. When night falls on Al Wakrah village, she sets out in her father’s boat to chase the fabled comets.
Short Documentary: Work-in-Progress
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Okht Rjal
Obada Yousef Jarbi
When switching gender roles becomes necessary for survival, three women become the breadwinners for their families.
Qumra 2017 Archive
Click here to download Qumra 2017 Film Guide.
Click here to download Qumra 2017 Catalogue.Doha Film Institute presents Qumra, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world.
The primary motive of this international gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first- and second-time filmmakers, alongside a series of screenings for Doha audiences featuring films by international masters and recipients of support from the Institute.
The Qumra gathering is categorised in three sections:
Master Classes
Master Classes with Qumra Masters, Festival de Cannes Grand Prix winner Bruno Dumont, Academy Award winner Asghar Farhadi, Critically acclaimed documentarian and Un Certain Regard Grand Prix Winner Rithy Panh, Argentina’s eminent filmmaker Lucrecia Martel and internationally acclaimed Award-Winning producer Paulo Branco.Meetings
Emphasising work by first- and second-time filmmakers, approximately 25 feature-length and 9 short film projects have been selected to benefit from the experience of international film industry experts in bespoke mentorship labs and business meetings.Screenings
The Modern Masters and New Voices in Cinema include a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters and critically acclaimed films funded by the Institute.
Public Screenings
Qumra Screenings:
Modern Masters and New Voices in CinemaThe Modern Masters and New Voices in Cinema include a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters and critically acclaimed films funded by the Institute.
Schedule
Qumra 2017 screenings take place Wednesday, 1 March to Wednesday, 8 March.
Click here for ticket information. Click here to download Qumra 2017 Film Guide.
Fri, 3 Mar, 4:30 PM
New Voices Shorts Programme (Made in Qatar)
Five short films made by residents of Qatar explore themes of home, youth and fear.
Industry Events Programme
Approximately 25 feature-length and 9 short film projects with an emphasis on first- and second-time filmmakers, including independent filmmakers from Qatar and recipients of funding from the Institute, have been selected to participate in Qumra. The industry programme will connect the filmmakers with industry mentors for tailored consultations and workshops, as well as master classes with five acclaimed Qumra Masters.
Download Delegates Guide
Download Qumra Catalogue
Download Qumra 2017 Film GuideSelected participants will have the opportunity to participate in the following events:
Script Consultations
Intensive individual consultations with expert script advisors for grantees with projects in the early stages of development. Sessions include online follow-up.Rough Cut Consultations
Intensive sessions with industry experts offering individual consultation to grantees with projects in post-production, providing bespoke advice for post-production, editing and seeking finishing funds.Working Breakfasts
Moderated working sessions for participants and industry executives in an informal atmosphere. Producers, representatives of labs and festivals, sales agents, distributors and financiers share their expertise and discuss current industry trends.Qumra Master Classes
Master Classes with Qumra Masters, Festival de Cannes Grand Prix winner Bruno Dumont, Academy Award winner Asghar Farhadi, Critically acclaimed documentarian and Un Certain Regard Grand Prix Winner Rithy Panh, Argentina’s eminent filmmaker Lucrecia Martel and internationally acclaimed Award-Winning producer Paulo Branco.Meet the Masters
Participants with projects in development engage in individual consultation sessions with one of the Qumra Masters.One-on-One and Group Tutorials
Individual and group advisory sessions tailored to the needs of the project at hand. Industry experts will cover a broad range of subjects, from financing strategies and legal considerations for co-productions, to festival strategies and sales.Match Made Meetings
Pre-arranged one-on-one meetings in which participants present their projects to industry experts and discuss opportunities for collaboration.Work-in-Progress Screenings and Feedback
Closed screenings of 20-minute excerpts from the four narrative and four documentary Qumra projects in post-production. A panel of selected industry experts provides immediate, individual feedback tailored to each project.Picture Lock Screenings
Exclusive preview presentations of approximately four feature-length Qumra projects in the final stages of post-production. Twenty-minute excerpts of projects are screened for select festival programmers, sales agents and distributors.Industry Screenings
Exclusive preview screenings of 20-minute excerpts from the approximately 12 narrative and documentary Qumra projects that are completed or in post-production, for select festival programmers, sales agents and distributors.Qumra Shorts
For its third edition, Qumra introduces an intensive workshop during which approximately 9 short filmmaker will present their short film projects, currently in development, to a group of international industry professionals, including script consultants, producers, lab representatives, programmers and buyers, all of whom are experts in the short form. The programme seeks to continue the Doha Film Institute’s support for filmmaking talent in Qatar.Modern Masters Screenings
The Qumra Screenings include the Modern Masters series – a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters.New Voices in Cinema Screenings
The Qumra Screenings also features New Voices in Cinema, a selection of critically acclaimed feature-length and short films funded by the Doha Film Institute.
Master Classes
Qumra Masters share experiences from their acclaimed careers with participating filmmakers and accredited delegates in dialogue with Qumra participants.
Qumra Masters Biography
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Asghar Farhadi
Asghar Farhadi made his first short film at age 13 in a youth cinema club. In 2002, he wrote and directed his first feature film, Dancing in the Dust (Raghss Dar Ghobar) (2003), which won awards for Best Actor at the 25th Moscow International Film Festival and the Russian Society of Film Critics’ Best Film award, and also won Best Screenplay and Best Director prizes at the 48th Asian Pacific Film Festival. A year later, Farhadi made Beautiful City (Shahre Ziba) (2004), a social genre which was a rarity at the time. Following Fireworks Wednesday (Chahar Shanbe Souri) (2006), he made About Elly (Darbareye Elly) (2009), which had simultaneous world premieres at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Fajr Film Festival. It went on to win the Silver Bear for Best Director in Berlin and the Crystal Simorgh for Best Directing in Fajr.
Farhadi’s next film, A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader Az Simin) (2011) took the Golden Bear for Best Film, and two Silver Bears for its performers when it was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival. It went on to win more than 70 awards, among them the César for Best Foreign Film and both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
In the same year, he was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, and began work on the screenplay for The Past, (2013), which won the Best Actress Award at the Festival de Cannes and was nominated for Golden Globe and César Awards.
The second of Farhadi’s films to be produced by Alexandre Mallet-Guy for Memento Films Production, The Salesman (2016) was selected for the Official Competition of the Festival de Cannes.
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Bruno Dumont
Hovering on the border between realistic drama and the avant-garde, the films of Bruno Dumont have defined a new narrative idiom in world cinema. Known for writing complete novels that form the basis of his films, Dumont is deeply influenced by the fine arts that are reflected in the visual richness of his cinema. Deeply influenced by Greek and German philosophy, his films are festival favourites. Born in 1958 in France, Dumont taught philosophy before his debut in cinema, when he wrote and directed The Life of Jesus (La Vie de Jésus) in 1997. The film won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Chicago International Film Festival, a Caméra d’Or Special Mention at the Festival de Cannes and was named Best New International Feature at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, among other honours.
His second film, Humanité (1999) won the Grand Prix for both Best Actor (Emmanuel Schotté) and Best Actress (Séverine Caneele) at the Festival de Cannes, while Flanders (2006) clinched the Grand Prize of the Jury at Cannes. In addition to several shorts, Dumont has directed nine feature-length films, the most recent being Slack Bay (Ma Loute) (2016), starring Juliette Binoche. He served as the President of the Caméra d'Or jury at the Festival de Cannes in 2008.
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Rithy Panh
DIRECTOR
Rithy Panh is a Cambodian-French filmmaker, writer and producer. Born in Cambodia, he studied filmmaking at the Institut des Hautes Études Cinematographiques (IDHEC) in France. His work as a filmmaker focuses primarily on the contemporary fallout resulting from the genocide committed by the Khmer Rouge regime in his homeland. Rooted in his first-hand experience of living in a remote labour camp, where he witnessed untold hardships and suffered irreparable losses, Panh’s works have a rare and striking authority. He has directed numerous internationally acclaimed films, including The Rice People, which was selected for the Official Competition of the Festival de Cannes in 1994; The Land of Wandering Souls (2000), which won several awards, including the Robert and Frances Flaherty Award at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival; the influential S21: The Khmer Rouge Death Machine, (2004), which took numerous awards around the world, among them the Albert Londres Award; Paper Cannot Wrap Embers (2007), The Sea Wall (2008) and Duch, Master of the Forges of Hell (2012).
In 2013, Panh directed The Missing Picture, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and won the Grand Prix in the Un Certain Regard section at the Festival de Cannes. His most recent directorial effort, Exile, once again considers the grave crimes and abuse of the Khmer Rouge regime. It won wide critical and public acclaim at Cannes in 2016.
Panh is dedicated to helping rebuild the Cambodian film industry. In 2006, with fellow Cambodian film director Ieu Pannakar, he opened the Bophana Audiovisual Resources Centre in Phnom Penh to collect audiovisual testimonies of the Cambodian people and make this heritage accessible to all. He is also a principal founder of the Cambodian Film Commission, an industry development organisation that includes the CFC Film Lab, a professional film training programme for Cambodians.
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Lucrecia Martel
Lucrecia 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. Her debut feature ‘La Cienaga’ was It went on to be voted the greatest Latin American film of the decade in a poll of New York film critics, and is seen as an important development in the New Argentine Cinema. All her films have been well-received at international film festivals, and has 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.
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Paulo Branco
Honoured by the European Parliament as the ‘Greatest European Producers,’ Paulo 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 recognized 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 over 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.
Qumra Projects
Approximately 25 feature-length and 9 short film projects have been selected to benefit from the experience of international film industry experts in bespoke mentorship labs and business meetings.
Qumra Shorts/Work in Progress
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Reem Planted a Flower
Rawda Al-Thani/Qatar
A textbook example of a well-behaved schoolgirl defies the omnipresent voice of a narrator in order to play with a dog.
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Sh'hab
Amal Al-Muftah/Qatar
An orphan embarks on a mythical journey that could reunite him with his parents.
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Awakenings
Fahad Al-Obaidly/Qatar
Haunted by an obscure memory from his past, a young contemporary dancer inadvertently stumbles upon a painful forgotten truth, which releases his soul from the clutches of despair.
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Angels, Spiders and Other Miserable Creatures
Fahad Al Kuwari/Qatar
A couple pray for a miracle, and God sends them an angel. What will they do with it?
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Clouds
Muzna Almusafer/Oman, Qatar
A leopard hunter in a traditional village in the mountains goes through a transformation.
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Burn the Bird
Zahed Bata/Jordan, Qatar
Grief-stricken Samaa and her son Mohye go out in the middle of the night to bury her beloved parrot, and inadvertently awaken buried feelings from a previous tragedy.
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Oh Whale (Ya Hoota)
Latifa Al-Darwish, Abdulaziz Yousif Ahmed/Qatar
A little girl attempts to save the moon from a gigantic whale along with her cousin. Will she succeed?
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Selective Mutism
Khalifa AlMarri/Qatar
A young man is caught up in various incidents of deception, intrigue and murder.
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Simsim
Amer Jamhour/Jordan, Qatar
A 12-year-old cemetery cleaner and con artist tries to save enough money for a train ticket to Latakia, where he can become a fisherman away from his greedy boss.
Development / Feature Narrative
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House in Jerusalem
Muayad Alayan/Palestine, Qatar
A Jewish American family finds it hard to adapt to their new home in Jerusalem after they discover the grave of a young Palestinian girl.
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Solo
Mehdi Hmili/Tunisia, Qatar
Amel is released from prison after an affair. In the lower depths of Tunis, she seeks her missing son, Moumen.
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Maiden’s Pond
Bassem Breche/Lebanon, Germany, Qatar
The story of two women trying to maintain and negotiate their lives – with and against each other.
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Zanka Contact
Ismaël El Iraki/Morocco, France, Qatar
Casablanca. The romantic idyll and eventful odyssey of a has-been rocker and a singer with a golden voice. Their love will turn underground and dangerous Morocco upside-down.
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You Will Die at Twenty
Amjad Abu Alala / Sudan, Egypt, Qatar
In a world where extremism rules, a young man has to choose between life and death.
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iPhone Memory
Mahdi Ali Ali/Qatar
In Paris, a Frenchman battles cancer while his wife wants an abortion; a Romani girl looks for someone to adopt her sister; a Syrian immigrant boy tries to survive by acting in the cinema.
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The Other Wife
Meriem Mesraoua/Qatar, France
Determined to secure her status as a wife, Salima enlists a secondary spouse for her husband – only to find she has jeopardised her position.
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Hitch 60 (Working Title)
Sara Al Obaidly/Qatar, United Kingdom
Two mod girls from South East London embark on a dream holiday but end up on the journey of a lifetime, crossing continents and cultures, and growing up on the road.
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Azooz, the Bully Slayer
Mohammed Al Hamadi, Mohammed Jassim/Qatar
Set in 1992 and inspired by Al Watwat (Batman) stories, ‘Azooz the Bully Slayer’ is the tale of a 12-year-old who fends off a thief who has made off with a stash of Sega video-game tapes.
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The Return
Meyar Al-Roumi/Syria, France, Qatar
A journey across Syria during which Taysir and Juliette meet and go to bury Kamal, who died during the fighting.
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DNA of Love
Hafiz Ali Ali/Qatar
After the death of his Qatari wife, a retired engineer visits the United States to find his estranged daughter, while the same daughter travels to Doha to find answers to her late mother’s past.
Development / Feature Documentary
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My Friend Gadhgadhi
Rafik Omrani/Tunisia, Lebanon, Qatar
Kamel Gadhgadhi, the most infamous terrorist in Tunisia during the years 2013 and 2014, turns out to have been a close friend of the director at college. The latter begins to reflect on terrorism.
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Republic of Silence
Diana El Jeiroudi/Syria, Germany, France, Qatar
She grew up in a land of dictators and surveillance. Today, from her exile, she is reclaiming the images and sounds of Syrians, half of whom are scattered around the world.
Work-in-Progress / Feature Narrative
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Memory Hotel
Heinrich Sabl/Germany, France, Qatar
In a Red Army hotel in post-World War II Germany, the orphan Sophie grows up. She marries a paratrooper before escaping with another man. An emotional journey through European history.
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Land
Babak Jalali/United Kingdom, Italy, France, Netherlands, Mexico, Qatar
‘Land’ is a story about Native Americans, white people, distance, longing and abuse, set in the American plains
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They
Anahita Ghazvinizadeh/Iran, United States of America, Qatar
Through the prism of J, a gender-expansive teenager going through puberty suppression, ‘They’ explores notions of in-between-ness, whether of gender, cultural identity, or the idea(s) of “home”.
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Madmen's Fort (Le Fort des fous)
Narimane Mari/Algeria, France, Qatar
Desires and greed lurk like raptors, preparing to transform a utopian dream into a tragedy.
Work-in-Progress / Feature Documentary
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Agnus Dei
Karim Sayad/Algeria, Switzerland, Qatar
Algiers, 2016. On one of Bab el Oued’s football fields, the tension is at its peak. Habib and his sheep El Bouq are getting ready for the fight...
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Stronger than a Bullet
Maryam Ebrahimi/Iran, Sweden, Qatar
Saeed Sadeghi is the Iranian photographer responsible for images from the Gulf War that were used to propel the myth of a holy war to many Iranians.
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Al Sahra
Saeed Al Batal, Ghiath Al Haddad/Syria, Lebanon, Qatar
Two artists become entwined in the affairs of the besieged city of Gouta in this personal story about a group of young people in Syria.
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Dream Away
Marouan Omara, Johanna Domke/Egypt, Germany, Qatar
In Sharm El Sheikh, a tourist hub that has been the target of terror attacks in recent years, young Egyptian workers are trapped between a liberal Western lifestyle and their traditional culture.
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The Man Behind the Microphone
Claire Belhassine/Tunisia, United Kingdom, Qatar
An amazing story of love and family, celebrity and music. A portrait of Hedi Jouini, the godfather of Tunisian music.
Picture Lock / Feature Narrative
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The Journey
Mohamed Jabarah Al Daradji/Iraq, United Kingdom, France, Qatar
As Sara stands on the cusp of committing an unthinkable act, time stands still, giving her an opportunity to witness the consequences of her action. But is this a second chance or an admission of guilt?
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Beauty and the Dogs (Aala Kef Ifrit)
Kaouther Ben Hania/Tunisia, France, Sweden, Lebanon, Qatar
Mariam just wanted to enjoy her night out, but something terrible happens. What can be done when the perpetrator of a crime against you is also the arbiter of justice?
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Hunting Season (Temporada de Caza)
Natalia Garagiola/Argentina, France, Germany, United States of America, Qatar
A violent teenager is reunited with his hunter father in the southern woods of Patagonia. Forced to help the older man in a struggle against the wilderness, the youth faces his ability to love and kill.
Qumra 2016 Archive
Click here to download Qumra 2016 Film Guide.
Click here to download Qumra 2016 Industry Delegates Book.Doha Film Institute presents Qumra, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world.
The primary motive of this international gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first- and second-time filmmakers, alongside a series of screenings for Doha audiences featuring films by international masters and recipients of support from the Institute.
The Qumra gathering is categorised in three sections:
Master Classes
Master Classes with Qumra Masters, including Palme d’Or winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Caméra d’Or winner Naomi Kawase, Academy Award nominees Joshua Oppenheimer and James Schamus, and Golden Lion winner Aleksandr Sokurov.Meetings
Emphasising work by first- and second-time filmmakers, 23 feature-length and 10 short films have been selected to benefit from the experience of international film industry experts in bespoke mentorship labs and business meetings.Screenings
The Modern Masters and New Voices in Cinema include a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters and critically acclaimed films funded by the Institute.
Public Screenings
Qumra Screenings:
Modern Masters and New Voices in CinemaThe Qumra Screenings include the Modern Masters series – a showcase of films presented by the Qumra Masters, including Palme d’Or winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Caméra d’Or winner Naomi Kawase, Academy Award nominees Joshua Oppenheimer and James Schamus, and Golden Lion winner Aleksandr Sokurov. In addition, the New Voices in Cinema series highlights critically acclaimed films funded by the Doha Film Institute.
Schedule
Qumra 2016 screenings take place Friday, 4 March to Wednesday, 9 March, at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium.
Click here for ticket information. Click here to download Qurma 2016 Screenings Guide.
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon- SOLD OUT
MODERN MASTERS
Fri, 4 Mar, 7:00 PM
Directed by: Ang Lee
Screenwriter / Executive Producer: James SchamusFor those unable to obtain tickets for the sold-out screening, tickets may be available for Rush Sales.
Read More
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Once Upon a Time in Anatolia - SOLD OUT
MODERN MASTERS
Sat, 5 Mar, 7:00 PM
Directed by: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
For those unable to obtain tickets for the sold-out screening, tickets may be available for Rush Sales.
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The Mourning Forest - SOLD OUT
MODERN MASTERS
Sun, 6 Mar, 7:00 PM
Directed by: Naomi Kawase
For those unable to obtain tickets for the sold-out screening, tickets may be available for Rush Sales.
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Russian Ark - SOLD OUT
MODERN MASTERS
Mon, 7 Mar, 7:00 PM
Directed by: Aleksandr Sokurov
For those unable to obtain tickets for the sold-out screening, tickets may be available for Rush Sales.
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The Look of Silence
MODERN MASTERS
Tue, 8 Mar, 7:00 PM
Directed by: Joshua Oppenheimer
This screening is a private event.
Registration is now closed.
Added Public Screening
Wed, 9 Mar, 7:00 PM
Industry Events Programme
23 feature-length and 10 short films with an emphasis on first- and second-time filmmakers, including independent filmmakers from Qatar and recipients of funding from the Institute, have been selected to participate in Qumra. The industry programme will connect the filmmakers with industry mentors for tailored consultations and workshops, as well as master classes with five acclaimed Qumra Masters.
Download Delegates Guide
Download Industry Programming Guide
Download Qumra Catalogue
23 feature-length and 10 short films have the opportunity to participate in the following events:
Script Consultations
Intensive individual consultations with expert script advisors for grantees with projects in the early stages of development. Sessions include online follow-up.Rough Cut Consultations
Intensive sessions with industry experts offering individual consultation to grantees with projects in post-production, providing bespoke advice for post-production, editing and seeking finishing funds.Working Breakfasts
Moderated working sessions for participants and industry executives in an informal atmosphere. Producers, representatives of labs and festivals, sales agents, distributors and financiers share their expertise and discuss current industry trends.
Qumra Master Classes
Master Classes with Qumra Masters, including Palme d’Or winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Caméra d’Or winner Naomi Kawase, Academy Award nominees Joshua Oppenheimer and James Schamus, and Golden Lion winner Aleksandr Sokurov.Meet the Masters
Participants with projects in development engage in individual consultation sessions with one of the Qumra Masters.One-on-One and Group Tutorials
Individual and group advisory sessions tailored to the needs of the project at hand. Industry experts will cover a broad range of subjects, from financing strategies and legal considerations for co-productions, to festival strategies and sales.Match Made Meetings
Pre-arranged one-on-one meetings in which participants present their projects to industry experts and discuss opportunities for collaboration.Work-in-Progress Screenings and Feedback
Closed screenings of 20-minute excerpts from the four narrative and four documentary Qumra projects in post-production. A panel of selected industry experts provides immediate, individual feedback tailored to each project.Picture Lock Screenings
Exclusive preview presentations of three feature-length Qumra projects in the final stages of post-production. Twenty-minute excerpts of projects are screened for select festival programmers, sales agents and distributors.Industry Screenings
Exclusive preview screenings of 20-minute excerpts from the 11 narrative and documentary Qumra projects that are completed or in post-production, for select festival programmers, sales agents and distributors.Qumra Shorts
For its second edition, Qumra introduces an intensive workshop during which 13 Qatar-based filmmakers will present their short film projects, currently in development and post production, to a group of international industry professionals, including script consultants, producers, lab representatives, programmers and buyers, all of whom are experts in the short form. In addition to attending Qumra’s Working Breakfasts, Master Classes and networking events, participants will receive feedback on their works-in-progress and attend bespoke one-on-one advisory sessions to discuss their upcoming projects. The programme seeks to continue the Doha Film Institute’s support for filmmaking talent in Qatar.Modern Masters Screenings
The Qumra Screenings include the Modern Masters series – a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters.New Voices in Cinema Screenings
The Qumra Screenings also features New Voices in Cinema, a selection of critically acclaimed feature-length and short films funded by the Doha Film Institute.
Master Classes
Qumra Masters share experiences from their acclaimed careers with participating filmmakers and accredited delegates in dialogue with Qumra participants.
Qumra Masters Biography
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Nuri Bilge Ceylan
ACTOR, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Nuri Bilge Ceylan was born in Istanbul in 1959, and spent his childhood in Yenice, Çanakkale, his paternal hometown. After graduating from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Istanbul's Boğaziçi University, he studied cinema at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University for two years. After making the short film 'Cocoon' (1995), his first two feature-length films, 'Small Town' (1997) and 'Clouds of May' (1999) were screened at the Berlin International Film Festival. His subsequent films are 'Distant' (2002), which won the Grand Jury and Best Actor Prizes at the Festival de Cannes; 'Climates' (2006), which took the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes; 'Three Monkeys' (2008), for which he was named Best Director at Cannes; and 'Once Upon a Time in Anatolia' (2011), which gave him his second Cannes Grand Jury Prize. 'Winter Sleep' (2014), his most recent film, received the Palme d’Or, the most prestigious award of the Festival de Cannes.
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Naomi Kawase
DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Born and raised in Nara, Japan, Naomi Kawase graduated from Visual Arts College Osaka in 1989. Her medium-length documentaries ‘Embracing’(1992) and ‘Katatsumori’ (1994), both of which are intimate looks at her own family, received international recognition and both won awards at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in 1995. With her first narrative feature, ‘Suzaku’ (1997), a look at the impact of the economic decline in rural Japan, Kawase became the youngest filmmaker to receive the Caméra d’Or at the Festival de Cannes. She went on to win the Grand Prix at Cannes for ‘The Mourning Forest’ (2007), the story of a friendship between a retirement-home nurse and one of her charges, and was awarded the Carrosse d’Or of the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes to acknowledge her lengthy filmography of daring and demanding work.
Kawase returned to Cannes in 2011 with ‘Hanezu’, based on the novel by Masako Bando, and in 2013, she sat on the jury of the Official Competition at Cannes. In 2014, she was again in the Official Competition at Cannes with 'Still the Water'. Her most recent film, the award-winning ‘An’ (2015), opened the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes and is familiar to Doha audiences from the 2015 edition of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival. Starring two of Japan’s most-renowned actors, Kirin Kiki and Masatoshi Nagase, the film is a delicate, tender story of two wounded souls who inspire each other to let go of the past.
Besides being a filmmaker, Kawase founded and is Executive Director of the Nara International Film Festival. In 2015, she was bestowed with the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture. -
Joshua Oppenheimer
DIRECTOR
Born in 1974 in the United States, two-time Academy Award nominee Joshua Oppenheimer is the recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant. His debut feature-length film, ‘The Act of Killing’ (2012) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, named Film of the Year by ‘The Guardian’ and the ‘Sight and Sound’ Film Poll, and won 72 international awards, including a European Film Award, a BAFTA, an Asia Pacific Screen Award, a Berlin International Film Festival Audience Award, and the Guardian Film Award for Best Film. His second film, ‘The Look of Silence’ (2014) had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it won five awards including the Grand Jury Prize, the FIPRESCI Prize and the FEDEORA Prize. It was nominated for the 2016 Oscar for Best Documentary Film, and has received 66 international awards, including an International Documentary Association Award for Best Documentary, a Gotham Award for Best Documentary, and three Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking. Oppenheimer is a partner at the Final Cut for Real production company in Copenhagen, and Artistic Director of the Centre for Documentary and Experimental Film at the University of Westminster, London.
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James Schamus
Screenwriter - Director
James Schamus is the screenwriter of Ang Lee's 'The Ice Storm', for which he won the Best Screenplay at the Festival de Cannes in 1997. After co-founding the US powerhouse production company Good Machine in the early 1990s, from 2002 to 2014 Schamus was CEO of Focus Features, the motion picture production, financing and worldwide distribution company whose films include Wes Anderson's 'Moonrise Kingdom' (2012), Michel Gondry's 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (2004), Roman Polanski's 'The Pianist' (2002), Henry Selick's 'Coraline' (2009) and Sofia Coppola’s ‘Lost in Translation (2003). He has worked with Lee on nine films, including 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' (2000), which won four Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Language Picture and Best Cinematography, and remains the highest-grossing non-English-language film in the USA.
In 2014, Schamus directed the short documentary 'That Film About Money' (2014), and in 2016 made his feature directorial debut with an adaptation of Philip Roth's 'Indignation', which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and was in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival.
He was President of the Jury of the Berlinale in 2013. Schamus is Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, where he teaches film history and theory, and is the author of 'Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud: The Moving Word', published by the University of Washington Press. He earned his BA, MA, and Ph.D in English from the University of California, Berkeley.
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Aleksandr Sokurov
DIRECTOR
Aleksandr Sokurov was born in 1951 in the former USSR. While a student of history at Gorky University, he began working in television and, at the age of 19, he produced his first television shows, and created several films and live television programmes. In 1975, he began studies at VGIK in Moscow. An excellent student, he was granted the Eisenstein Scholarship. At the time of his graduation, Andrei Tarkovsky, impressed by Sokurov’s first feature, ‘The Lonely Voice of a Man’ (1977; released 1987) lent the younger director his support and the two went on to become lifelong friends.
On Tarkovsky's recommendation, in 1980 Sokurov went to work at Lenfilm, while at the same working at the Leningrad Studio for Documentary Films. After the democratic reforms of the mid-1980s, Sokurov's films went on to represent the Russian film industry at many international film festivals. He has won numerous awards over the course of his career, among them the Russian State Award, the Tarkovsky Award, the Vatican ‘Third Millennium’ Award and the FIPRESCI Prize, and has been a participant and laureate at numerous international film festivals. In 1995, the European Film Academy listed Sokurov as one of the best 100 directors of world cinema.
Sokurov’s work won international acclaim in 1997, with the release of ‘Mother and Son’, which won the Silver St. George award at the Moscow International Film Festival; it would be mirrored six years later with ‘Father and Son’ (2003), which took the FIPRESCI Prize at the Festival de Cannes. His ‘Russian Ark’ (2002), remarkable for being composed of a single shot taken in the Winter Palace of the Russian State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, won the Visions Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
His extensive filmography also includes numerous documentaries, and a tetralogy of films that are a meditation on power. ‘Moloch’ (1999), which considers Hitler in the time before the notorious Battle of Stalingrad, won the Best Screenplay Award at Cannes; ‘Taurus’ (2001) is a biography of Vladimir Lenin; ‘The Sun’ (2004) depicts Emperor Hirohito during the final days of World War II. The final film in the tetralogy is ‘Faust’, a retelling of Goethe’s tragedy; it had its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion, the festival’s most prestigious prize.
Most recently, ‘Francofonia’ (2015), Sokurov’s consideration of the Louvre Museum, especially during World War II, premiered in Venice, where it won the Mimmo Rotella Award. Currently, he is in the process of founding Bereg, a film studio for non-commercial films.
Qumra Projects
23 feature-length and 10 short films with an emphasis on first- and second-time filmmakers, including independent filmmakers from Qatar and recipients of funding from the Institute, have been selected to participate in Qumra.
Development / Feature Narrative
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Bull Shark
Mohammed Al Ibrahim /Qatar, Bahrain, United States of America
An up-and-coming investment banker makes his mark in the Arab region’s most prominent Islamic investment bank, only to find he has been caught in the middle of the costliest embezzlement scheme in Arab history.
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Death Street
Mohanad Hayal /Iraq, Qatar
Tariq, the sniper of Haifa Street in Baghdad, kills Ahmed on the day he intends to propose marriage. While Tariq prevents anyone from approaching the corpse in the street, an intimate and telling drama unfolds.
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Pearl
Noor Al-Nasr /Qatar
A tech-obsessed Qatari teen, disconnected from his family, travels back in time to an era before his beloved technology existed, when the city’s main source of income was pearl diving. Alone on this journey, he must learn how to survive and communicate face-to-face in order to reconnect with his family.
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Search for the Star Pearl
Hafiz Ali Abdulla /Qatar
Ali, a 17-year-old pearl diver from Doha, discovers a map to the Star Pearl of Abu Derya, the most valuable gem on Earth, and sets sail with three teenaged friends in search of it. Along the way, they face mythological beasts that challenge their skills and friendship.
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Stolen Skies
Laila Hotait Salas /Lebanon, Spain, Qatar
When a bomb is detonated in Cairo, one family feels it ricochet through the erased memories of three generations.
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Till the Swallows Return
Karim Moussaoui /Algeria, France, Qatar
This is the story of three characters who are a product of the conflicted Algeria of the 2000s. Their ideals shattered and their moral strength drained, each now faces a difficult life choice.
Development / Feature Documentary
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Agnus Dei
Karim Sayad /Switzerland, Algeria, Qatar
On the vacant lot where the confrontation takes place, the tension is at its peak. Foufa and his sheep King are getting ready for the fight...
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Behind the Doors
Yakout Elhababi /Morocco, Qatar
High in the Rif mountains of Morocco, the people survive by growing kif. Beneath the shadow of the ambiguous legality of the crop, ‘Behind the Doors’ tells the story of a family through its children and their mirroring games.
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Great Family
Eliane Raheb /Lebanon, France, Qatar
In 1976, at the age of four, Marlene was put up for adoption in Lebanon and raised in France. In delving into her past, she discovers she is a survivor of the massacre at the Tal Al Zaatar Palestinian refugee camp, and a family of survivors grows around her.
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To the Ends of the Earth
Hamida Issa /Qatar
A Qatari woman travels on an environmental expedition to Antarctica in search of hope, before returning to the Gulf and finding unity and inspiration for positive change.
Works-in–Progress / Feature Narrative
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Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim
Sherif Elbendary /Egypt, France, Germany, United States of America, Qatar
Ali and Ibrahim are two lonely and weird characters who are rejected by their society. Ali loves a goat called Nada, and Ibrahim is a sound engineer who is disturbed by strange voices that he alone can hear. When their paths cross, this odd pair embarks on a journey that will change their lives.
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Dede
Mariam Khatchvani /Georgia, Qatar
As Georgia fights for its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a young woman struggles to make a life in the remote, isolated villages high in the Caucasus Mountains, where ancient patriarchal laws threaten to separate her from her daughter.
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Poisonous Roses
Fawzi Saleh /Egypt, Qatar
The world has left nothing to Taheya apart from her brother Saqr. When he disappears, Taheya pursues him in desperation.
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White Sun
Deepak Rauniyar /Nepal, Netherlands, Qatar
A drama about life in a Nepali mountain village in the wake of the decade-long armed conflict.
Works-in-Progress / Feature Documentary
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Ghost Hunting
Raed Andoni /Palestine, France, Switzerland, Qatar
Director Raed Andoni assembles an eclectic group of Palestinians to rebuild the Israeli investigation centre in which they were imprisoned – a place they never actually saw because they were always blindfolded.
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My Uncle the "Terrorist"
Elias Moubarak /Lebanon, Germany, Qatar
A film director seeks to uncover a 40-year-old family taboo: the controversial life of his Uncle Fouad, a poet and an engineer of the Munich massacre.
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Silk Railroad
Martin DiCicco /United States of America, Georgia, Qatar
Wealth, opportunity, and discord collide along the route of a new railroad bridging Europe and Asia.
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Tondo
Jewel Maranan /Philippines, Germany, Qatar
‘Tondo’ is a film about four people in different stages of life - birth, youth, adulthood and death - who are caught in the path of expansion of Manila’s busiest international port.
Picture Lock / Feature Narrative
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Bastard
Uda Benyamina /France, Morocco, Qatar
Fifteen-year-old Dounia lives with her mother in a rough Parisian suburb, where she has been saddled with the nickname “bastard”.
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Mimosas
Oliver Laxe /Spain, Morocco, France, Qatar
In the Atlas Mountains in the past, a caravan searches for the path to take a Sufi master home to die. Among the party is Ahmed, a rascal who eventually becomes inspired to lead the caravan to its destination. Along the way, Ahmed is assisted by Shakib, a man sent from contemporary Morocco to guide him on his journey.
Picture Lock / Feature Documentary
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Beirut Rooster
Ziad Kalthom /Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, Germany
While Syrian workers rebuild Lebanon, a country ruined by a lengthy civil war, their hometowns in Syria are destroyed during the brutal conflict there. Who will rebuild their houses?
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Those from the Shore
Tamara Stepanyan /Lebanon, Armenia, France, Qatar
Marseille, 2014. Dozens of Armenian asylum seekers are trying to survive while waiting for their applications to be considered. They live in an indeterminate space, wandering in limbo.
Development / Short Narrative
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I Want to Feel What I Feel When I Am Asleep
Abdullah Al Mulla /Qatar
A man wearing a gas mask is on a journey to fulfil a selfless purpose. Among the people of a drugged and mesmerised society, he cleans up a ruined city in order to cover up the destruction that has taken place.
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Qafas
Mayar Hamdan /Qatar
A young man tries everything to escape the cage he is chained in. Only when he realises that the true obstacle to his release is not the chains, but rather his outlook on his situation, does he finally become free.
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Ranged Marriage
Nora Al-Subai /Qatar
After being stuck in an arranged married for a year, a desperate wife discovers the perfect gift for their anniversary: a romantic dinner that will kill her husband.
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World Is Blue
Amna Al-Binali /Qatar
During her sister’s engagement party, Hend comes to terms with the contradiction between how she wants her life to unfold and the inevitability of how it has been drawn for her.
Development / Short Documentary
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Amer: The Arabian Legend
Jassim Al-Rumaihi /Qatar
Sent as a gift to the late Emir of Qatar in the 1980s, Amer seemed like an average purebred Arabian. After he was taken to the tracks of Umm Qarn to train other horses, however, he showed his class, changing the face of Arabian horseracing forever.
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Buqsha
Fahad Al-Obaidly /Qatar
‘Buqsha’ strives to encourage people to go beyond their preconceptions and venture into the past to look to the future Throughout our journey, we demonstrate the importance of learning from traditional culture while preserving our own, and that the balance between artistic heritage and the contemporary arts nurtures creativity.
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Innocent Prisoner
Amina Ahmed Al Bloshi /Qatar
The story of a man trying to wash away his history of being a prisoner, determining his destiny by becoming a better person, and finding himself a place in his own society.
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Love in the Middle East
Mostafa Sheshtawy /Qatar
Romantic love is very common, yet it can mean something completely different from one person to the next. Through a young man’s journey, this film looks at what it means to fall in love in the Middle East.
Picture Lock / Short Narrative
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More Than Two Days
Ahmed Abdelnaser /Qatar
Over the course of two days, two brothers go through challenging moments that may change their lives. ‘More Than Two Days’ examines their relationship and how each of them is trying to face up to the new situation in their lives.
Partners
Thank you to our generous Qumra sponsors
Our Sponsors are our partners, and we invite all organizations seeking to connect and align with a new voice for cinema in the Middle East to showcase with us.
CULTURAL PARTNER
SUPPORTED BY
FRIENDS OF QUMRA
PROMOTED BY
Qumra 2015 Archive
Click here to download Qumra 2015 Film Guide.
Click here to download Qumra 2015 Industry Delegates Book.Doha Film Institute presents Qumra, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship, nurturing, and hands-on development for filmmakers from Qatar and around the world.
The primary motive of this international gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first- and second-time filmmakers, alongside a series of screenings for Doha audiences featuring films by international masters and recipients of support from the Institute.
The Qumra gathering is categorised in three sections:
Master Classes
Master Classes with Qumra Masters, including award-winning actor Gael García Bernal, Palme d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu, current Academy Award nominee Abderrahmane Sissako, and Academy Award winner Danis Tanović. Master Classes with Qumra Masters, including award-winning actor Gael García Bernal, Palme d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu, current Academy Award nominee Abderrahmane Sissako, and Academy Award winner Danis Tanović.Meetings
Emphasising work by first- and second-time filmmakers, 30 projects have been selected to benefit from the experience of international film industry experts in bespoke mentorship labs and business meetings.Screenings
The Modern Masters and New Voices in Cinema include a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters and critically acclaimed films funded by the Institute.
Public Screenings
Qumra Screenings:
Modern Masters and New Voices in Cinema
Schedule
Screenings take place Friday, 6 March – Tuesday, 10 March, at The Cultural Village Katara, Building 16
The Qumra Screenings include the Modern Masters series – a showcase of films presented by the Qumra Masters, including award-winning actor Gael García Bernal, Palme d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu, current Academy Award nominee Abderrahmane Sissako, and Academy Award winner Danis Tanović. In addition, the New Voices in Cinema series highlights critically acclaimed films funded by the Doha Film Institute.
Click here to download the Qumra Film Guide.
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An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker
MODERN MASTERS SCREENING
Fri, 6 Mar, 7:00 PM
Directed by: Danis Tanović.
The screening is followed by a Q&A with Qumra Master Danis Tanović.
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New Voices Shorts Programme
NEW VOICES IN CINEMA SCREENING
Sat, 7 Mar, 7:30 PM
The shorts programme screening is followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.
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Old Airport Road
Directed by: Abdullah Al-Mulla
Screening as part of the New Voices Shorts Programme
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My Love Awaits Me by the Sea
NEW VOICES IN CINEMA SCREENING
Sun, 8 Mar, 7:30 PM
Directed by: Mais Darwazah
The screening is followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.
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Memories on Stone
NEW VOICES IN CINEMA SCREENING
Mon, 9 Mar, 7:30 PM
Directed by: Shawkat Amin Korki
The screening is followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.
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Tales from the Golden Age
MODERN MASTERS SCREENING
Tue, 10 Mar, 6:30 PM
Directed by: Cristian Mungiu, Hanno Höfer, Răzvan Mărculescu Constantin Popescu, Ioana Uricaru
The screening is followed by a Q&A with Qumra Master Cristian Mungiu.
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The Narrow Frame of Midnight
NEW VOICES IN CINEMA SCREENING
Tue, 10 Mar, 7:30 PM
Directed by: Tala Hadid
The screening is followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.
Industry Events Programme
29 projects with an emphasis on first- and second-time filmmakers, including independent filmmakers from Qatar and recipients of funding from the Institute, have been selected to participate in Qumra. The industry programme will connect the filmmakers with industry mentors for tailored consultations and workshops, as well as master classes with five acclaimed Qumra Masters.
DOWNLOAD INDUSTRY DELEGATES BOOK
The 29 projects have the opportunity to participate in the following events:
Script Consultations
Intensive individual consultations with expert script advisors for grantees with projects in the early stages of development. Sessions include online follow-up.Rough Cut Consultations
Intensive sessions with industry experts offering individual consultation to grantees with projects in post-production, providing bespoke advice for post-production, editing and seeking finishing funds.Working Breakfasts
Moderated working sessions for participants and industry executives in an informal atmosphere. Producers, representatives of labs and festivals, sales agents, distributors and financiers share their expertise and discuss current industry trends.Qumra Master Classes
Cristian Mungiu, Abderrahmane Sissako and Danis Tanović share experiences from their acclaimed careers in dialogue with Qumra participants. Conversations are moderated by Richard Peña and Jean-Michel Frodon.Meet the Masters
Participants with projects in development engage in individual consultation sessions with one of the Qumra Masters.One-on-One and Group Tutorials
Individual and group advisory sessions tailored to the needs of the project at hand. Industry experts will cover a broad range of subjects, from financing strategies and legal considerations for co-productions, to festival strategies and sales.Match Made
Pre-arranged one-on-one meetings in which participants present their projects to industry experts and discuss opportunities for collaboration.Work-in-Progress Screenings and Feedback
Closed screenings of 20-minute excerpts from the four narrative and four documentary Qumra projects in post-production. A panel of selected industry experts provides immediate, individual feedback tailored to each project.Picture Lock Screenings
Exclusive preview presentations of three feature-length Qumra projects in the final stages of post-production. Twenty-minute excerpts of projects are screened for select festival programmers, sales agents and distributors.Industry Screenings
Exclusive preview screenings of 20-minute excerpts from the 11 narrative and documentary Qumra projects that are completed or in post-production, for select festival programmers, sales agents and distributors.Meeting the Demand for Regional Content
In collaboration with the Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q)
The Qatar Media Industries Forum (QMIF) brings together top representatives in publishing, electronic media, public relations and advertising to assess the future of Qatar’s media landscape. This special QMIF panel will discuss a groundbreaking recent study of film audiences in the Middle East.
Modern Masters Screenings
The Qumra Screenings include the Modern Masters series – a showcase of films presented by Qumra Masters Gael García Bernal, Cristian Mungiu, Abderrahmane Sissako, and Danis Tanović.New Voices in Cinema Screenings
The Qumra Screenings also features New Voices in Cinema, a selection of critically acclaimed feature-length and short films funded by the Doha Film Institute.
Master Classes
Qumra Masters Gael García Bernal, Cristian Mungiu, Abderrahmane Sissako and Danis Tanović share experiences from their acclaimed careers with participating filmmakers and accredited delegates. Conversations are moderated by Richard Peña and Jean-Michel Frodon.
Qumra Masters Biography
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Gael García Bernal
ACTOR, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Gael García Bernal began performing onstage as a child in Mexico, and studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London...
...He made his major feature film debut in Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu's ‘Amores Perros’, which was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2000. He gained more attention for Alfonso Cuarón's ‘Y Tu Mamá También’, starring opposite his close friend Diego Luna, and subsequently starred in the title role of Carlos Carrera's Academy Award-nominated ‘The Crime of Father Amaro’. Later, he played revolutionary leader Che Guevara in Walter Salles’s ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’.
His lengthy filmography also includes roles in Pedro Almodóvar’s ‘Bad Education’; James Marsh's ‘The King’; Michel Gondry's ‘The Science of Sleep’; Gonzalez Iñarritu's ‘Babel’; Lukas Moodysson’s ‘Mammoth’; Jim Jarmusch’s ‘The Limits of Control’; Julia Loktev’s ‘The Loneliest Planet’; and Pablo Larrain’s ‘No’, which was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar in 2013 and screens this year at Qumra. He recently appeared in Jon Stewart’s ‘Rosewater’, and recently wrapped Jonas Cuarón’s ‘Desierto’.
García Bernal made his directorial debut with ‘Deficit’, a low-budget feature shot in Mexico, and made the shorts ‘The Letter’ (part of the omnibus feature ‘8’) and ‘Lucio’ (for the collective Mexican film ‘Revolucion’. He also co-directed the four short films ‘The Invisibles’ for Amnesty International. In 2005, he founded the film production company Canana along with Diego Luna and Pablo Cruz. Together, they also run the Ambulante documentary film festival, which travels to several cities in Mexico.
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Cristian Mungiu
DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Cristian Mungiu was born in Iaşi, Romania in 1968. He began his studies in English Language and Literature at the university in his hometown, and worked for some time as a teacher and journalist for the printed press, radio and television....
...Later, he moved to Bucharest and studied Film at the Film and Theatre Academy, and made several short films after graduating. ‘Occident’, his feature film debut, had its premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight at the Festival de Cannes in 2002 and was a hit with audiences in Romania.
In 2007, his second feature, ‘4 Month, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’, was awarded the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Many other awards followed, including European Film Academy Awards for Best Film and Best Director.
Mungiu’s ongoing significant presence at Cannes continued in 2009, when he attended as a producer with the collective film ‘Tales from the Golden Age’, and again as a writer-director in 2012 with ‘Beyond the Hills’, which took home the awards for Best Screenplay and Best Actresses from the festival that year. In 2013, Mungiu was a member of the Official Competition jury headed by Steven Spielberg.
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Abderrahmane Sissako
DIRECTOR
Abderrahmane Sissako was born in Kiffa, Mauritania, moved to Mali as a child, and studied cinema at VGIK in Moscow...
...One of only a handful of African directors whose work has reached an international audience, he made several short films, among them ‘The Game’ (‘Le Jeu’) (1989), ‘October’ (1993), winner of the Un Certain Regard Prize at the Festival de Cannes, and the medium-length ‘Rostov-Luanda’ (1997), before coming to worldwide attention with ‘Life on Earth’ (‘La Vie sur terre’) (1998), which won awards at festivals in Fribourg, Ouagadougou and San Francisco. His reputation was confirmed four years later with ‘Waiting for Happiness’ (‘Heremakano’, which premiered at the Festival de Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section, and was awarded the FIPRESCI Prize there. ‘Bamako’ (2006), a critically acclaimed treatise on the effects of colonisation on the developing world, also premiered at Cannes. The searing ‘Timbuktu’ (2014) was in competition for the Palme d’Or at Cannes and won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury as well as the François Chalais Prize. It is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film this year.
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Danis Tanović
DIRECTOR
Danis Tanović was born in 1969 in Zenica, in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina, and raised in Sarajevo. A Bosnian director and screenwriter...
...He achieved international recognition for his first feature-length film ‘No Man’s Land’, which he wrote and directed. Tanović began his studies at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo, but they were interrupted by the Siege of Sarajevo; he joined a film crew that documented the Siege and the Bosnian War before resuming studies at the Institut Supérieur des Arts du Spectacle (INSAS) in Brussels.
In 2001, ‘No Man’s Land’ had its world premiere at the Festival de Cannes, where it won the award for Best Screenplay. A black comedy about the absurdity of war, the film went on to win more than 40 awards internationally, among them the prize for Best Screenplay from the European Film Academy, the César for Best First Feature Film and the Best Foreign Language Film Award at both the Golden Globe and Academy Awards.
His subsequent films, including ‘L’Enfer’ (2005), ‘Cirkus Columbia’ (2010) and ‘An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker’ (2013) cemented his reputation as a powerful voice in world cinema. His most recent film, ‘Tigers’ (2014), had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
In 2008, Tanović found the political party, Naša Stranka with the intention of bringing political change to his homeland. Currently, he lives in Sarajevo, where he is a professor of film directing at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo.
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Qumra Projects
29 projects with an emphasis on first- and second-time filmmakers, including independent filmmakers from Qatar and recipients of funding from the Institute, have been selected to participate to Qumra.
FEATURE NARRATIVE - DEVELOPMENT
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Beyond
Nora Al Subai / Qatar
The daughter of a conservative tribe leader burns with curiosity and hungers for freedom. When she embarks on a journey in search of the new world beyond the horizon, she is forced to question just how far and how much she is willing to sacrifice.
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In Search of Adam
Ahmed Al Baker / Qatar
Earth is dying. One man has been sent to coordinates where he hopes to find humanity's salvation, but while on the mission he uncovers something that unhinges his entire existence. Now alone, he is left to decide the fate of our planet.
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Little River
Shaikha Al-Thani / Qatar
A call to prayer in Mecca, a secret deal, a city’s development against the backdrop of a lie, a river wish made by two sisters recovering from a state of exile in their father’s name.
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Madmen’s Fort
Narimane Mari / Algeria, France, Qatar
Desires and greed lurk like raptors, preparing to transform a utopian dream into tragedy.
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Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf
Susan Youssef / Lebanon, Netherlands, The, United States of America, Qatar
With her father imprisoned on dubious terrorism-related charges, a Lebanese-American teenager in Arkansas searches for her identity in the headscarf and a motorcycle.
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Me Myself and Murdoch
Yahya Alabdallah / Palestine, Jordan, France, Qatar
After an automobile accident, a young Palestinian wakes up with total amnesia – and finds he can speak only Hebrew.
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Men in the Sun
Mahdi Fleifel / Palestine, Greece, UK, Denmark, Qatar
Three young Palestinian refugees dream of escape from Athens after seven years of living in a country in crisis. Their carefully laid plans are ruined when they are conned by a people smuggler and the friends must use their wits to get their money back. When they finally have their revenge, they are faced with the choice of sticking together or a new beginning.
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Parijat
Hend Fakhroo / Qatar
A Qatari woman from a dissected family has moved and settled in London. When she's unexpectedly appointed head of her family's struggling perfume business, she rises to the challenge of saving the company and mending her broken past.
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A Reverence for Spiders
Faiza Ambah / Saudi Arabia, USA, France, Qatar
A New York-based Egyptian imam helps a dying Christian teenager convert to Islam, only to be plunged into a political scandal that threatens his job, his faith and his relationship with his daughters.
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Sahaab
Khalifa Al-Muraikhi / Qatar
When Nasser and his friends are lost in the desert, struggling to retrieve their falcon, their search turns out to be a deadly journey.
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Scales
Shahad Ameen / Saudi Arabia, Qatar
Thirteen-year-old Hayat was almost sacrificed to become a mermaid by her father when she was an infant. Now she faces the same problem once again because of her newborn brother.
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Superpower
Mohamed Al Mahmeed / Qatar
The members of a dysfunctional family question faith, try to find happiness and realise their dreams when confronted with the illness of a son.
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The Taste of Apples Is Red
Ehab Tarabieh / Syria, USA, Palestine, Qatar
Everything in Syria is becoming more difficult. In the village on the other side of the border, the cold is unbearable this year, and two elderly brothers are looking to redeem themselves and each other.
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Wooden Rifle
Alfouz Tanjour / Syria, Qatar
During the Syrian revolution, a 21-year-old youth tries to escape with to Europe with his mother to join his father. Things take a different direction when their boat capsizes in the sea and his mother dies. When his father sinks into a coma after a fight over his dirty work, the boy is obliged to care for the older man.
FEATURE NARRATIVE – WORKS-IN-PROGRESS
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Blessed Benefit
Mahmoud Al Massad / Jordan, The Netherlands, Germany, UAE, Qatar
If the fish hadn’t opened its mouth, it never would have been caught.
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By the Time It Gets Dark
Anocha Suwichakornpong / Thailand, France, Qatar
Secondhand memories, a film and a very blue mushroom.
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Dégradé
Arab & Tarzan Abunasser / Palestine, France, Qatar
Gaza, nowadays. Twelve women are stuck in a hair salon for a whole afternoon, witnessing a violent confrontation taking place across the street.
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Frenzy
Emin Alper / Turkey, France, Qatar
Istanbul is in political chaos. Armed groups have taken control of the shantytowns. The police response is brutal. In the midst of this, two brothers are drawn into the violence
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY – WORKS-IN-PROGRESS
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Asphalt
Ali Hammoud / Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar
'Asphalt' is a travelogue about two Arab truckers on the road set against the fragile region they cross, and a poetic and realistic journey into their daily existence.
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Holy Cow
Imamaddin Hasanov / Azerbaijan, Germany, Romania, Qatar
One man's dream of bringing a European cow to his picturesque hometown in Azerbaijan unsettles the village’s conservative community, who want to keep their traditions intact.
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Salaam Plenty
Yasmine Kassari / Morocco, Australia, Belgium, Qatar
One of the earliest case studies of the movements of the Afghan Diaspora, this is a surprising example of a foray by Muslim men from the remote nomadic regions of Asia into the heart of a 19th-century British colony. This emigration created a ripple effect that continues to this day.
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What Comes Around
Reem Saleh / Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar
In one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Cairo, hope still finds ways to resonate among the people.
FEATURE NARRATIVE – PICTURE LOCK
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The Garbage Helicopter
Jonas Selberg Augustsén / Sweden, Qatar
Three young adults on a journey. Their goal: to return an old wall clock to their grandmother. A story about a minor mission that becomes a major journey.
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Go Home
Jihane Chouaib / Lebanon, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Qatar
The story of a young woman searching for the truth and discovering herself.
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Mountain
João Salaviza / Portugal, France, Qatar
A visually intense, poetic coming-of-age film in which 14-year-old David is forced to become the man of the house while his grandfather lives out his last days in hospital.
SHORT NARRATIVE – DEVELOPMENT
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Bou Ejaila
Saeed Al-Mannai / Qatar
After Afra is assaulted, she tries to explain herself to her uncaring family.
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Green Eyes
Abdullah Al-Mulla / Qatar
The tireless struggle of a coma patient in the ocean depths of his reality, as he faces off against his own ego and the mysterious monster that lives within.
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Our Time Is Running Out
Meriem Mesraoua / Qatar
Children cherish one rule: simplicity. But what happens when they start to grow up? A pragmatic teenager doubts the logic of his world, finding himself on the verge of enlightenment.
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Pizza O Bass
Mohammed Al Ibrahim / Qatar
The story of a pizza delivery guy and his three deliveries on New Year's Eve in Qatar.
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