DOHA: Thirty-one projects have been selected to take part in the inaugural edition of Qumra scheduled from March 6 to 11 in Katara, the Doha Film Institute (DFI) announced yesterday.
Twenty-three narrative feature films, four feature documentaries and four short films will participate in a focussed programme of industry sessions designed to propel their work to the next stage of development.
Twenty-two projects were selected from the Institute’s funding programmes and nine are by independent filmmakers from Qatar who were identified through the Institute’s ongoing engagement with local industry. The emphasis is on supporting first- and second-time filmmakers with projects in development and post-production stages.
The projects represent 29 countries of production with a total of 11 projects from Qatar-based filmmakers, 15 from the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region and 5 from the rest of the world. Nineteen of the 31 projects are in development and the remainder is in post-production or final stages.
Directors and Producers attached to each project will attend the sessions where they will be linked with seasoned industry experts through a series of bespoke meetings tailored to their project’s needs.
The sessions will comprise one-on-one meetings, script consultations, pitching sessions, working breakfasts, rough-cut screenings and feedback sessions as well as an exclusive presentation of ‘Final Cut’ screenings where 20-minute excerpts of recently finalised projects will be presented to leading festival programmers, sales agents and distributors.
DFI CEO Fatma Al Remaihi said: “Qumra was created as a direct response to the needs of emerging filmmakers. It is closely bound to the year-round initiatives of the DFI — uniting many of the programmes we have developed over the past five years and expanding on them further by connecting filmmakers with industry mentors who will provide creative and practical support to move their projects to the next stage.”
“At the heart of Qumra are the projects participating in our inaugural edition. Every aspect of this event is geared towards giving these first and second-time filmmakers access to the knowledge, inspiration and development opportunities that will allow them to move ahead in their careers.”
In addition to the industry programme, the Qumra Projects participants will attend a series of master classes and screenings presented by some of the leading figures in world cinema today.
Mexican actor, director and producer Gael Garcia Bernal (Amores Perros; No; Deficit) has been confirmed as the fifth master to participate.
Al Remaihi said: “The participation of our Masters is integral to Qumra which is founded upon a commitment to the mentorship and creative development of emerging filmmakers. I am delighted to welcome Gael Garcia Bernal as the fifth member of this group, whose combined wealth of experience brings a rich layer of expertise to our programme.”
Garcia Bernal joins previously announced Qumra Masters Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako (Timbuktu - nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Academy Awards); Iranian actor Leila Hatami (Leila; A Separation); Romanian auteur and Palme d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days; Beyond the Hills); and Bosnian writer/director Danis Tanovi (An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker; Tigers, No Man’s Land - winner of Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001)
The event will also include public screenings curated with input from the Qumra Masters featuring their work alongside new voices in cinema selected from films supported by the Institute’s grants and co-financing programmes.
The Peninsula
