DOHA: Doha Film Institute (DFI) has partnered with the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) on a number of new initiatives at their respective festivals to increase and strengthen connections between Arab and European cinema.
As part of the partnership, DFI is curating a selection of films from the Arab world to be screened at this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival (August 16-24) including Mahdi Fleifel’s A World Not Ours (UK/Lebanon/Denmark, 2012) and Ahd’s Sanctity (Saudi Arabia, 2012).
The films are featured as part of the Sarajevo Film Festival Partner Presents programme.
A delegation of DFI representatives, headed by DFI CEO Abdulaziz Al Khater, will attend SFF. Additionally, a recipient of funding from DFI’s grant programme will take part in CineLink Co-Production Market, Sarajevo Film Festival’s industry platform.
Further extending the partnership, Sarajevo Film Festival will promote Southeast European filmmaking with a presentation of three films from its official 2013 programme at the Qumra Film Festival, Doha in March next year.
Finally, DFI will curate three recent works by Arab filmmakers at next year’s Sarajevo Film Festival and again invite recipients of DFI grants to participate in the CineLink Co-Production Market. Al Khater said, “As we at DFI continue to shape our two new festivals – the Ajyal Film Festival for the Young and the Qumra Film Festival, Doha – we are focusing on forming new partnerships with like-minded organisations.
“DFI and the Sarajevo Film Festival share common goals of cultural exchange. This new partnership will allow us to continue our support for emerging Arab filmmakers by providing them with an international festival platform to show their work, giving recipients of DFI grants greater industry experience and exposure.”
Mirsad Purivatra, Sarajevo Film Festival Director, said: “The Sarajevo Film Festival is devoted to supporting and developing regional cinema and its audience. We wish to discover young film talents and help them step in the world of film industry. Being a part of very diverse film traditions and culture of the territory that we call our region, our festival is vivid and resonates with many different voices.
The Peninsula
