The Doha Film Institute (DFI) has secured 57 projects that will benefit from the latest round of love, including new projects by Bassel Ghandour, Hinde Boujemaa, Ismael El Iraki and Abdallah Al-Khatib.
Arab and international filmmakers from 46 countries will receive support from DFI in the fall 2025 grant cycle, including 10 projects by Qatar and Qatar-based filmmakers.
With the latest round of funding, DFI brings the number of projects it has supported around the world to more than 1,000 since the program’s inception 15 years ago.
London-based Jordanian filmmaker Bassel Ghandour was supported by: occupational hazardsa dark comedy chronicling the experiences of a multigenerational Palestinian family. Co-written and produced by Ghandour yes”, which was nominated for the 2016 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, was his feature debut. alley Premiered in Locarno in 2021.
Paris-based Moroccan director Ismael El Iraki is sponsored to set his stage in Tangier. wolf mother A story about a smuggler who raises her children by herself. of wolf mother The script won the Development Award at the Red Sea Souq in Saudi Arabia in 2022. Works by El Iraki Remaining flower contact information In 2020, he played for the Venice Horizons.
Tunisia’s Hinde Boujemer secures funding Yummy A story about an older sister and younger brother who get caught up in a disagreement that shakes their family ties. Boujemer’s debut novel Noura’s dream In 2019, he played for San Sebastian.
Palestinian-Syrian film director Abdallah al-Khatib’s CChronicles from the siegewill have its world premiere in the Perspectives section of the Berlinale next month and was supported by a post-production grant. The film tells the interwoven stories of ordinary people whose lives are forever changed when their city is under siege.
The DFI grant program supports first- and second-time filmmakers from around the world, along with established MENA directors in the post-production field.
DFI’s Fall 2025 grant recipients:
MENA – Feature Description – Development
• the missing man (One cut) Director. Naji Ismail
• guardian is (Lib-Alg-Can-Qat). Muhanad Ramin
MENA – Feature Narration – Production
• occupational hazards (Jor-UK-KSA-Pal-Qat) Director. Bassel Gandor
• wolf mother (Mor Fra Berg Kart) Director. ismael el iraq
• amnesia (Pal Jor Fra Berg Can Cart) Director. Dima Hamdan
• Side effects of trusting life (Leb-Ger-Nor-Qat) Director. Ahmad Ghossein
• Yummy (Thun Berg Kart) d. hindi
• lost planet (Egy-Ger-Pol-Ita-Qat) Director. Marouane O’Mara
• wild goat (Story Gel Notes). Cardo Mansour
• wind girl (Tungkat) Director. Mufida Fedira
MENA – Feature Narrative – Post Production
• algerican road (Alg-Fra-KSA-Qat) Director. Rava Amour Zaimesh
• Chronicles from the Siege (Alg-Fra-Qat) Director. Abdullah Al Khatib
• My eyes didn’t sleep yesterday (Pal-Berg-Lev-KSA-Cut) Director. mayashi’s friend
• pipe (Leb-KSA-Qat) Director. Karim Kasem
MENA – Featured Documentary – Development
• remind me of what I forget (tentative title) (KSA-Qat) Director. Rama Jamjoom
• everything she didn’t say (Alg-From-Qat) Director. Farah Abada
• my name is karil (Pal Hula Rev Cut) Director. Bilal Alkhatib
• Where do I belong? (Sud-Qat) Director. Ibrahim Snoopy Ahmad
• Onions to forget the past (Reb Fura Kat) Director. Emilian Awada
MENA – Feature Documentary – Production
• suad and ramin (Tungkat) Director. mohamed ali nahdi
• same (Pal Fura Cut) Director. Rabab Khamis
MENA – Feature Documentary – Post Production
• mother and me (Egypt/Iraq/Hula Kart) Director. Dilpak Majeed
• What day are we? (Pal-Sp-Ger-Qat) Director. Hussein Zuhoor
• When the news breaks your heart (Cut) Director. Hamad Salem Al Hajri
• revolutionaries never die (Palkat) Director. mohanad yakubi
• out of school (Mo Den Kat) Director. Hind Bensali
• From ground zero + (Pal Joor Furakat) Director. Reema Mahmoud et al.
MENA – Experiment/Essay – Post-production
• BAHR Alphabet (Levkat) Director. Sabine El Chamar
MENA – TV Series – Development
• dirty hands (Levkat) Director. Georges Hazim and Maya Duggar
• gate of resurrection (Palkat) Director. Firas Cooley
• arab love (Tun-Egy-KSA-Qat) Director. Nejb Belkadi
MENA – Shorts – Narrative – Development
• Nuria (Cut) Director. Fatima Alnaemi
• Has to be (floor). Aisha Abdullah
• Akil Elsaf (tentative title) (Qat) Director. Maryam Al Mohammed
• Cuddle (Cut) Director. Aisha Al Khanji
MENA – Shorts – Narrative – Production
• donkey world (Kato Uzubu). Majid Al Remaihi
• ice cream (Cut) Director. MA Fakroo
• to the north (Pal-Fr-Qat) Director. Amer Nasser
• boundaries between us (One-Fr-Qat) Director. Hind Metwari
• aleppo fresh (Jorkat) Director. Galia Haddad
• There are no rabbits in Gaza (Jor-Nor-Lux-Egy-Sp-Qat) Director. Malam Sobo and Wydad Shafakhoj
• woman waiting (Morkat) Director. Zahra Berrada
• shelling (Cut) Director. Mahdi Ali Ali
• Mafal (Cut) Director. Khalifa Al Kuwari
• Dino’s last day (Alg-Fr-Qat). rain mac
MENA – Shorts – Narrative – Post Production
• Abu Fanos (Cut) Director. Amira Abujibala and Horia El Haddad
MENA – Short Film – Documentary – Production
• From near to far: on the sea road (tentative title) (Palkat) Director. Fitnato Waked
Non-MENA – Feature Narrative – Post Production
• devil’s well (Chile-Arg-Bula-Fla-Cart) Director. Jairo Boisier Olave
• my senba (Uncut) Director. Hugo Salvaterra
• House of Wind (Kam-Berg-Berk-Ben-KSA-Kart) d. Auguste Quemo Yahu
• Fuxi: Joy in four chapters (Hong Kong-Taiwan-Japan-France-Cart) Kui Jeong Jeong
• Filipino (Sin-UK-Phi-Fr-Neth-Qat) Director. Rafael Manuel
Non-MENA – Feature Documentary – Post Production
• 32 meters (Iran-cut). Morteza Atabaki
• Anatomy of genocide (Nor-Swe-Ger-Cro-Qat) Director. thorstein grude
• language of water (Ven-Dom-Per-Qat) Director. Jaycee Trompiz
• Kartli Kingdom (Geo-Fr-Qat). tamal
• american doctor (US-Pal-Mal-Den-Kat) Director. Po Si Teng
(Tag Translation) Doha
