Doha Film Institute (DFI) announced its masters for its annual Qumra event, where filmmakers supported by the institute get to learn from leading figures in the industry. Qumra is a special industry event that focuses on mentoring filmmakers through the conception and production process, and has more of a "university" feel rather than a platform where marketing takes center stage. It is an event, as Elia Suleiman, Artistic Adviser of DFI has said, that aims to "elevate the standards of world cinema."
The masters of Qumra’s 9th edition were announced at the Berlinale 2023 where DFI supported films such as Sepideh Farsi’s “The Siren,” “Under the Sky of Damascus” by Heba Khaled, Talal Derki and Ali Wajeeh, Lea Najjar’s “Kash Kash,” and Vlad Petri’s “Between Revolutions” were part of the program.
DFI fellowships are open to all international filmmakers and are especially popular with those in the region who are given critical support by the institute. For filmmakers in the region, Doha’s geographic location is a pull as well, and ensures that the fellows are truly international. The participants of Qumra are chosen from the films that are already receiving support from DFI and the event further helps emerging filmmakers realize their potential.
This year the sessions with the masters are held in a special hybrid format. Qumra 2023 starts with an in-person event on Friday, goes on for six days, and the online events will start on 19th March and end on the 21st. Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, chief executive officer of the DFI, said that this new hybrid format "will offer the opportunity for filmmakers to extend discussions conveniently online." The projects that are selected will have a chance to work with such names as Sir Christopher Hampton, David Parfitt, Jacqueline West, Lynne Ramsay and Michael Winterbottom.
Hampton is a multi-award-winning British playwright, screenwriter and director whose screenplays include "Dangerous Liaisons," "The Quiet American," "Atonement," "A Dangerous Method," "The Father" and "The Son."
David Parfitt is an independent film, TV and theater producer and he was executive producer on the world’s first hand-painted animated feature film, the DFI-supported "Loving Vincent."
Jacqueline West is a costume designer who has received four Academy Award nominations for her work on "Dune," "The Revenant," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Quills."
Lynne Ramsay is an award-winning Scottish filmmaker whose most recent feature film, "You Were Never Really Here" earned Ramsay a Palme d’Or nomination and the Best Screenplay Award. The movie's lead actor, Joaquin Phoenix, won the Best Actor Award at Cannes Film Festival in 2017.
Michael Winterbottom is a critically acclaimed British filmmaker who has been nominated three times for the Palme d’Or for "24 Hour Party People," "Wonderland" and "Welcome to Sarajevo."
The 9th edition of Qumra will also feature events that are also open to the public as in previous editions.
