Several films supported by Doha Film Institute (DFI) have won awards at the prestigious 24th Sarajevo Film Festival, one of Europe’s largest film events.
The Heart of Sarajevo Best Actor, one of the major awards at the recently concluded festival, went to Leon Leon Lučev, the lead of DFI-backed Serbian film The Load directed by Ognjen Glavonić. A Qumra project, The Load is based on a true story about Vlada, a truck driver who is tasked with transporting a mysterious load from Kosovo to Belgrade.
Nine Month War, also a Qumra project, took home the Special Jury Prize in the documentary film competition programme. Helmed by László Csuja, the film is about 24-year-old Jani, who lives in a small town in Ukraine and is fed up with the boring life in his hometown.
In the Work in Progress Awards, Ibrahim, another DFI grantee, bagged the Cinelink Iridium Award. Directed by Lina Alabed, Ibrhim is about the eponymous protagonist, a secret member of the Palestinian Militant Organisation who goes on a mission never to return.
DFI’s participation in this year’s Sarajevo further adds to the pride of Qatar with a total of 19 films supported by DFI in its programming.
Of the 19 films, nine films were in the Official Selection, while three were showcased as part of the CineLink Co-Production Market and Work in Progress platform. The films are recipients of the Grants Programme, the Qatari Film Fund or past Qumra projects and other development initiatives steered by DFI.
Source: Peninsula Qatar
The films in the CineLink Co-Production Market included the DFI Grants recipient Streams by Mehdi Hmili and The Voice of Amirah, a feature narrative by Khalifa Al-Thani. In Work in Progress was the documentary Ibrahim by Lina Alabed.
Acclaimed films supported by DFI in the in-competition section included Turkish auteur and 2014 Palme D’or winner and Qumra Master Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s The Wild Pear Tree; Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki’s Capharnaüm, which won the Jury Prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and Sofia by Meryem Benm’Barek, which won the Best Screenplay award at Cannes 2018.
Among the DFI Grants recipients were compelling documentaries Nine Month War by László Csuja, Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki, The Man Who Stole Banksy by Marco Proserpio, The Other Side of Everything by Mila Turajlic, Too Late to Die Young by Dominga Sotomayor.
Two films supported by DFI had their special screenings including Wallay by Berni Goldblat and What Comes Around by Reem Saleh.
DFI has set a new benchmark highlighting Qatari film talent with seven short films, all made in Qatar, presented as the ‘Shortcuts to Qatar’ segment at the festival.
The films included Voices from the Urbanscape by Shaima Al-Tamimi and Mariam Salim; I Have Been Watching You All Along by Rawda Al-Thani, Walls by Nibu Vasudevan; Embodiment by Khalifa Al-Marri; Treasures of the Past by Rawan Al-Nassiri and Nada Bedair; Our Time is Running Out by Meriem Mesraoua; and 1001 Days by Aisha Al Jaidah.
For more articles on Arts & Culture click here
Source: Peninsula Qatar
Leave A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.