The Doha Film Institute (DFI) has announced that eight films it supports will be featured at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, scheduled from September 2 to 12 at the Lido di Venezia. This selection highlights the Institute’s ongoing support for independent filmmakers and its commitment to amplifying diverse voices from the Arab world and beyond on the global stage.
The DFI-supported films will appear across four key sections of the festival: the Orizzonti Competition, Venice Spotlight, the Venice Gap-Financing Market, and the Final Cut industry program. These segments collectively showcase a range of projects at various stages of development, from completed works to films still in post-production seeking financing and distribution partnerships.
Selected for the Orizzonti Competition, which focuses on innovative and emerging trends in international cinema, is "House of the Wind," directed by Bernard Auguste Kouemo Yanghu. The film, an international co-production involving Cameroon, France, Belgium, Benin, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, centers on Josette, a 75-year-old woman in Yaoundé grappling with family dynamics and unexpected friendships.
"Conversation with the Sea," by Muayad Alayan, will be showcased in Venice Spotlight, a section highlighting creative and original cinema. The film, co-produced by Palestine, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, and Qatar, follows a Palestinian man who faces an Israeli court order to pay a social security debt linked to his son, who drowned in the Red Sea more than two decades ago.
Two projects have been selected for the Venice Gap-Financing Market, which connects filmmakers with potential collaborators and financiers. These are "Faux Bijoux," a feature narrative by Jessy Moussallem from Lebanon, France, Belgium, and Qatar, and "Wolfmother," by Moroccan filmmaker Ismaël El Iraki, a story set in Tangier about a single mother navigating life as a smuggler. "Faux Bijoux" had previous exposure at Sundance and Clermont-Ferrand festivals and won the Grand Prix at the Brussels Short Film Festival. It is conceived as a proof of concept for Moussallem’s full-length debut, slated for production in autumn 2026.
Additionally, four DFI-backed projects are part of the Final Cut program, which supports films in post-production by facilitating connections with international industry partners. These include "A Quarter to Thursday" by Sofia Djama (Algeria/France/Qatar), "Eldorado, The Taste of the South" by Alaa Eddine Aljem (Morocco/France/Italy/Qatar), "Occupational Hazards" by Bassel Ghandour (Jordan/UK/Saudi Arabia/Palestine/Qatar), and "Plague" by Youssef Chebbi (Tunisia/France/Qatar). The films explore varied themes such as friendship amid conflict zones, migrant quests for utopia, multigenerational Palestinian family dynamics, and rural life on the edge of the Tunisian desert.
Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, CEO of the Doha Film Institute, emphasized the importance of supporting bold and distinct cinematic voices, noting that cinema plays a crucial role in fostering understanding and preserving memory across cultures. She highlighted the Institute’s role in nurturing filmmakers throughout different stages of their creative journeys, from development and financing to international exposure.
Since its inception, the DFI has supported over 1,000 films from more than 85 countries, aiming to strengthen a sustainable and interconnected global film ecosystem and broaden access for independent cinema to reach audiences worldwide. The presence of eight films at Venice this year continues to underscore the organization’s commitment to these goals.