Still from No One Knows I Disappeared (China)
Doha, Qatar: Doha Film Festival announced a compelling selection of international shorts in competition representing diverse voices by emerging filmmakers from across the world. Twenty films demonstrating bold storytelling, innovative formats and important perspectives have been selected out of a record number of 1,600 submissions.
The selection highlights Doha Film Institute’s (DFI) ongoing commitment to recognising fresh promising new global talent and authentic storytelling. The films will compete for Best Film (US$20,000), Best Director (US$12,000) and Best Performance (US$7,000), awarded by a three-member jury led by industry professional Eddie Bertozzi and includes filmmakers Faris Alrjoob and Zoljargal Purevdash.
Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Festival Director and CEO of DFI, said: “The record number of over 1,600 submissions from every corner of the world reflects not only the strength of the festival’s platform but also the universal belief in cinema as a bridge between cultures.Short films carry the pulse of our times — bold, immediate, and deeply connected to the world around them. Our selection represents an exciting range of geographic diversity and an exceptional breadth of narratives –presenting the many sides of humanity,their aspirations, and fearless creative innovation, reminding us that great storytelling knows no borders.”
Stories from Lebanon, Portugal, Morocco, India, Brazil and beyond navigate grief, memory and the human spirit of resiliencethrough tales of persecution, belonging, and the endurance of hope. The programme presents a globally diverse slate, sharing intimate personal stories with honest social candour and includes a poignant first ever short film from East Greenland and the Palme D’or winner I’m Glad You’re Dead Now among many others.
Films in the International Short Film Competition are:
- Adieu Ugarit (Canada) by Samy Benammaris set in 2012, Damascus, Syria, when Mohamed sees his best friend shot dead by an armed militia.
- All This Death (Lebanon/Germany/Poland/Qatar) by Fadi Syrianiis about an old Beirut resident who checks the obituaries page and attends funerals daily.
- Antigone, or the Story of Sara Benoliel (Portugal) by Francisco Mira Godinho tells the story of Sara, who loses her brother due to complications from the Covid-19 virus.
- Beneath Which Rivers Flow (Iraq) by Ali Yahya is set in the marshlands of southern Iraq, where Ibrahim and his family live isolated from the rest of the world.
- Glasses (South Korea) by Joung Yumi is about Yujin, who during an eye exam, sees a small house in the middle of a field and suddenly finds herself inside it.
- I’m Glad You’re Dead Now(Palestine/France/Greece) by Tawfeek Barhom is about two brothers who return to their childhood island, forcing them to confront a dark past that binds them together
- Les Dieux (Switzerland) by Anas Sareen narrates the story of Adel and Moïse, who try to come to terms with the loss of their father but their grief turns into an obsession.
- L'Mina (France/Morocco/Italy/Qatar) by Randa Maroufi is set in a former mining town in Morocco, which has progressively declined until all mine operations officially ceased in 2001.
- Lost Songs of Sundari (India) by Sudarshan Sawant, an old man, woman and child reflect on a fading world, lost to urbanization and the erasure of coastal traditions.
- Loynes (Belgium/France/North Macedonia/UK) by Dorian Jespers is a Kafkaesque courtroom drama set in 19th-century Liverpool, recounting the trial of a corpse with neither name nor past.
- My Brother, My Brother (Egypt/France/Germany) by Saad and Abdelrahman Dnewar is an autofiction animation film that explores the complexities of a past shared by two identical twins.
- No One Knows I Disappeared (China) by Hanxiong Bo is set in a city under quiet surveillance, where a caregiver’s search for a vanished elderly woman blurs into a haunting journey.
- Pasta Negra (Colombia/Canada/Italy/Venezuela) by Jorge Thielen Armand is about three Venezuelan women who cross the border into Colombia to buy a packet of pasta.
- Primary Education (Cuba/Spain) by Aria Sánchez and Marina Meira shows how Daniela’s voice must be fully rested before she’s able to use it again.
- Samba Infinito (Brazil/France) by Leonardo Martinelli is set during Rio's Carnival, when a street cleaner struggles with the loss of his sister and his work obligations.
- The Spectacle (Hungary/France) by Bálint Kenyeres is about a young Roma boy chosen for a television feature after word spreads of his unusual gift.
- The Thief (Greenland/Denmark) by Christoffer Rizvanovic Stenbakken is about a young autistic boy, who discovers that his dog has been stolen, and goes on an intensive search for the thief.
- Upon Sunrise (Croatia/Slovenia/Spain/Serbia) by Stefan Ivančić is about a single mother, who after losing her job, engages in petty scams to provide for her six-year-old son.
- Voices from the Abyss (Mexico) by Irving Serrano and Víctor Rejón is an exploration of La Quebrada Cliff Divers' ritualistic dives from 100 feet into the sea.
- Zizou (Egypt/Qatar/France) by Khaled Moeit is about a 13-year-old overweight boy, who tries to join the neighborhood football team, but is faced with bullying.
Taking place from November 20–28, 2025, Doha Film Festival (DFF) represents the bold next chapter in Doha Film Institute's mission to nurture regional talent and champion urgent and authentic stories in cinema.
The festival will transform iconic locations across Doha, including Katara Cultural Village, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and the Museum of Islamic Art, into vibrant hubs of cultural exchange, bringing together filmmakers, storytellers, and audiences from every corner of the globe, to reaffirm art’s power to inspire, to unite, and to spotlight voices that deepen our shared understanding.
