The third edition of Qumra, the industry initiative by the Doha Film Institute to nurture the new generation of film talents, will extend mentoring and networking opportunities for 12 projects helmed by Qatar-based talent.
Qatar-based film projects by first and second time filmmakers at Qumra 2017 include five feature narratives along with seven shorts from national and resident filmmakers that are currently in development. The line-up includes three projects supported through the Institute’s Qatar Film Fund.
In all, Qumra 2017 has 34 projects from 25 countries for mentoring through Masterclasses and networking opportunities.
Directors and producers attached to 18 narrative feature films, 7 feature documentaries and 9 short films will participate in the six-day programme to be held from March 3 to 8 at Souq Al Waqif and the Museum of Islamic Art.
The Feature Narrative Projects from Qatar under development include, The Other Wife by Meriem Mesraoua (Qatar, France), Hitch 60 (working title) by Sara Al Obaidly (Qatar, United Kingdom), iPhone Memory by Mahdi Ali Ali (Qatar), Azooz- the Bully Slayer by Mohammed Al Hamadi (Qatar) and DNA of Love by Hafiz Ali Ali (Qatar).
The Qumra Shorts by Qatar-based talent are currently in development and include two recipient films from the Qatari Film Fund: Sh’hab by Amal Al-Muftah (Qatar) and Ya Hoota by Latifa Al Darwish and Abdulaziz Yousif Ahmed (Qatar).
The other shorts from Qatar chosen for Qumra 2017 are: Reem Planted a Flower by Rawda Al-Thani (Qatar); Angels, Spiders and Other Miserable Creatures by Fahad Al-Kuwari (Qatar); in Awakenings by Fahad Al-Obaidly (Qatar); Selective Mutism by Khalifa AlMarri (Qatar) and Burn the Bird by Zahed Bata (Jordan, Qatar).
Further, five films by Qatari directors are being screened in the New Voices in Cinema programme of Qumra, all of which were also supported by the DFI through year-round initiatives.
These films include: Kashta by A J Al Thani; I Have Been Watching You All Along by Rawda Al-Thani; Turtles Are Always Home by Rawane Nassif; RED by Kholood Mohammed Al-Ali and Our Time Is Running Out by Meriem Mesraoua.
Talents associated with the projects will have the opportunity to be mentored by this year’s Qumra Masters - contemporary Iranian master Asghar Farhadi; French auteur Bruno Dumont; Cambodian creative documentarian Rithy Panh, Argentina’s eminent filmmaker Lucrecia Martel and internationally acclaimed producer Paulo Branco.
Qumra 2017 programming includes industry meetings designed to assist in propelling selected projects to the next stages of development, through Master Classes, work-in-progress screenings, bespoke matchmaking sessions and tailored workshops with industry experts, as well as the newly introduced Accredited Delegate programme and Qumra Talks.
