The Doha Film Institute Launches Fresh Mentoring Program

LONDON – The Doha Film Institute (DFI) is planning to mentor over 40 of its grantees from its own funding pool through a fresh initiative ‘Doha Projects.’

The aim is to bolster emerging Arab filmmaking efforts through the region and will being during this year’s third annual Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF), organizers said.

‘Doha Projects’ will lead DFI grantees through a curated series of one-on-one meetings, plenary sessions, panels and networking events with key international sales agents, financing bodies, script consultants, distributors and producers relevant to the region.

Participants signed up to lend their skills include production, sales and distribution company Fortissimo Films chairman Michael J. Werner, film producer and head of acquisitions for Wild Bunch Rita Dagher and Front Row Filmed Entertainment managing director Gianluca Chacra.

The project hopes to build on DFI’s film financing division, which was launched in May 2011 to provide financial support for Middle Eastern and North African filmmakers.

DFI executive director Amanda Palmer said: “With the launch of ‘Doha Projects’, we hope to really take our relationship with regional filmmakers beyond finance, and into a realm where we can have long-term impacts on their development.

"There is no doubt that we believe in these filmmakers and their stories, and as a financier we have a responsibility to ensure that films are not only made, but made to their full potentials – that means from creative, authentic and business perspectives.”