06/03/2025 - The Qatari gathering will showcase 16 films with European involvement now progressing through various stages of development, production and post-production

The Doha Film Institute (DFI) has announced the 49 projects selected for the 11th edition of Qumra, set to unspool from 4-9 April in Doha, Qatar, followed by an online programme running from 12-14 April. The industry development event will once again provide mentorship and networking opportunities for emerging filmmakers, featuring a strong presence of European co-productions across multiple categories.

Among the selected projects are 16 films with European involvement now progressing through various stages of development, production, and post-production. In the Feature Narrative Development category, The Good Spirit (Palestine/UK/Qatar) by Razan Madhoon tells the story of a young woman in Gaza determined to save an injured stray dog amid war. The Joyful 1926 (Algeria/France/Qatar) by Damien Ounouri and Adila Bendimerad explores a politically turbulent year in Algiers, while Quarter to Thursday (Algeria/France/Qatar) by Sofia Djama follows three friends attempting to bury a dachshund in a military zone.

In the Feature Documentary or Essay Development category, In the Name of Safia (Algeria/Belgium/France/Qatar) by Safia Kessas investigates the hidden past of Algerian women, The Sixth Story (Iraq/UK/Qatar) by Ahmed Abd delves into the trauma of sectarian violence survivors, and Speak Image, Speak (Palestine/Germany/Qatar) by Pary El-Qalqili re-examines Palestinian representation through the lens of the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The feature narrative production slate includes In Memory of Times to Come (Palestine/Denmark/Malta/Belgium/Qatar) by Larissa Sansour, depicting a woman’s struggle to remember erased history, and Sound of Silence (Lebanon/France/Greece/UK/Qatar) by Joyce A. Nashawati, set in 1970s Greece. In the feature documentary or essay category, Climbing the Mountains (Algeria/France/Qatar) by Sabrina Chebbi explores Algeria’s colonial past and its generational repercussions.

Among the feature narratives in post-production, Cotton Queen (Sudan/Germany/France/Palestine/Egypt/Qatar) by Suzannah Mirghani portrays a young woman’s fight to protect cotton fields, Marie & Jolie (Tunisia/France/Qatar) by Erige Sehiri highlights the lives of three Ivorian women in Tunisia, and Sleepless City (Spain/France/Qatar) by Guillermo García López follows a teenager navigating life in Madrid’s La Cañada Real. Meanwhile, the feature documentary or essay lineup includes Fatna, a Woman Named Rachid (France/Morocco/Belgium/Qatar) by Hélène Harder, which paints a portrait of a pioneering political figure, and Mother of Silence (Iraq/France/Qatar) by Zahraa Ghandour, tackling the abandonment of daughters in Iraq due to war and tribal laws.

The Development of TV and Web Series sidebar also sees European involvement, including Nadine (Egypt/France/Qatar) by Amina Abdelwahab and Claire Saint-Pierre, centring on an 18-year-old Lebanese Christian-Druze girl in France who is discovered as a model, and Palmyra (Lebanon/France/Qatar) by Carol Mezher and Gabriela Flores, focusing on three women striving to save endangered antiquities.

Last week, the Qatari gathering announced the line-up of its Masters talks, “five renowned global film luminaries” tasked with “inspir[ing] emerging filmmakers with insights from their acclaimed careers.”

This year’s guests are Filipino pioneer of slow cinema Lav Diaz, Iranian-French DoP Darius Khondji, Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles (fresh off his Oscar for Best International Feature with I’m Still Here [+see also:
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Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi commented: “We are honoured to welcome these visionary storytellers. Their artistry and dedication will inspire the next generation to shape the future of cinema.” 

Artistic advisor Elia Suleiman added: “At Qumra, emerging voices resonate through the wisdom of the Masters, shaping cinema’s future.”