Grants to Fund Films from the Doha Film Institute

Doha Film Institute is pleased to announce start application for grants Program which aims to identify new talent, seek out new cinematic voices and discover universally resonant stories. Development, production and post-production funding is available to first- and second-time directors from the MENA region for feature-length projects. Short films are eligible for production funding only. 

If you get this grant, you will have:

Short Films (up to 30 min) for production stage:

• Narrative: up to $15,000
• Documentary: up to $12,500
• Experimental and Essay Films: up to $10,000

Feature Films (65 minutes or longer)

• Narrative
• Development: up to $20,000
• Production: up to $100,000
• Post-Production: up to $75,000
• Documentary
• Development: up to $15,000
• Production: up to $75,000
• Post-Production: up to $50,000
• Experimental and Essay Films
• Development: up to $10,000
• Production/Post-Production: up to $30,000

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You should follow the following criteria:

• Development, production and post-production funding is available for short and feature-length projects.
• For features, a first- or second-time director must be attached.
• For the purposes of the Programme, a first- or second-time filmmaker is defined as one who is directing their first or second feature-length (65 min and over) narrative or documentary film.
• Post-production funding for feature-length films is also available to established directors from the MENA region.
• The Institute does not apply restrictions on form or genre.
• Short films are defined as 5 to 30 minutes in duration and feature films as 65 minutes or longer in duration.
• A director may be attached to only one project per Programme session.
• Applications for production or post-production funding for feature-length projects must have a producer and production company attached.
• Projects that have received development funding in prior Programme sessions are eligible to apply for post production funding only. 
• Projects that have received production funding in prior sessions are not eligible to apply for post-production funding.
• A director who has completed a film longer than 30 minutes cannot apply for funding with a short film.
• A director applying for funding for a feature film must have completed at least one short film.
• If a project is co-directed, both directors must be first- or second-time filmmakers and must meet all other eligibility criteria.
• Supporting documentation may be submitted in Arabic, French and/or with English subtitles.
• Eligible projects are considered for funding in two stages:
• Stage 1: The artistic material and the director’s previous work(s) are reviewed. DFI will notify applicants within two months of the submission deadline, informing them whether their project has been shortlisted or not.
• Stage 2: Further materials must be submitted to DFI within one week of notification of inclusion on the shortlist.

About Doha Film Institute:

Doha Film Institute is dedicated to film appreciation, education, and building a dynamic film industry in Qatar that focuses on nurturing regional storytellers while being entirely global in its scope. With culture, community, education and entertainment at its foundation, Doha Film Institute serves as an all-encompassing film hub in Doha, as well as a resource for the region and the rest of the world. It firmly believes in the power of film to change hearts and minds, and its motto reflects the sentiment that “Film is Life”.

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