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2013

Hazawi: Gulf Short Film Production Fund

Premiering this January, DFI’s Gulf Development Unit will be supporting emerging filmmakers of the GCC region with its short film production programme, Hazawi.

Fund Guidelines
The Hazawi fund is open to GCC nationality producer and director teams or directors who have a live-action film project that will be ready for pre-production by April 2013. The entire film project must be shot in Doha, Qatar but the subject matter need not be about Qatar. Pre-production, production, edit and post-production will happen in Doha, Qatar.

These Shorts will have the opportunity to premiere at the 2013 Doha Tribeca Film Festival and to be submitted to regional and international film festivals. DFI’s Hazawi production initiative will help in the creative development of emerging filmmakers; building filmmakers capable of tackling feature-length productions.

Successful candidates will be mentored by international film industry professionals, who will offer advice and solutions during the development and production process. Filmmakers will be allowed a choice of up to three heads of departments, approved by DFI, whose airfare and accommodation will be covered by DFI. DFI will make available crew in Doha for all the short films.

Applicants will be judged on the quality of their previous short films and scripts. The application project will be judged on its creative success by which we mean the quality of the idea, the level of filmmaking talent involved and how it explores narratives and identity specific to the GCC region as well as having a universal appeal. The film must be live-action only and we welcome all kinds of genre from mainstream through to experimental.

Eligibility
In order to be eligible for the grant, projects must meet the following criteria:

• Director and producer must be GCC national
• If the project does not have a GCC producer DFI will appoint a GCC national producer to produce
• Screenwriters without a GCC national director attached are ineligible for the grant
• Non-GCC national directors and producers will not be eligible for the production fund.
• Films can be up to 10 minutes in length
• All films must be live-action and shot entirely in Qatar
• Each film is to be shot between April 1st and May 31st and has a ten week period for completion (3 weeks pre-production, 1 week shooting, 6 week post production)
• Equipment (RED or equivalent camera + standard lighting and sound packages) will be supplied by DFI as well as tech and production support
• Industry professional mentors will be assigned to each production where necessary (ie: Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor)
• All films must be completed and submitted in time for DTFF 2013 – monitored by DFI to ensure delivery date

There will be one funding cycle per year.

Submissions open on January 15, 2013 and close on March 1, 2013.

Successful fund applicants will be notified by March 15, 2013.

Film completion expected by October 2013.

Submission Requirements

• Log line
• Short Synopsis – 200 words
• Script (no more than 20 pages – dated with draft number
• Director Statement – between 800 and 1200 words
• Director’s showreel, links to previous films or DVD’s of their films
• Additional Information (mood boards, visual reference etc)
• Producer’s CV
• All projects must show clear chain of copyright if required by the DFI chain of title if required by the DFI.

Please fill and submit the below form in addition to emailing all the above submission requirements to: gulffilmdevelopment@dohafilminstitute.com

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