Qumra
Qumra Projects
Qumra is designed to provide creative and professional support to directors and producers attached to 27 features, 10 series and 12 short film projects in development, production, and post-production, both fiction and documentary.
The primary goal of this gathering of creative film professionals is to contribute to the development of emerging voices in cinema, with a special focus on first and second-time filmmakers. This year, we proudly feature a diverse group of emerging filmmakers from Qatar and beyond, all of whom have benefited from Doha Film Institute’s comprehensive Funding and Training Programmes.
Development – Feature Narrative
Development – Feature Documentary or Essay
In Production – Feature Narrative
In Production – Feature Documentary or Essay
Picture Lock – Feature Narrative
Picture Lock – Feature Documentary or Essay
Work-in-progress – Feature Narrative
Work-in-progress – Feature Documentary or Essay
Development – TV or Web Series
Showcase – TV or Web Series
Development – Short Narratives
Development – Short Documentary or Essay
Work-in-progress – Short Narratives
Work-in-progress – Short Documentary or Essay
Picture Lock – Short Documentary or Essay
Development – Feature Narrative
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The Good Spirit
Razan Madhoon
Whilst Gaza is on the brink of war, Noor, an independently minded young woman, wants to rescue an injured stray dog, but her Muslim family and the wider community believe it is evil and drives good spirits away.
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The Joyful 1926
Damien Ounouri and Adila Bendimerad
In 1926 Algiers, amidst political and cultural upheaval, Ghazala battles against French colonial justice to pursue her acting career and secure a better future for her daughter.
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The Pearl (Working Title)
Noor Al-Nasr
When a tech-obsessed Qatari teen, disconnected from his family, travels back in time to an era before his beloved technology existed and pearl diving was the main source of income, he is forced to depend on himself. Through this journey, he learns how to communicate face-to-face in order to reconnect with his family and appreciate them.
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Quarter to Thursday
Sofia Djama
To run the greatest of risks to bury a dachshund in a secured zone carried from fridge to fridge—this is the mission given to three friends, perfectly disillusioned with the demonstrations shaking the city in a strange country.
Development – Feature Documentary or Essay
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In the Name of Safia
Safia Kessas
The director, named after her aunt Safia, embarks on a journey from Brussels to Kabylia to uncover her past. Through this quest, she unravels a personal and collective history, challenging the silence and shame imposed on women in her family.
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Just Like a Dream
Corine Shawi
‘Just Like a Dream’ unveils the collective psyche of a nation shaped by disaster. Through dreams, premonitions, and miracles, the film reflects the fragmented minds of Beirut's blast survivors, whose trauma is further deepened by yet another war.
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The Sixth Story
Ahmed Abd
Bound by friendship and shared trauma, Ahmed and Ali reunite to confront the nightmares of the sectarian violence they witnessed in Iraq. Through Ahmed’s lens and Ali’s brush, they piece together shattered memories. Their testimonies unfold as a careful excavation of a past that demands to be seen.
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Speak Image, Speak
Pary El-Qalqili
‘Speak Image, Speak’ challenges the distorted portrayal of Palestinians, using the imagery of the 1972 Munich Olympics as a starting point. The film explores how Palestinians resist erasure and criminalisation in Germany, reclaiming their history and voice against state-imposed silence.
In Production – Feature Narrative
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In Memory of Times to Come
Larissa Sansour
A utopian social experiment has erased historical trauma from memory. But someone wants Alia to remember.
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Love 45
Anas Khalaf
Walid, an overweight Lebanese man, is caught in a destructive spiral. He works at his uncle's tennis club but is sent away to build a tennis court. His encounters with Laith and Maya, with whom Walid shares more than he thinks, lead him to find the path back towards hope.
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Sari & Amira
A.J. Al-Thani
In the unforgiving sands of Wadi Sakheema, an outlaw Bedouin bandit couple stumble upon a mythical relic that holds the key to their survival but also awakens forces that could destroy them and their world.
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Sound of Silence
Joyce A. Nashawati
In 1970s Greece, two young women flee a military raid and take sanctuary in a mysterious convent.
In Production – Feature Documentary or Essay
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Climbing the Mountains
Sabrina Chebbi
Exploring the silent transmission of generational trauma, the film reconnects with a cultural heritage fragmented by the colonisation of Algeria, the war and its aftermath, and exile in France. Ancestral Kabyle songs bring a liberating dimension to this quest, re-establishing the links broken by history.
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Flower of the Sand
Jaouad Babili
Following the destruction of undocumented fishing boats by authorities, Um Zahra, a courageous woman in her fifties, opens a café in "Sarka," near Dakhla. The café becomes a lively hub for stories and sea trades, reflecting her perseverance in a male-dominated world.
Picture Lock – Feature Narrative
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The Fin
Syeyoung Park
In a dystopian Korean society fuelled by fear and propaganda, where a wall divides so-called Omegas—mutated humans with fins and fish-like feet—from humans, an Omega embarks on a quest to deliver a fin to a young Omega girl hiding among humans, fulfilling her father’s dying wish.
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Marie & Jolie
Erige Sehiri
In Tunis, three Ivorian women from different generations—a pastor, a resourceful businesswoman, and a student—live together in a house that doubles as a church.
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The President's Cake
Hasan Hadi
While people struggle daily to survive under sanctions in Saddam's Iraq, nine-year-old Lamia must use her wits to gather ingredients for the mandatory cake to celebrate President Saddam Hussein's birthday or face the consequences—prison or death.
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The Reserve
Pablo Pérez Lombardini
An obstinate park ranger convinces her community to expel a group of invaders from their natural reserve, thus provoking a far greater threat.
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Roqia
Yanis Koussim
In 1993, Ahmed, rendered amnesic by a car crash, fears his returning memory. Meanwhile, a disciple of an old Raqi (a Muslim exorcist) is worried that his master’s Alzheimer’s may unleash a long-contained evil.
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Sleepless City
Guillermo García López
La Cañada Real, on the outskirts of Madrid. Tonino, a 15-year-old Roma boy, has always lived here with his family and his best friend, lulled by gypsy legends. But everything falls apart when he discovers that his best friend is leaving for good.
Picture Lock – Feature Documentary or Essay
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Fatna, a Woman Named Rachid
Hélène Harder
After surviving state violence in 1970s Morocco, activist Fatna El Bouih continues to pursue her dream for change. ‘Fatna, a Woman Named Rachid’ is a sensitive journey through past and present, portraying a pioneer of women's political engagement.
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Mother of Silence
Zahraa Ghandour
Born and raised in a Baghdad midwife house, director Zahraa witnesses the rejection of newborn girls. She probes Iraq's war and tribal laws, unravelling why families abandon daughters. Against societal odds, surviving girls strive for solitary lives.
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Once Upon a Time in Shiraz
Hamed Zolfaghari
The saga of the Qashqai tribe's nomadic heritage and the struggles of their offspring, tracing the footsteps of thieves and unearthing a lost migration route obscured by urban development.
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Souraya Mon Amour
Nicolas Khoury
An introspection into the life of multidisciplinary artist Souraya Baghdadi through her relationship with the filmmaker Maroun Baghdadi.
Work-in-progress – Feature Narrative
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Cotton Queen
Suzannah Mirghani
Teenage Nafisa was raised on her grandmother’s stories of battling British colonisers. Inspired by the Sudanese Cotton Queen fairytale, Nafisa sets out to save the cotton fields from a modern threat.
Work-in-progress – Feature Documentary or Essay
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The Day of Wrath: Tales from Tripoli
Rania Rafei
‘The Day of Wrath: Tales from Tripoli’ sheds light on five moments of uprising during different historical eras of the city of Tripoli (Lebanon). Through these events, the film reflects on the transformations that have shaped the city.
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Jodari Meno
Dr. Jamal Rashid Al-Khanji
Jamal embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to catch the largest dogtooth tuna, only to discover that what he was really after didn’t lie in the depth of the sea but deep inside him.
Development – TV or Web Series
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Al-Michelin
Abdul-Rahman Sakr
A rising star chef decides to restart his career in Amman, Jordan, when he finds out his father is ill.
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(Dis)Closed
Aida Kaadan
In 1983, journalist Laila Hasanin risks everything to expose a wrongful conviction of five Palestinian men, only to be silenced by a system determined to bury the truth.
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Dirty Hands
Georges Hazim and Maya Dagher
When drug-stuffed pomegranates flood the Lebanese market, four desperate housewives jump at the chance to make quick cash—only to land in the dangerous underworld of the TV actress they idolise.
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Last Words
Antoine Waked
After surviving a tragedy that grants her cursed powers, Nour seeks a fresh start in Canada but becomes prey for an immigrant-targeting killer.
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The Lost City
Chantel Clark
In the crater of an extinct volcano, where the legacy of apartheid South Africa and the possibility of a new and brighter future clash over blackjack tables, burlesque bars, and sold-out stadia, aspiring singer Franki Nzo sets her sights on stardom.
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Nadine
Amina Abdelwahab and Claire Saint-Pierre
Nadine, an 18-year-old from a Lebanese Christian/Druze family in France, faces a life-changing decision when a renowned supermodel catapults her into the world of plus-size modelling.
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Palmyra
Carol Mezher and Gabriela Flores
Three women join forces to save endangered antiquities from Palmyra, only to be caught in the heart of a high-stakes international art conspiracy.
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Rent-a-Mama
Dania Bdeir
When Nuhad, a conservative Lebanese supermom living in her immigrant bubble in NYC, is confronted with an empty nest, she signs up on an app as a mother-for-hire, only to find herself navigating the world of liberal Gen Zers.
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Task Force: Apocalypse!
Dana J. Atrach and Anne Sobel
A hapless environmental task force accidentally creates climate chaos across their tiny island country.
Showcase – TV or Web Series
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El’Sardines
Zoulikha Tahar
Zouzou, a 30-year-old maritime engineer, hides from her family that she is leaving to track down the sardines that have vanished from Algeria.
Development – Short Narratives
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Ghafla
Tony El Ghazal
In a world driven by the relentless rhythm of time, a precise watchmaker races against the clock to craft the perfect watch for his only daughter.
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Gharbalah
Afnan Tag
When Mounira impulsively decides to clear out a dusty room, Sita, the longtime housekeeper, secretly searches through the packed belongings to retrieve a treasured keepsake before it’s lost forever.
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Inside the White Canvas
Amna Al-Binali
A young woman, Nora, isolated by her father’s neglect and strict teachings, struggles to earn his approval as her growing curiosity about the forbidden outside world threatens to unravel their fragile bond.
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Rumor Has It
Mohammed D. Fakhro
A Qatari food blogger subscribes to an AI app that promises to earn him more followers. But when the app is granted unrestricted access to his digital footprint, will he survive just how much of him the app is willing to expose?
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Sad Boy: The Movie
N&LS
In a surreal and melancholic world, a grief-stricken boy navigates his pain and haunting memories, embarking on an emotional journey towards healing and self-discovery.
Development – Short Documentary or Essay
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Me Are You
Myriam Salloum
A short documentary exploring how generational trauma seeps into various aspects of life, manifesting and festering across generations, leading to devastating effects.
Work-in-progress – Short Narratives
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Abu Fanoos
Amira Abujbara and Horia El Hadad
On a desert trip in Qatar, an ageing grandfather seeks to protect his grandson from an eerie presence in the dark.
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Light to Ashes
Nadia Al-Khater
Following a disturbing vision, a warrior-poet is thrust into his past, where he must reckon with the inescapable pull of fate.
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Qadha’ w Qadar
Maryam Al-Mohammed
A young woman defies societal shame and her mother’s disapproval to seek a divorce from her marriage to finally claim her freedom and independence.
Work-in-progress – Short Documentary or Essay
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Bel Falastini
Obada Jarbi
The story of a man searching for a home for himself and his family, navigating the complexities of identity, belonging, and the refugee experience.
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The Sounds of Silence
Sebastian Delascasas
A return to Doha after five years forces a confrontation with memory, language, and loss as a son grapples with his mother’s illness and the shifting meaning of home.
Picture Lock – Short Documentary or Essay
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Villa 187
Eiman Mirghani
Driven by the sudden cancellation of her family’s residency visa in Qatar, Sudanese filmmaker Eiman Mirghani documents her family’s house—and the memories that made it a home—for over 30 years.
