Eight films supported by DFI selected for 78th Cannes Fest
Doha
Doha Film Institute (DFI) has announced that eight films supported through its grants programme have been selected for the 78th Cannes Film Festival, reaffirming the Institute's enduring commitment to nurturing bold, original voices in world cinema.
Spanning a wide spectrum of genres, styles and cultural narratives, this year's selected films reflect the richness of global storytelling and underscore DFI's mission to champion compelling, underrepresented perspectives from the Arab world and beyond.
The selected projects will be unveiled to global audiences across various sections of the festival, including the official programme with one in Official Selection Competition and three in Un Certain Regard. Four additional titles will screen across the parallel sections of Critics' Week (La Semaine de la Critique), Director's Fortnight (La Quinzaine des Cinéastes), and ACID, highlighting the artistic excellence and global relevance of the filmmakers. DFI's strong presence at Cannes 2025 builds on its legacy of empowering emerging talent and contributing meaningfully to the global film landscape.
Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, chief executive officer of DFI, said: 'We are incredibly proud to attend the 78th edition of Cannes with another selection of outstanding films supported by the Institute. This recognition speaks to the power of authentic storytelling and the importance of amplifying diverse voices.'
Official Selection Competition:
'Renoir' (Japan, France, Singapore, The Philippines, Indonesia, Qatar) by Chie Hayakawa.
Official Selection Un Certain Regard:
'Aisha Can't Fly Away' (Egypt, Tunisia, KSA, Sudan, Germany, France, Qatar) by Morad Mostafa; 'Promised Sky' (Tunisia, France, Qatar) by Erige; and 'Once Upon a Time in Gaza' (Palestine, France, Germany, Portugal, Qatar) by Tarzan & Arab Nasser.
Critics' Week (Semaine de la Critique):
'Sleepless City' (Spain, France, Qatar) by Guillermo García López; and 'L'Mina' (Morocco, France, Italy, Qatar) by Randa Maroufi.
Director's Fortnight (Quinzaine des cinéastes)cTypeface:>
'The President's Cake' (Iraq, USA, Qatar) by Hasan Hadi.
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'Life After Siham' (Egypt, France, Qatar) by Namir Abdel Messeeh.
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