Other titles supported by the respected Qatari cinematic organization include Jihan K’s personal doc on the disappearance of her father during the Qaddafi regime, Cyril Aris’ ‘A Sad and Beautiful World’ starring Mounia Akl, which will be screening in the Official Selection and Giornate degli Autori lineups respectively, along with Sofia Alaoui’s sci-fi fable ‘Tarfaya’ which participates in the Venice Production Bridge.
The Doha Film Institute continues to present itself as the cinematic organization to beat in the MENA region. This year they mark a milestone, as a record 12 projects that are DFI supported will be participating in the upcoming Venice International Film Festival, which runs on the Venice Lido from August 27th to September 6th.
The titles include award-winning filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s Competition title The Voice of Hind Rajab, a Tunisian/French co-production that offers a searing portrayal of five-year-old Hind Rajab, killed by Israeli forces alongside her family. The film recreates the last 90 minutes of the girl’s life through her voice as she telephoned for help, using actors to create the visual narrative needed around the terrifying phone call.
“Our role is not just to support filmmakers, but to champion stories that challenge, inspire, and ultimately expand the global cinematic conversation. ”
Another standout title, one which will probably end up becoming the runaway hit of the festival is Suzannah Mirghani’s Cotton Queen in Critics’ Week. The homegrown talent, who hails from a diverse Sudanese and Russian background, has made a film which follows teenage Nafisa as she becomes the center of a power struggle over genetically modified seeds to determine the future of her village, blending ecological critique with coming-of-age drama. Nafisa, in the process of watching the film, becomes the kind of feminist, bada** heroine we have all been wishing for, turning Cotton Queen into a must-watch title with no equals.
Screening Out of Competition in the Non-Fiction category is My Father and Qaddafi a Libyan, USA and Qatari production by Jihan K. The documentary is a deeply personal chronicling of the filmmaker’s journey to uncover the truth behind her father’s disappearance during the Qaddafi regime.
In the Giornate degli Autori sidebar, which features filmmaker/auteurs, three DFI supported films will screen. They are Memory by Vladlena Sandu, a cinematic reckoning with the traumas of the Chechen war, as the filmmaker reclaims her past through art; A Sad and Beautiful World by Lebanese filmmaker Cyril Aris, a decades-spanning love story set against Beirut’s shifting landscape of tragedy and resilience; and Do You Love Me, by fellow Lebanese helmer Lana Daher, which explores Lebanese identity through seven decades of pop culture, politics, and collective memory.
Settimana della Critica, Critics’ Week will screen Mirghani’s Cotton Queen and Roqia by Algerian helmer Yanis Koussim. The story of this mysterious sounding film is set in 1993 and explores trauma and healing through a dual-timeline story of amnesia, exorcism, and generational fear.
Two DFI backed projects will screen in Final Cut in Venice, as part of Venice’s industry platform for films from Africa and select MENA regions in post-production. They are The Station [Al Mahatta] from Yemen/ Jordan/ France/ Germany/ Netherlands/ Norway/ Qatar, directed by Sara Ishaq, presenting a story set in a women-only petrol station in war-torn Yemen, where three siblings confront impossible choices. The other Untitled Project, also from Yemen is by Mariam Al-Dhubhani who presents a raw documentary exploring survival, memory, and the fragility of home amid conflict.
Last, but not least, three DFI-supported films have been selected Venice Production Bridge, the vital co-production and financing platform. The titles are Sound of Silence, a Lebanon/France/Greece/UK/Qatar production by the Beirut-born Joyce A. Nashawati, who presents a chilling horror set in 1970s Greece, where two young women encounter a death cult while seeking refuge in a convent. Tarfaya, the latest by Moroccan writer and director Sofia Alaoui, a sci-fi fable about an epidemic that causes people to fall into deep sleep, prompting a search for truth and human connection. And The Missing Camel, a Morocco, France, Senegal, Mauritania, Qatar production by Senegalese filmmaker Cheikh N’Diaye who fuses folklore and politics in a man’s quest to reclaim his royal lineage while confronting colonial legacies.
Commenting on the extensive and record-breaking selection, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of Doha Film Institute, said: “This landmark presence of 12 DFI-supported films at Venice is a powerful testament to our mission of elevating compelling, courageous storytelling from voices that are too often unheard. These films carry the weight of truth, resilience, and vision—and they speak across borders, cultures, and perspectives. What makes this year’s selection even more special is the inclusion of homegrown talent from Qatar, a proud reflection of the creative excellence emerging from our own community. Our role is not just to support filmmakers, but to champion stories that challenge, inspire, and ultimately expand the global cinematic conversation. This milestone reaffirms DFI’s impact in shaping a more balanced and representative film landscape.”
For more information about the Venice Film Festival, check out their website.
All images courtesy of the DFI, used with permission.