Doha Film Institute Grants Programme

The goals of the Doha Film Institute Grants Programme are to identify new talent, seek out new cinematic voices and discover universally resonant stories.

The Institute’s approach is to champion projects that aim to explore, expand and cultivate authentic storytelling, with a keen interest in propelling forward the medium of cinema.

The Programme provides creative and financial assistance for short and feature-length films, subject to eligibility criteria, by Qatari and international first- and second-time directors, as well as established MENA directors.

Financial support is also available for TV and web series helmed by MENA scriptwriters and directors, subject to eligibility criteria.

The TV fiction and creative documentary series development grant aims to assist independent screenwriters/producers from the MENA region in developing original serialized content intended for international audiovisual markets, while the web fiction and creative documentary series grant will support independent directors/producers from the MENA region in financing the production of original serialized content for the web.

Eligibility Criteria

Funding is available for feature film projects that meet the following criteria:
• The film must be 65+ minutes.
• No restrictions on form or genre.
• Projects that premiere before the selection process is finalized are not eligible.
• Feature films applying for a development or production grants with a budget over
USD 2.2 Million are not eligible.
• For feature narratives in the development and production stages, a producer
other than the director must be attached. For post-production, a producer is not
mandatory but is recommended.
• For documentaries across all production stages, a producer is not mandatory but
is recommended.

Director’s eligibility

• Directors attached to a feature film application should have directed
at least one short film (fiction or documentary).
• The director attached must be a first or second-time filmmaker
(applies to co-direction).
• Established (2+ features) MENA directors can only apply for post-production funding.
• A director can only be attached to one application per cycle as director
(otherwise, all submissions from the director will be excluded).

How to apply

To apply for a grant, you must submit your project by filling in an online form
and attaching your artistic dossier* to it. The form opens every January and July
on announced dates.
Incomplete applications will be automatically excluded
without prior notification.
To help you prepare your application, below is a list of the information
needed to complete the form:
• Title – Logline, Synopsis – Genre – Production Countries – Production Details
(Shooting Location, Language, Runtime) – Team’s Contact Details – Budget –
Financial Plan – Production Schedule – Previous Work Link(s)- Rough Cut Link
(post-production submissions)- In Attachments*: script, dossier

*Dossier (via attachment section on form)
For the first stage of selection, the dossier can be submitted in English,
Arabic, or French. If the project is pre-selected, all documents will need
to be translated in English

Feature Film Grant Amounts of Doha Film Institute Grants

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