Eight DFI-supported films selected for 2026 Venice International Film

Doha Film Institute (DFI) has proudly announced that eight of its supported films have been chosen for the prestigious 83rd Venice International Film Festival. This achievement highlights DFI's dedication to supporting independent filmmakers and showcasing unique perspectives from the Arab world and around the globe.

From September 2 to 12 at the Lido di Venezia, the festival will showcase these DFI-supported films across four different programmes. The selection demonstrates the caliber and global influence of the filmmakers and projects backed by DFI.

Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of Doha Film Institute, stated, "Great cinema begins with a voice that needs to be heard. At DFI, we believe in giving bold filmmakers the support they need to transform distinctive experiences into stories that can travel far beyond its origins. At a time when authentic voices and diverse perspectives matter more than ever, cinema has a vital role to play in preserving memory and expanding our understanding of one another."

Among the selected films is "House of the Wind" by Bernard Auguste Kouemo Yanghu, which competes in the Orizzonti Competition. The film follows Josette, a 75-year-old lonely woman in Yaoundé who tries to reunite her children from Europe while caring for her son's home. When she befriends her neighbor Sarah, their relationship challenges Josette's preconceptions about family.

"Conversation with the Sea" by Muayad Alayan is featured in the Venice Spotlight. The film tells the story of a Palestinian man who, ordered by an Israeli court to pay a substantial social security debt for his deceased son, drowns in the Red Sea over two decades prior.

Two DFI-supported films have been chosen for the Venice Gap-Financing Market, which facilitates connections between filmmakers and potential collaborators or financiers to complete their projects. These include "Faux Bijoux" by Jessy Moussallem and "Wolfmother" by Ismaël El Iraki.

Four DFI-backed projects will be presented through Final Cut in Venice. These include "A Quarter to Thursday" by Sofia Djama, about three friends on a mission to bury a dachshund in a military zone; "Eldorado, The Taste of the South" by Alaa Eddine Aljem, following migrants searching for an elusive utopian island; "Occupational Hazards" by Bassel Ghandour, an absurd dark comedy about a multigenerational Palestinian family; and "Plague" by Youssef Chebbi, set in a farming town in Tunisia where twin brothers run a palm grove.