Four films supported by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) won top honors at this year’s 69th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.
The Salesman, an Iranian-French drama which was directed by Iranian Asghar Farhadi, received the Best Actor award for Shahab Hosseini’s performance, as well as Best Screenplay.
The Divines, a debut by Houda Benyamina, was screened at the Director’s Fortnight, which goes parallel with the festival, and received the Camera D’or at the 69th CFF.
Mimosas, the drama film directed and co-written by Oliver Laxe won the Nespresso Grand Prize award at the Critics Week sections of the 2016 Festival.
Diamond Island, by the French-Cambodian director Davy Chou won the SACD Prize, which is handed out by the French film screenwriters’ guild.
The Doha Film Institute is an independent, cultural organization founded in 2010 by Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. The not-for-profit works to support and back the growth of local film communities and projects by enhancing industry knowledge, cultivating film appreciation and contributing to the development of sustainable creative industries in Qatar.
The institute’s main focus is to build a dynamic film industry in Qatar through education and appreciation. Having their own production unit, the Doha Film Institute collaborates and helps both foreign and regional filmmakers, whether in development or production.
They also have a funding initiative which offers creative and financial support to filmmakers based in Qatar and around the world.
