This year, the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has revealed the chosen recipients of grants from its Hubert Bals Fund (HBF). This fund aids films originating from underdeveloped regions. Out of over 900 applications, 15 feature projects were selected. These projects come from filmmakers hailing from various parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas.
2022’s lineup features the initial HBF-supported endeavor from Tanzania, a satirical movie titled “Last Cow“, directed by Amil Shivij. His previous work, “Tug of War“, was screened in Toronto back in 2021 and represented Tanzania for the Oscars. This year, it has been chosen for the Locarno film festival and will be shown in the Open Doors supplementary program.
This year, among other African projects, we have:
1. “Mwadia”, a drama that blends reality with fantasy, exploring Mozambique’s colonial history and its ongoing traumas, directed by Inadelso Cossa who is known for his documentary work like “The Nights Still Smell of Gunpowder“.
2. “Tears“, the first feature film from Rwandan director Moise Ganza.
3. The debut feature from Senegalese director Mamadou Dia, titled “Coumba“, who previously directed “Nafi’s Father“, a film backed by HBF and won the Golden Leopard at the 2019 Locarno film festival, and was Senegal’s entry for the Oscars.
These are some of the notable projects coming out from Africa this year.
2025 HBF recipients include alumni talent from various parts of the world, such as Farida Baqi from Syria (whose work includes “The Rapture”), Timoteus Anggawan Kusno from Indonesia (“Orphaned Atlas”), Renata Dzhalo from Kazakhstan (“Nobody to See Us”), Amanda Nell Eu from Malaysia (“Lotus Feet”), and Stephanie Ricci from Brazil (“Boca da noite”).
The chosen directors will be awarded individual grants worth €10,000 ($11,760) respectively, to aid in the completion and production of their respective projects as full-length features.
Apart from its standard fund, the HBF introduced two innovative projects this year. In January, along with two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett, the HBF unveiled the Displacement Film Fund. This initiative provides grants of €100,000 ($104,000) each to five filmmakers who have been displaced by war or conflict, enabling them to create unique short films.
As a gamer, I’d rephrase it like this:
In Cannes this year, a panel consisting of renowned figures such as Cynthia Erivo from Wicked, Jonas Poher Rasmussen and Waad Al-Kateab – the minds behind Flee and For Sama documentaries respectively, Agnieszka Holland known for Green Border, Vanja Kaludjercic, director of Rotterdam festival, Aisha Khurram – an activist and refugee, and Amin Nawabi, who inspired Rasmussen’s Oscar-nominated documentary Flee, announced the initial recipients of a fund we’re all excited to support.
In addition, at Cannes, the HBF unveiled a partnership with the top three Brazilian film promotion organizations – Spcine, RioFilme, Projeto Paradiso – introducing HBF+Brazil: Co-development Assistance. This is a three-year program offering seed funding for up to nine fictional films, with each project receiving €10,000 ($11,760). The deadline for submitting projects via IFFR.com is September 15th.
Full list of 2025 Herbert Bals Fund development support projects
Here are the participants for the film competition:
1. Carlos Díaz Lechuga (Amateur), Cuba or Spain
2. Neritan Zinxhiria, Greece or Albania – The Heartbreaking Sound of Animals
3. Stephanie Ricci, Brazil – Night Mouth
4. Mamadou Dia, Senegal – Coumba
5. Xiaoxuan Jiang, Hong Kong or China – Girl with a Camera
6. Suman Mukhopadhyay, India – The Immigrants
7. Amil Shivji, Tanzania or Canada – Last Cow
8. Amanda Nell Eu, Malaysia – Lotus Feet
9. Chris Chong Chan Fui, Malaysia – Motorbike (Moto)
10. Inadelso Cossa, Mozambique – Mwadia
11. Renata Dzhalo, Kazakhstan, France, Moldova – Nobody to Witness Us
12. Timoteus Anggawan Kusno, Indonesia – Orphaned Atlas
13. Farida Baqi, Syria, Lebanon, Germany, Netherlands – The Rapture
14. Moise Ganza, Rwanda – Tears
15. Arya Rothe, India or Italy – Where Shadows Hide (Where Shadows Wait)
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2025-07-24 15:56