As a seasoned gamer with a penchant for the cinematic world, I can’t help but feel a surge of excitement upon reading about this year’s Hubert Bals Fund selections at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. With over 1,150 submissions and a focus on filmmakers from countries where funding and infrastructure are scarce, it’s like navigating the most challenging levels in a game, but with real-world rewards!
12 feature films have been chosen by the Hubert Bals Fund, part of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), for its financial development support program. Each selected project will receive €10,000 ($10,500) in production financing. This selection follows over 1,150 submissions, marking a new record.
Several filmmakers who have previously participated in the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) are among the recipients of funding. One such recipient is Brazilian filmmaker Lillah Hallah, whose film “Levante” won the Youth Jury Award at IFFR 2024. She will receive support for her upcoming project, a dark musical comedy titled “Colhões de Ouro”. Another recipient is Midhun Murali, who received a Tiger Special Jury Award for his film “Kiss Wagon” during the festival. He has secured backing for his new venture, titled “MTV i.e. Mars to Venus”.
Palestinian filmmaker Muayad Alayan, recognized for “The Reports on Sarah and Saleem” and “A House in Jerusalem,” secures financing for his upcoming project titled “Conversation with the Sea“. This movie tells a story of a Palestinian man who is compelled to settle his deceased son’s financial obligations.
As a fervent admirer, I’m thrilled to share that Christopher Murray’s “Giant Stones” will be among the pioneering Chilean fiction films shot on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Meanwhile, Indonesian filmmaker Kamila Andini has secured Hubert Bals funding for her project titled “Four Seasons in Java”. Other intriguing projects in the mix include Una Gunjak’s “How Melissa Blew a Fuse” and Daphne Xu’s “Notes of a Crocodile”. The comprehensive list also includes Darya Zhuk’s “Exactly What It Seems”, Theo Montoya’s “False Positive”, Elene Mikaberidze’s “Taste of the Peach”, and Kasım Ördek’s “Goodbye for Now”.
Tamara Tatishvili, our fund’s leader, pointed out that the chosen directors demonstrate a proactive stance in storytelling, opting to express themselves creatively instead of staying quiet during these difficult times.
The Hubert Bals Fund supports filmmakers hailing from nations that have limited or politically constricted local film financing and infrastructure. It works closely with the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s other industry endeavors, such as its talent nurturing segment and co-production market CineMart.
In the past, the Hubert Bals Fund has supported films such as Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light” and Marcelo Caetano’s “Baby”, both of which won awards at this year’s Cannes Film Festival; Tato Kotetishvili’s “Holy Electricity”, which was honored with the Golden Leopard in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente section at Locarno, highlighting first and second features; and Mahdi Fleifel’s “To a Land Unknown”, which captured the audience’s attention at this year’s Thessaloniki Film Festival.
IFFR’s 54th edition runs Jan. 30-Feb. 9. The festival will unveil its full program on Dec. 17.
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2024-11-19 17:27