EXCLUSIVE: The Palestine Movie Institute (PFI) has launched the Palestine Movie Fund (PFF) to assist Palestinian filmmakers worldwide in creating genuine narratives and taking management of their very own photos and tales.
The physique introduced the fund on the Cannes Movie Competition on Monday, the place it has a pavilion within the Marché du Movie’s Worldwide Village. Palestine is represented in Cannes Official Choice this 12 months by Tarzan Nasser and Arab Nasser’s As soon as Upon A Time In Gaza, which premieres in Un Sure Regard.
The fund will supply grants value between €5,000 ($5.5k) to €15,000 ($16.7k) to brief and have movie initiatives at varied levels of improvement and manufacturing.
All Palestinian filmmakers working in difficult circumstances shall be eligible for the fund, no matter their place of residence or nationality. Precedence shall be given to administrators based mostly in Palestine, in decrease revenue nations, or in areas the place discrimination in opposition to Palestinian voices restricts entry to funding alternatives.
The PFI states the fund’s key goals as giving Palestinian filmmakers autonomy over their very own tales and pictures; supporting documentary and different cinema advised via a Palestinian perspective; creating impression by increasing the attain of Palestinian movies to world audiences; advocating for sustainable movie manufacturing modes and growing availability of sectoral assist to Palestinian filmmakers.
“For greater than a century, Palestinians have created highly effective photos, movies, sounds, and narratives documenting our folks’s experiences, but these photos have typically been silenced, erased, or used in opposition to us,” stated PFI Govt Board Member Reem Shadid.
The fund’s founding companions are the Amsterdam-based IDFA Bertha Fund (IBF), the Copenhagen-based Worldwide Media Help (IMS) and the Beirut-based Arab Fund for Arts and Tradition (AFAC), with extra assist from the Worldwide Useful resource for Influence and Storytelling (IRIS).
“On this most crucial time for Palestinian cinema, we’re extraordinarily grateful for the unimaginable collaboration and assist of the Fund’s founding companions, stated Shadid.
“The Palestine Movie Fund represents a crucial step towards guaranteeing Palestinian filmmakers have the assets and assist to inform our personal tales, form up to date narratives, and construct an enduring audiovisual archive that displays our experiences from inside.”
Based in 2001, within the wake of the Rwanda and the Balkans conflicts, IMS works to assist native media in locations affected by battle and political transition and has been supporting journalists in Gaza.
“It’s extra vital than ever to assist documentaries from Palestine and ensure Palestinian filmmakers have an opportunity to inform their very own tales in a scenario that appears to be described by everybody however Palestinians,” stated IMS Head of Documentary Rasmus Steen.
“By documenting the present scenario, no less than we make sure that future generations have entry to genuine narratives. Making documentary movies can also be contributing to the historical past books. Who is aware of, at some point, we might be able to be taught from this historical past and hopefully do higher.”
Targeted on supporting artistic documentary in Africa, Asia, Japanese Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Oceania, the IDFA Bertha Fund has supported numerous Palestinian documentaries since its creation in 1998, together with 2025 Oscar-winner No Different Land, Ambulance and 5 Damaged Cameras.
“The launch of this fund comes at a crucial second the place it’s pressing to assist the autonomous, crucial, and inventive voices of Palestinian filmmakers worldwide,” stated IDFA Bertha Fund Govt Director Selin Murat.
“We strongly imagine on this mandate and our companions’ shared imaginative and prescient of a vibrant Palestinian filmmaking neighborhood firmly related to the worldwide movie panorama, via direct funding and tailor-made assist.”
Beirut-based AFAC is likely one of the largest pan-Arab movie funds on the earth and has backed greater than 2,000 initiatives since its creation in 2007. Current Palestinian grantees embody Lina Soualem’s Bye Bye Tiberias and Annemarie Jacir’s upcoming drama 36.
“We’re honored to companion with PFI in launching their fund. Because the inception of AFAC, we have now anticipated the emergence of extra movie funds within the area to boost assist for native filmmakers,” stated AFAC Govt Director Rima Mismar.
“After two years of genocide in Gaza and the silencing of Palestinian voices and their supporters worldwide, a fund particularly devoted to Palestinian filmmakers and targeted on nurturing Palestinian tales represents a major step ahead. It’s a technique to make sure that Palestinian tales are advised via cinema. Our ongoing assist for the Palestine Movie Institute displays our dedication, and we view this milestone as one among many developments to return.”
The fund builds on PFI’s work since its founding in 2019, which incorporates organising mentorship applications in addition to supporting the exhibition and promotion of Palestinian movies to worldwide audiences at movie festivals and thru its established Palestine Movie Platform (PFP). T
The fund continues to actively search for extra companions to affix its community of people and organisations dedicated to empowering Palestinian filmmakers.
In a bid to make the fund accessible to a a various vary of Palestinian voices and views, the fund may have a easy two-stage utility course of, which submissions accepted in each English and Arabic.
The primary name for functions will open in September 2025, with alternatives to be introduced in November 2025. Full utility tips and standards shall be accessible on the PFI web site.
