Doha, March 23 (QNA) - Doha Film Institute has announced a lineup of 18 projects by Qatari and Qatar-based filmmakers for the 11th edition of Qumra, underlining the remarkable continuing growth of the local film industry. The selection includes innovative narratives spanning features and shorts in various stages of development and production.

The annual talent incubator for Arab and international cinema, Qumra 2025 will be held in-person in Doha from April 4 to 9 and online from April 12 to 14. Qatari projects are among 49 diverse projects by emerging filmmakers from 23 countries at this year's edition.

Qumra offers mentorship, skills development, and network-building opportunities to selected projects by first- and second-time filmmakers. Among the Qumra projects this year from Qatar, nine are by Qatari nationals who present compelling themes spanning multiple genres.

Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: "The strong representation of local projects at Qumra 2025 is a testament to the passion, resilience, and creative strength of our storytellers. It signals the emergence of a truly vibrant film industry that is bold, authentic and ready to make its mark on the world. At DFI, we are honoured to have contributed to this creative movement, providing filmmakers with the support to bring their unique voices to the global stage." Qatar-based projects at Qumra 2025 includes: Development – Feature Narrative: Love 45 (Syria, France, Switzerland, Qatar) by Anas Khalaf is about an overweight Lebanese man who is caught in a destructive spiral, and how he finds the path back towards hope.

The Pearl (Working Title) (Qatar) by Noor Al Nasr is about a tech-obsessed Qatari teen, feeling disconnected from his family, who travels back in time to an era before his beloved technology existed and pearl diving was the main source of income.

In Production – Feature Narrative: Sari & Amira (Qatar) by A.J. Al-Thani follows an outlaw Bedouin bandit couple who, while navigating the unforgiving sands of Wadi Sakheema, discover a mythical relic that holds the key to their survival but also awakens ancient forces that could destroy them and their world.

Work-in-progress– Feature Narrative: Cotton Queen (Sudan, Germany, France, Palestine, Egypt, Qatar) by Suzannah Mirghani is about Nafisa, who was raised on her grandmother's stories of battling British colonisers as she sets out to save the cotton fields from a modern threat.

Work-in-progress- Feature Documentary or Essay: Jodari Meno (Qatar) by Dr. Jamal Rashid Al Khanji is about Jamal, who embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to catch the largest dogtooth tuna, only to discover that what he was really after didn't lie in the depth of the sea but deep inside him.

Development – TV or Web Series: Task Force: Apocalypse! (Palestine, Qatar) by Dana J. Altrach and Anne Sobel is about a hapless environmental task force that accidentally creates climate chaos across their tiny island country.

Development – Short Narratives: Ghafla (Lebanon, Qatar) by Tony El Ghazal is about a precise watchmaker who races against the clock to craft the perfect watch for his only daughter.

Gharbalah (Yemen, Qatar) by Afnan Tag is about longtime housekeeper Sita, who secretly searches through packed belongings to retrieve a treasured keepsake before it's lost forever.

Inside the White Canvas (Qatar) by Amna Al-Binali is about Nora, who struggles to earn her father's approval as her growing curiosity about the forbidden outside world threatens to unravel their fragile bond.

Rumor Has It (Qatar) by Mohammed D. Fakhro follows a Qatari food blogger who subscribes to an AI app that promises to earn him more followers.

Sad Boy: The Movie (Qatar) by N&LS follows a grief-stricken boy as he navigates his pain and haunting memories, embarking on an emotional journey towards healing and self-discovery.

Development – Short Documentary or Essay: Me Are You (Lebanon, Qatar) by Myriam Salloum explores how generational trauma seeps into various aspects of life, manifesting and festering across generations, leading to devastating effects.

Post-Production – Work-in-progress – Short Narratives: Abu Fanoos (Qatar, Morocco) by Amira Abujbara and Horia El Hadad is about an ageing grandfather who seeks to protect his grandson from an eerie presence in the dark.

Light to Ashes (Qatar) by Nadia Al-Khater is about a warrior-poet who is thrust into his past, where he must reckon with the inescapable pull of fate.

Qadha' w Qadar (Qatar) by Maryam Al-Mohammed is about a young woman who defies societal shame and her mother's disapproval to seek a divorce and finally claim her freedom and independence.

Post-Production – Work-in-progress – Short Documentary or Essay: Bel Falastini (Jordan, Qatar) by Obada Jarbi is about a man searching for a home for himself and his family, navigating the complexities of identity, belonging, and the refugee experience.

‘The Sounds of Silence' (Colombia, USA, Qatar) by Sebastian Delascasas, a return to Doha after five years forces a confrontation with memory, language, and loss as a son grapples with his mother's illness and the shifting meaning of home.

Post-Production – Picture Lock – Short Documentary or Essay: Villa 187 (Sudan, Qatar) by Eiman Mirghani documents her family's house and the memories that made it a home for over 30 years.

The talents will attend masterclasses and mentorship sessions by this year's Qumra Masters Lav Diaz, Darius Khondji, Walter Salles, Anna Terrazas and Johnnie To. Over 200 industry experts will also advise projects on storytelling, filmmaking, directing, editing, cinematography and sound, focusing on the specific needs of each project. (QNA)