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Applications are currently being accepted for the Doha Film Institute Grants Programme 2026. Interested applicants are encouraged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.
The Doha Film Institute (DFI) Short Film Grants Programme is a dedicated funding initiative designed to support emerging filmmakers at a critical early stage of their careers.The programme focuses on identifying new talent, amplifying fresh cinematic voices, and enabling authentic stories that can connect with audiences across cultures.
Funding is available at different stages of production, depending on the format of the short film.
Narrative Short Films
Development: up to USD 5,000
Production: up to USD 15,000
Post-production: up to USD 10,000
Documentary Short Films
Development: up to USD 5,000
Production: up to USD 12,500
Post-production: up to USD 7,500
Experimental and Essay Films
Development: up to USD 5,000
Production or post-production: up to USD 10,000
To ensure professional standards and fair evaluation, projects must meet specific eligibility requirements.
Eligible Projects Must:
Be between 5 and 30 minutes in total running time
Be a short film in narrative, documentary, or experimental/essay format
Not have premiered before the selection process is finalized
Have a producer attached who is not the director
Be produced through a registered production company
Projects that do not meet these conditions are not eligible for funding consideration.
The programme is designed specifically to support early-stage filmmakers from Qatar and the wider MENA region.
Director Eligibility Requirements:
Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
Be a national of, or have origins in, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region
Be an emerging filmmaker
Have not previously directed a film longer than 30 minutes
Be attached to only one application per grant cycle
Apply for Doha Film Institute Grants Programme
