Hubert Bals Fund supports 12 new features with €10,000 grants
The Hubert Bals Fund, a cornerstone of the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s (IFFR) commitment to supporting bold cinematic voices, has selected twelve feature film projects for its 2024 Development Support. Each of the chosen filmmakers will receive €10,000 to advance their works in progress, representing a broad spectrum of countries and styles.
The selection follows a rigorous process that reviewed 1,169 submitted projects. Among the recipients are accomplished filmmakers like Palestinian director Muayad Alayan, Brazilian filmmaker Lillah Halla, and Kenyan filmmaker Angela Wanjiku Wamai. Their projects reflect a shared commitment to tackling urgent societal issues while exploring unique narrative and artistic approaches.
Palestinian filmmaker Muayad Alayan’s Conversation with the Sea tells a deeply personal story of a father navigating grief and justice within the confines of a strained family dynamic. Angela Wanjiku Wamai’s Enkop (The Soil) offers an epic neo-Western set in Kenya’s ranchlands, depicting a woman’s fight to reclaim her agency.
Brazilian filmmaker Lillah Halla, whose Levante won the Youth Jury Award at IFFR 2024, will return with Colhões de Ouro, a dark musical comedy centered on an elderly radical combating hyper-masculinity.
Indonesian filmmaker Kamila Andini’s Four Seasons in Java explores themes of injustice and healing, while Georgian filmmaker Elene Mikaberidze’s Le goût de la pêche delves into geopolitical tensions through the lens of a guesthouse owner.
The selected projects reflect a rich tapestry of storytelling, with genres ranging from sci-fi comedy (Exactly What It Seems by Darya Zhuk) to hybrid docufiction (Notes of a Crocodile by Daphne Xu).
Colombian filmmaker Theo Montoya’s Falso positivo examines the controversial “false positives” killings in Colombia, employing a mix of archival and speculative storytelling. Meanwhile, Christopher Murray’s Piedras gigantes will be one of the first Chilean fiction features shot on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), exploring colonial histories and indigenous resilience.
The awards also recognize bold experiments in genre and form. Indian filmmaker Midhun Murali’s MTV i.e. Mars to Venus blends multiple cinematic styles in a mixed-media fantasy, while Una Gunjak’s road movie How Melissa Blew a Fuse presents a thrilling journey of escape and self-discovery.
Tamara Tatishvili, head of the Hubert Bals Fund, emphasized the role of international collaboration in the selection process. “These filmmakers come from varied contexts but share a unified voice in standing against silence and despair. Their stories exemplify courage and creativity in challenging times,” she said.
The funding was made possible by a generous donation from philanthropist Susan Weeks, enabling the addition of two extra grants in this funding round.
Selected Projects
- Colhões de Ouro / Lillah Halla / Brazil, Germany
- Conversation with the Sea / Muayad Alayan / Palestine
- Enkop (The Soil) / Angela Wanjiku Wamai / Kenya
- Exactly What It Seems / Darya Zhuk / Estonia, Poland
- Falso positivo / Theo Montoya / Colombia, Romania
- Four Seasons in Java / Kamila Andini / Indonesia
- Goodbye for Now / Kasım Ördek / Turkey
- Le goût de la pêche / Elene Mikaberidze / Georgia
- How Melissa Blew a Fuse / Una Gunjak / Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Croatia, Serbia
- MTV i.e. Mars to Venus / Midhun Murali / India
- Notes of a Crocodile / Daphne Xu / Cambodia, China, Canada
- Piedras gigantes / Christopher Murray / Chile