The International Emerging Film Talent Fund

🏆 The 10th Critics Awards for Arab Films at Marché du Film ✨ Arab Cinema Center celebrated the winners of the landmark 10th edition of the Critics Awards for Arab Films, bringing together filmmakers, critics, and industry professionals in a special celebration honoring outstanding achievements in Arab cinema. 🎬🌍 A special celebration honoring the voices and achievements shaping Arab cinema today ✨ #ArabCinemaCenter #ACC #CriticsAwardsforArabFilms #Cannes2026 #MDF26

“Lastly, on May 15 at the Hotel Canopy, the organizers will present the second edition of “The African and Diasporic Audience Development Think Tank.” Initiated by Yetu (Un)limited in 2025, the traveling think tank combines market research with the co-creation of audience design methodologies for African cinema. Its pilot edition, which was held in Salvador, Brazil, in partnership with the Mostra de Cinemas Africanos, generated case studies, qualitative audience design frameworks and the first edition of an ongoing publication. The Cannes session, presented with the support of IEFTF, will showcase the Brazil pilot findings and set the strategic framework for a dedicated support platform to grow revenue-generating audiences for African cinema globally.” ▪️Read more in Variety: https://bit.ly/3PBrbnC (Link in bio) 🗓️ Friday, May 15 | 10:00–12:00 📍Canopy Hotel by Hilton, Cannes ▪️ Learn more about @thenomadicfilmspace : https://www.thenomadicfilm.space @marchedufilm @festivaldecannes #IEFTF #MDF26 #MarcheDuFilm #TheNomadicFilmSpace

📣 We are overjoyed to be announcing the first-ever Doc Day Party at this year’s #CannesDocs edition! 🎉 The festive gathering will take place on the Croisette and close out #DocDay 2026 in style, with a DJ set by @palomacolombe . This event is made possible thanks to the extremely precious support of: 🔹 American Documentary 2026 (@amdocdocumentary ) 🔹 IEFTF - The International Emerging Film Talent Fund (@ieftf_org ) 🔹 Millennium Docs Against Gravity (@millenniumdocsagainstgravity ) & FIPRESCI (@fipresci ), in celebration of the brand-new DOCUMENTARY GRAND PRIX for the best documentary film of the year, to be announced during the Opening Ceremony of the 23 Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival in Warsaw, Poland on 7 May A huge heartfelt THANK YOU to all of these extraordinary supporters for turning this long-awaited Doc Day Party fantasy into reality! 📌 Please note that the Doc Day Party is an exclusive event, strictly accessible by invitation only. — #MDF26 #MarcheDuFilm #Cannes2026 #DocDayParty #DocumentaryGrandPrix

IEFTF Awards at Cannes Docs 🎬 #ACCPartner International Emerging Film Talent Fund @ieftf_org presents a €10,000 cash prize along with project follow-up support at @cannes.docs , backing the next wave of emerging voices in documentary filmmaking. #ArabCinemaCenter #ACC #CannesDocs #MarcheDuFilm #SupportArabCinema

IEFTF has just returned from Rotterdam after a successful first edition of the Safe Harbour programme, launched in collaboration with the International Film Festival Rotterdam @iffr . Over two days of workshops, panels and networking, followed by three days of one-to-one meetings at the IFFR CineMart, participants connected, shared ideas and developed their projects in a truly inspiring setting. Huge congratulations to Noura Adil (Sudan), winner of the New Impulse Award — made possible thanks to the generosity of a private donor. The award (€2,500) supports one of the newly presented Safe Harbour projects. Learn more about the Safe Harbour programme and its participants: https://bit.ly/4ao5RIM #IEFTF #IFFR #filmmakers

We are pleased to announce the @torinofilmlab Meeting Event IEFTA AWARD – granted by the International Emerging Film Talent Association @iefta_org – consisting of a €3,000 contribution intended for directors from emerging territories, was awarded to the ScriptLab project Hold Me (If You Want) by Mounia Akl (Lebanon). Congratulations to @mounia.akl ! 🎞️HOLD ME (IF YOU WANT) by Mounia Akl (Lebanon) – ScriptLab Lebanon 2025. A bride spirals into madness, seeking love and sanity in a world that lost both. The TFL Meeting Event – a co-production market that for 18 years has made Turin a crossroads for audiovisual industry professionals – marks the conclusion of a year-long advanced training programme organised by TorinoFilmLab – Museo Nazionale del Cinema and made possible thanks to 41 international partners. Throughout 2025, 113 writers, directors and producers worked on the development of 48 projects – 39 feature films and 9 TV series – supported by TFL tutors, and in recent days they presented their ideas in Turin before an audience of industry professionals. #IEFTA #TorinoFilmLab #TFLMeetingEvent2025

On the way to @jihlava_idff ! Looking forward to connecting with fellow filmmakers, industry professionals, and stories that need to be told. More to come! ▪️Find information at ji-hlava.com #filmmakers #documentary

Congratulations to IEFTA alum @zahraa.ghandour and her film FLANA being showcased at this year’s 50th Toronto International Film Festival @tiff_net for its world premiere! IEFTA selected Zahraa Ghandour for the IEFTA Global Film Expression Initiative Awards at the 2021 El Gouna Film Festival, CineGouna springboard platform and have since been mentoring and supporting Zahraa. Zahraa Ghandour’s debut chronicles the unexplained disappearances of Iraqi women. Ever since the fateful day her 10-year-old friend and neighbour Nour went missing, Ghandour has been looking for answers. Focusing on the concept of “flana,” an Iraqi term for forgotten or anonymous women, Ghandour links past and present, connecting with her elders and peers while attempting to find her childhood playmate in the context of disappearances that still happen on a weekly basis. Showtimes: ▪️Tuesday, September 9 | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto | 3:25 PM ▪️Wednesday, September 10 | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto | 6:00 PM #IEFTA #TIFF #filmmakers

We’re proud to highlight the impactful presence of our #ACCPartners at this year’s @durbanfilmmart , where bold voices and industry leaders are driving meaningful conversations and collaborations. 🔹 Jeanne Deny (Director of Sales & Acquisitions, #MADWorld) • Panel: Exhibitors & Distributors – Who Is Building a Home for Global South Content? • Panel: Durban Does Docs – Impact-Driven Distribution for African Documentaries 🔹 @marcoorsini (President, @iefta_org ) • Masterclass: NOW WHAT?! A Case Study on ‘God’s Work’ – A Post Production Journey (with Sithabile Mkhize) 🔹 @dorabouchoucha (Founder & Manager, Nomadis Images) • In Conversation with Dora Bouchoucha 🎙️ Moderator: Mitchell Harper 🔹 @hannaatallah (Founder & Artistic Director, @filmlabpalestine ) 🔹 @jabalymohamed (Executive Board Member, @palfilminstitute ) • Panel: Working Together as the Network of Arab Alternative Screens (NAAS) Congratulations to all our ACC Partners for their contributions in fostering collaboration, sharing knowledge, and shaping the global cinema landscape. 🌟🎥 #ACC #ArabCinemaCenter #DurbanFilmMart #DFM2025 #SupportArabCinema

⋆˙⟡ ⋆˙⟡ still not over this past week at @durbanfilmmart as a part of @talentsdurban ⋆˙⟡ ⋆˙⟡ incredibly grateful to have been able to meet + reconnect w/ so many incredible people; and be in such an empowering space that TRULY centers African + Global South cinema ♡ even more special was getting to officially start the journey of my original series concept • guess what • over there; pitching it in front of a room full of people for the first time!!!! a huge thank you to @iefta_org for making this happen!!!! can’t wait to be back ♡

Congratulations to the team behind “You Don’t Die Two Times” (Algeria, Tunisia, Germany, France) – Directed by Ager Oueslati and produced by Raouf Oueslati, Thomas Kaske & Dhia Jerbi! “You Don’t Die Two Times” won the IEFTA €6000 cash award for an Arab project in post-production at the @ammanfilm International Film Festival Industry Days awards ceremony. Thank you to Marion Schmidt, @documentaryassociationeurope for presenting the award on behalf of IEFTA. #IEFTA #AIFF25 #filmmakers

Deadline for applications for the @closeupinitiative Rough Cut Program is Sunday, July 29, 2025 at 23:59 CET! Expanded access: Open to Close Up alumni & filmmakers across Southwest Asia & North Africa (SWANA)! This exclusive program is designed for filmmakers who have reached the rough-cut stage with their projects. As Close Up continues to foster creative documentary storytelling across Southwest Asia and North Africa, this program aims to help participating filmmakers refine and complete their films in a way that truly honors their creative vision and storytelling goals. ▪️ The selected team will receive: * 3 intensive workshops with top industry professionals * Complete coverage of tuition fees * Round-trip airfare to workshop locations * Accommodation and meals during all workshops * Ongoing mentorship throughout the entire program * Guidance from renowned international editors and mentors * In-depth creative feedback on rough cuts with concrete improvement goals * Access to the prestigious Close Up network of international industry funders * Participation in a professional pitching forum attended by global decision-makers ▪️Workshop Schedule: December 2025 | March 2026 | June 2026 ▪️ Who’s eligible? * Close Up alumni with rough cut projects * Filmmakers from SWANA with rough cut projects * Films not released before June 2026 ▪️APPLY NOW: linktr.ee/closeuplinks #filmmakers #documentary #documentaryfilm