DFI announces 2024 Qumra Masters

Doha Film Institute (DFI) has announced its selection of five internationally renowned film visionaries as Qumra Masters for its tenth annual industry incubator event from March 1–6.Leos Carax, Claire Denis, Atom Egoyan, Martín Hernández, and Jim Sheridan, as 2024 Qumra Masters, will share their directorial expertise with Qumra delegates and registered participants.Carax’s filmography includes notable works such as ‘Mauvais Sang’ (Bad Blood, 1986), ‘Les Amants du Pont Neuf’ (The Lovers on the Bridge, 1991), and the 2012 film ’Holy Motors’, selected for Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Carax's latest feature film ‘Annette’ (2021), a pop-rock melodrama starring Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver, won the award for Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival.Denis’ portfolio of work includes acclaimed films such as ‘US Go Home’ (1994), ‘Nénette et Boni’ (1996), ’Beau Travail’ (1999), ‘Trouble Every Day’ (2001), ‘Vendredi Soir’ (2002) and ’35 Rhums’ (2009). In 2022, her ‘Both Sides of the Blade’ won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and ‘Stars at Noon’, was nominated for the Palme d’Or and awarded the Grand Prize of the Cannes Film Festival.Celebrated for his roles as writer, director and producer, Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter, 1997) has won five top honours at Cannes Film Festival and two Academy Award nominations. One of the driving forces of the Toronto New Wave in cinema, his most recent film, Seven Veils, will have its International Premiere at this year’s Berlin Film Festival. Egoyan has achieved similar acclaim in opera and theatre.Hernández is an internationally revered supervising sound editor and sound designer whose distinguished career has seen him become a two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Sound Editing for ‘Birdman’ (2014) and ‘The Revenant’ (2015), directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu. He is also a Bafta winner for ‘The Revenant’ and has been nominated for ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, ‘Babel’, and ‘Birdman’.Eminent Irish playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer, Sheridan (My Left Foot, 1989; In the Name of the Father, 1993; In America, 2002) has earned six Academy Award nominations and is a pivotal figure in sharing Ireland’s culture with the world. His collaborations with Daniel Day-Lewis in three films, including the Academy Award-winning ‘My Left Foot’, have not only showcased Sheridan’s ability as a director but also played a part in establishing Day-Lewis as, according to Time Magazine, ‘The World’s Greatest Actor’. Sheridan’s versatility as a filmmaker is further highlighted by his work on big-budget studio productions such as ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2005), ‘Brothers’ (2009), and ‘Dream House’ (2011).DFI CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, said: "As the Arab world’s first-of-its-kind talent incubator, Qumra has served as the preeminent platform for emerging talents to give their projects a distinct advantage through invaluable networking sessions with leading industry professionals."Elia Suleiman, artistic advisor at DFI, said: "Our Qumra Masters are bold and visionary filmmakers who have left an indelible imprint in world cinema with unique and innovative approaches to storytelling. Their perspectives on filmmaking will undoubtedly benefit our young filmmakers, and in turn, contribute to a richer body of works by emerging talents in the region and beyond.”