EXCLUSIVE: The Palestine Film Institute (PFI) has launched the Palestine Film Fund (PFF) to support Palestinian filmmakers worldwide in creating authentic narratives and taking control of their own images and stories.
The body will present the fund at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday, in an event at its pavilion in the Marché du Film’s International Village. Palestine is represented in Cannes Official Selection this year by Tarzan Nasser and Arab Nasser’s Once Upon A Time In Gaza, which premieres in Un Certain Regard.
The fund will offer grants worth between €5,000 ($5.5k) to €15,000 ($16.7k) to short and feature film projects at various stages of development and production.
All Palestinian filmmakers working in challenging circumstances will be eligible for the fund, regardless of their place of residence or nationality. Priority will be given to directors based in Palestine, in lower income countries, or in regions where discrimination against Palestinian voices restricts access to funding opportunities.
The PFI states the fund’s key objectives as giving Palestinian filmmakers autonomy over their own stories and images; supporting documentary and other cinema told through a Palestinian perspective; creating impact by expanding the reach of Palestinian films to global audiences; advocating for sustainable film production modes and increasing availability of sectoral support to Palestinian filmmakers.
“For more than a century, Palestinians have created powerful images, films, sounds, and narratives documenting our people’s experiences, yet these images have often been silenced, erased, or used against us,” said PFI Executive Board Member Reem Shadid.
The fund’s founding partners are the Amsterdam-based IDFA Bertha Fund (IBF), the Copenhagen-based International Media Support (IMS) and the Beirut-based Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC), with additional support from the International Resource for Impact and Storytelling (IRIS).
“In this most critical time for Palestinian cinema, we are extremely grateful for the incredible collaboration and support of the Fund’s founding partners, said Shadid.
“The Palestine Film Fund represents a critical step toward ensuring Palestinian filmmakers have the resources and support to tell our own stories, shape contemporary narratives, and build a lasting audiovisual archive that reflects our experiences from within.”
Founded in 2001, in the wake of the Rwanda and the Balkans conflicts, IMS works to support local media in places affected by conflict and political transition and has been supporting journalists in Gaza.
“It is more important than ever to support documentaries from Palestine and make sure Palestinian filmmakers have a chance to tell their own stories in a situation that seems to be described by everyone but Palestinians,” said IMS Head of Documentary Rasmus Steen.
“By documenting the current situation, at least we ensure that future generations have access to authentic narratives. Making documentary films is also contributing to the history books. Who knows, one day, we may be able to learn from this history and hopefully do better.”
Focused on supporting creative documentary in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Oceania, the IDFA Bertha Fund has supported a number of Palestinian documentaries since its creation in 1998, including 2025 Oscar-winner No Other Land, Ambulance and 5 Broken Cameras.
“The launch of this fund comes at a critical moment where it is urgent to support the autonomous, critical, and artistic voices of Palestinian filmmakers worldwide,” said IDFA Bertha Fund Executive Director Selin Murat.
“We strongly believe in this mandate and our partners’ shared vision of a vibrant Palestinian filmmaking community firmly connected to the global film landscape, through direct funding and tailored support.”
Beirut-based AFAC is one of the biggest pan-Arab film funds in the world and has backed more than 2,000 projects since its creation in 2007. Recent Palestinian grantees include Lina Soualem’s Bye Bye Tiberias and Annemarie Jacir’s upcoming drama 36.
“We are honored to partner with PFI in launching their fund. Since the inception of AFAC, we have anticipated the emergence of more film funds in the region to enhance support for local filmmakers,” said AFAC Executive Director Rima Mismar.
“After two years of genocide in Gaza and the silencing of Palestinian voices and their supporters worldwide, a fund specifically dedicated to Palestinian filmmakers and focused on nurturing Palestinian stories represents a significant step forward. It is one way to ensure that Palestinian stories are told through cinema. Our ongoing support for the Palestine Film Institute reflects our commitment, and we view this milestone as one of many developments to come.”
The fund builds on PFI’s work since its founding in 2019, which includes organising mentorship programs as well as supporting the exhibition and promotion of Palestinian films to international audiences at film festivals and through its established Palestine Film Platform (PFP). T
The fund continues to actively look for additional partners to join its network of individuals and organisations committed to empowering Palestinian filmmakers.
In a bid to make the fund accessible to a a diverse range of Palestinian voices and perspectives, the fund will have a simple two-stage application process, which submissions accepted in both English and Arabic.
The first call for applications will open in September 2025, with selections to be announced in November 2025. Full application guidelines and criteria will be available on the PFI website.
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