Oscar-winning actor, producer and UNHCR Global Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett announced Mo Amer, Annemarie Jacir, Akuol de Mabior, Bao Nguyen and Rithy Panh as the second cohort of filmmakers for the Displacement Film Fund short film grant.
The Displacement Film Fund was first initiated at UNHCR’s Global Refugee Forum, the world’s largest gathering dedicated to addressing challenges faced by refugees and their host communities, and was officially established last year. “With one in every 70 people on earth forcibly displaced due to conflict, war, or persecution, the global community is witnessing an unprecedented crisis,” a release announcing the new cohort explains.
Blanchett appeared alongside the quintet of filmmakers during a panel at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday, moderated by IFFR’s managing director, Clare Stewart. Each of the nominated filmmakers will receive a production grant of €100,000 ($116,000), with their completed projects making their world premieres at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2027.
“Our first round of DFF shorts have been met with huge enthusiasm from both the industry and our partners, while challenging expectations about what stories of displacement can look like on screen,” Blanchett said in a statement. “The short form is a fantastic medium for these narratives and the way audiences are connecting with the first five films is extraordinary. I’m heartened by the success of our first cohort and thrilled to be revealing the next group of artists to be supported.”
