Cate Blanchett and IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund announce second round of the Displacement Film Fund at IFFR 2026
Speaking from an International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) press conference at Fenix in Rotterdam today, Cate Blanchett, actor, producer and global Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with the IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund, announced a second round of the Displacement Film Fund (DFF) short film grant scheme.
Bestowing up to five individual production grants of €100,000, the DFF was established to champion and fund the work of displaced filmmakers, or filmmakers with a proven track record in creating authentic storytelling on the experiences of displaced people, and to bring these stories to a wider audience.
The purpose of the Fund, launched as a pilot scheme at IFFR 2025, strongly aligns with HBF’s history of supporting underrepresented voices, especially with filmmakers from countries where local filming and infrastructure is lacking or restrictive. The shared ambition is that the pilot project develops into a longer-term legacy.
The announcement was made ahead of the World Premieres at International Film Festival Rotterdam 2026 of the inaugural films backed by the DFF, directed by Maryna Er Gorbach (Rotation), Mo Harawe (Whispers of a Burning Scent), Hasan Kattan (Allies in Exile), Moahammad Rasoulof (Sense of Water) and Shahrbanoo Sadat (Super Afghan Gym).
During the press conference, Blanchett acknowledged the unique mix of collaborators and thanked the Founding Partners of the pilot scheme – including Droom en Daad – whose financial backing enabled these productions. She welcomed a new Major Partner in Aarti Lohia and the SP Lohia Foundation, who pledged their support for DFF following the success of the pilot year.
Cate Blanchett, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, said: “Human displacement is one of the biggest challenges facing us as a species. While we wait for political solutions we risk sidelining the stories and perspectives of displaced individuals from our slates and our screens. So much opportunity lost! So – it’s a joy to announce that we are progressing to a second cycle of the Displacement Film Fund. Our supporters are committed and filmmakers are eager to engage with the program. I’m excited for audiences to delve into these captivating, surprising and inspiring narratives.”
Clare Stewart, Managing Director IFFR, and Tamara Tatishvili, Head of The Hubert Bals Fund, said: “With the launch of the second edition of the Displacement Film Fund, we continue a commitment deeply rooted in the history of the Hubert Bals Fund: to stand with filmmakers working under conditions of uncertainty and transition. Managing the Displacement Film Fund speaks directly to this vision, and we’re proud to continue supporting filmmakers in developing work that matters. We’re also grateful to again have the deeply valuable support of each of the DFF partners and to be welcoming SP Lohia Foundation into the fold, so together we can meaningfully respond to the growing global crisis of displacement.”
With one in every 70 people on earth forcibly displaced due to conflict, war, or persecution, the global community is witnessing an unprecedented crisis. 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.
Filmmakers will be selected for the 2026 Fund following a two-step process developed during the pilot year. A longlist of filmmakers will be determined by a Nominations Committee and a Selection Committee will decide on final recipients, with selected filmmakers announced ahead of Cannes Film Festival 2026. The finished projects will have their World Premieres at IFFR 2027.
In 2025, the Selection Committee was chaired by Cate Blanchett and included journalist and documentarian Waad Al Kateab (We Dare to Dream, For Sama), actor, producer and musician Cynthia Erivo (Wicked, Drift), director and screenwriter Agnieszka Holland (Green Border), IFFR Festival Director Vanja Kaludjercic, educator, activist and refugee Aisha Khurram, filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Flee), and Amin Nawabi [alias], an LGBTQ+ asylum seeker who is Jonas’ inspiration for the story of Flee.
The five inaugural DFF short films will screen at IFFR 2026 in a combined programme at the following times:
- Friday 30th January: 17.00 at Oude Luxor
- Sunday 1 February: 10.00 at de Doelen Jurriaanse Zaal
- Friday 6 February: 15.00 at de Doelen Jurriaanse Zaal
-
Partners
Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett is an internationally acclaimed actor, producer, humanitarian and advocate for climate solutions. She is a Global Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and is a member of the Earthshot Prize Council.
Blanchett has won numerous awards including two Academy Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and three Screen Actors Guild awards.
She is the Co-Founder and Principal of production company Dirty Films, (alongside partners Andrew Upton and Coco Francini).
Blanchett has presided over festival juries in Cannes, Venice and Poland’s Camerimage. She holds a BFI Fellowship from the BFI London Film Festival, has received the Stanley Kubrick Award for Excellence in Film. Numerous other accolades include the Honorary Cesar, International Goya, ACCTA, Chaplin and Donostia Awards. She has been appointed Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France, and named a Companion of the Order of Australia.
Founding Partners
Koji Yanai / MASTER MIND
Koji Yanai is a Director of the Board of the Fast Retailing Group. He oversees sustainability communications for the Group as well as UNIQLO global marketing. In his personal capacity he is a film producer and founded MASTER MIND Ltd which as part of its social impact activities conceived THE TOKYO TOILET project, out of which Koji produced the Oscar nominated film PERFECT DAYS directed by Wim Wenders.
About UNIQLO and Fast Retailing
UNIQLO is a brand of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., one of the world’s largest apparel retail companies. UNIQLO has a long-standing commitment to supporting forcibly displaced people. It began working with UNHCR in 2006, providing clothing assistance for refugees and displaced persons around the world, and making support for refugees one of the key components of its sustainability program. In 2011, UNIQLO became the first company based in Asia to enter into a global partnership with the UNHCR. Along with sending used clothing items collected through its product recycling initiative to refugee camps, UNIQLO provides a wide range of assistance, including refugee self-reliance programs, employing refugees in UNIQLO stores, and conducting refugee awareness campaigns.
Droom en Daad
The Droom en Daad foundation was founded in 2016. It is helping redefine Rotterdam for the 21st century – developing new kinds of arts and culture institutions and fostering new creative talent that reflects the city’s diversity, its spirit and its history.
The Tamer Family Foundation
The Tamer Family Foundation is a Swiss Charitable Foundation established in 2016 by members of the Tamer Family to support charitable works globally by offering donations for Medical assistance, Child Welfare, Food assistance, Education sponsorships, Culture & Art, Environment, and Global Emergencies. It regularly enters into agreements with different NGOs and other Foundations, such as UNHCR, WHO, King Hussein Cancer
Foundation, Christie’s Art Exhibitions, etc. offering charitable donations to support individuals and societies affected by war, famine, earthquakes, and other emergencies.
Amahoro Coalition
Established in 2019, Amahoro Coalition is the leading convener of African private sector leaders for social impact. We provide tailored solutions to the private sector, enabling them to tap into the African demographic dividend, including in vulnerable settings like displaced communities. The coalition also works closely with young leaders, including those in displaced communities, through strategic connections with the private sector to cocreate breakthrough opportunities for all. We are committed to our continued partnership with the UNHCR to mobilize multi-sector actors to advance the efforts of the private sector in the displacement space. https://amahorocoalition.com/
Major Partner
Aarti Lohia and the SP Lohia Foundation
Aarti Lohia is Chair of the London-based SP Lohia Foundation, founded in 2021 to support high-impact charitable initiatives internationally. One of the pioneering Indian family foundations based outside India, the Foundation is distinguished by its support of chess and film as powerful instruments for social change. Its work advances education, social empowerment, and access to opportunity through culture- and sport-led initiatives, including a recent documentary short exploring chess within the U.S. prison system. Aarti Lohia serves on the Advisory Board of the UK for UNHCR, a role that informs her commitment to displacement and human dignity. Through the SP Lohia Foundation, she supports long-term, values-driven projects that combine cultural expression with measurable social impact.Management Partner
About The Hubert Bals
The Hubert Bals is an Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), established in 1988, which supports groundbreaking film projects in every stage of the production process. The HBF has a special focus on filmmakers from countries where local film ing and infrastructure is lacking or restrictive. The HBF’s to date has supported over 1,100 film projects, many of which have premiered at major film festivals and received significant critical acclaim. Recent HBF projects include Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light, Baby by Marcelo Caetano, Tato Kotetishvili’s Holy Electricity, and To a Land Unknown by Mahdi Fleifel.
About IFFR (International Film Festival Rotterdam)
International Film Festival Rotterdam’s (IFFR) upcoming 55th edition of the festival takes place from 29 January – 8 February 2026. IFFR presents a leading international film festival and year-round programme and actively supports new and adventurous filmmaking talent through its co-production market CineMart, its Hubert Bals , Rotterdam Lab and other industry activities.
IFFR seeks to expand, enrich and challenge people’s views of the world and each other through film and audiovisual arts. IFFR’s programme deepens appreciation of cinema in all its forms, broadens and diversifies audiences, and creates opportunities for independent filmmakers and artists from around the globe.
IFFR is grateful to Houthoff for additional support on this initiative.
Strategic Partner
About UNHCR: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is the global leader in protecting people forced to flee due to conflict and persecution. The organisation provides life-saving assistance, safeguards fundamental human rights, and works to find lasting solutions so refugees and displaced people can rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
About the Global Refugee Forum: The Displacement Film Fund was initiated at UNHCR’s Global Refugee Forum, the largest international gathering dedicated to addressing challenges faced by refugees and their host communities. Convened every four years, the Forum brings together UN Member States, private sector leaders, and civil society to find innovative solutions for displaced populations.
