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30 Jan – 9 Feb 2025

Private donation boosts IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund support

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The Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) is excited to announce that financial backing from a private donor will allow it to expand its support to filmmakers. The donation provides for a further two grants in the 2024 development round, as well as paving the way for big-picture future planning around the HBF’s impact. 

A collage of stills from HBF-supported films
Stills from recent HBF-backed titles: Praia Formosa, Cu Li Never Cries, All We Imagine as Light, Baby

IFFR pays tribute to Susan Weeks, founder and former Board Chair of the US-based Global Film Initiative, for her generous donation and dedication to cross-cultural understanding through film.

“It is now time to celebrate the legacy of the HBF”

“I will always be grateful for the support and guidance we received”, says Susan Weeks as she thanks the HBF for a period of knowledge-sharing following the creation of the Global Film Initiative. “It is now time to celebrate the legacy of the HBF, after its more than 35 years of commitment to supporting filmmakers.”

Tamara Tatishvili, Head of the Hubert Bals Fund, says the donation provides a strong impetus to support the fund’s transition into the future: “This generous support marks an important milestone in our mission to expand partnerships around the HBF and attract new allies who value our work and wish to support our mandate.”

Strengthened support

As well as paving the way for crucial strategic planning, Weeks’s donation allows the fund to strengthen its support to filmmakers through adding two more grants to the HBF’s trademark Development Support scheme for the upcoming round, bringing the total to 12 projects. 

Offering grants of up to €10,000 at a project’s genesis, the scheme is an initial vote of confidence and financial impetus that so often proves a vital first step in a film’s development process. Supported titles often go on to find significant international recognition. 

Make a commitment

Are you considering supporting the HBF and making an impactful commitment? Please contact Barbara de Heer, Chief Funding and Business Growth for possibilities and inquiries through [email protected] to make an appointment.

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