Displacement Film Fund

Filmmakers will be selected for the pilot Fund following a two-step process. There will not be an open call.

A longlist of filmmakers will be determined by the Nominations Committee and then the Selection Committee will decide on final recipients with selected filmmakers announced during Cannes Film Festival 2025. The finished projects will have their world premieres at IFFR 2026.

The Nominations Committee includes founding members Cate Blanchett, Isaac Kwaku Fokuo, Echo Quan, Ke Huy Quan, Ayman Tamer and Koji Yanai, together with IFFR’s Clare Stewart and HBF’s Tamara Tatishvili

The Selection Committee will be chaired by Cate Blanchett and includes 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.

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. They 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 co- create breakthrough opportunities for all. They also work in partnership with UNHCR to mobilise multi-sector actors to advance the efforts of the private sector in the displacement space.

The Hubert Bals Fund

The Hubert Bals Fund is the fund of 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 filmmaking and infrastructure is lacking or restrictive. The HBF has to date supported over 1,300 film projects, many of which have premiered at major film festivals and received significant critical acclaim. Recent HBF projects include Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light, Baby by Brazilian filmmaker Marcelo Caetano, Georgian filmmaker Tato Kotetishvili’s Holy Electricity, and To a Land Unknown by Danish-Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel.

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.