{"id":211215,"date":"2021-05-27T14:41:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-27T12:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iffr.com\/en\/?p=211215"},"modified":"2025-10-03T17:41:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T15:41:48","slug":"hbf-announces-first-2021-selection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iffr.com\/en\/hbf-announces-first-2021-selection","title":{"rendered":"HBF announces first 2021 selection"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/a>Seven female and five male directors from countries including Lesotho, Brazil, Thailand and Kazakhstan awarded in funding round \u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) prepares to celebrate its 50th edition in June, its Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) awards ten film projects \u20ac10,000 each for Script and Project Development. Out of 373 applications, a committee of industry experts from across the globe selected ten projects from countries including Lesotho, Brazil, Thailand and Kazakhstan. The selection consists of five female and five male directors, with four of those first time feature filmmakers, three second time, and three at more advanced stages in their careers. In addition, two projects by female directors are the first to receive the new figure of \u20ac75,000 from the Netherlands Film Fund (NFF) as part of the NFF+HBF Co-production Scheme.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marit van den Elshout, head of IFFR Pro: \u201cNo matter what stage you are at in your career, your previous successes, or your future potential, no project is easy to bring to fruition. We have worked extremely hard to spread our support as far as we can take it in this latest selection, across a wide range of projects that demonstrate diversity in their regions, backgrounds and career stages. The increased contribution to projects selected for our co-production scheme with the Netherlands Film Fund recognises our success in inspiring creative collaborations between HBF-supported filmmakers and producers in the Netherlands.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Esther Bannenberg, interim HBF manager: \u201cThis selection round we experienced once more the demand for assistance from the Hubert Bals Fund, which maintains its vital role in supporting filmmakers. Despite tough political and economical situations, the submission of truly meaningful projects persists. We hope that this contribution continues to inspire the development and realisation of such work.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

HBF Script and Project Development<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A\u00a0Script and Project Development<\/a>\u00a0grant provides funding of up to \u20ac10,000 to support a narrative feature film in its early stages, for example in the further development of a script or financing strategy. The former Bright Future and Voices categories have been discontinued to align with IFFR\u2019s wider programme structure, meaning applications in this round from first and second time directors were assessed in tandem with those from more experienced directors.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The selection of ten projects includes the latest by Lesotho\u2019s\u00a0Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese<\/a>,\u00a0The Chattering of Teeth<\/strong>, whose film\u00a0This Is Not a Burial, It\u2019s a Resurrection<\/strong>\u00a0screened at IFFR 2020.\u00a0Natalya Meshchaninova<\/a>\u00a0from Russia receives support for\u00a0My Little Nighttime Secret<\/strong>, after feature selections at IFFR in 2014 and 2019. Filipino filmmaker, alumni of the\u00a0R\u00e9sidence de la Cin\u00e9fondation du Festival de Cannes, and recipient of the Berlinale Silver Bear Jury Prize for Short Film in 2020, Rafael Manuel, is supported for his debut feature\u00a0Patrimonio<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HBF also celebrates a new partnership with\u00a0Projeto Paradiso<\/a>\u00a0which can offer extra support to the two selected projects from Brazil. Director, playwright and actress Grace Pass\u00f4 is supported for her debut feature\u00a0Deaf Love 1500<\/strong>, after she starred in\u00a0Temporada<\/strong>\u00a0by Andr\u00e9 Novais Oliveira which screened at IFFR 2019.\u00a0Maya Da-Rin<\/a>, whose debut\u00a0The Fever<\/strong>\u00a0received an HBF development grant before it screened at IFFR 2020, is awarded support for her second feature titled\u00a0Nightsong<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HBF is also thankful for the engagement of the\u00a0Tiger Film Mecenaat<\/a>\u00a0and the Netherlands Film Fund who make these funding schemes possible.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Script and Project Development full selection:<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n