{"id":229085,"date":"2026-01-30T15:07:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T14:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iffr.com\/en\/?p=229085"},"modified":"2026-01-30T15:09:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T14:09:16","slug":"blog-hbf-second-round-of-the-displacement-film-fund-at-iffr-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iffr.com\/en\/blog-hbf-second-round-of-the-displacement-film-fund-at-iffr-2026","title":{"rendered":"Cate Blanchett and IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund announce second round of the Displacement Film Fund at IFFR 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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\u2019s Hubert Bals Fund, announced a second round of the Displacement Film Fund (DFF) short film grant scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Bestowing up to five individual production grants of \u20ac100,000, the <\/strong>DFF <\/strong>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.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The purpose of the Fund, launched as a pilot scheme at IFFR 2025, strongly aligns with HBF\u2019s 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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The announcement was made ahead of the World Premieres<\/a> at International Film Festival Rotterdam 2026 of the inaugural films backed by the DFF, directed by Maryna Er Gorbach (Rotation<\/strong>), Mo Harawe (Whispers of a Burning Scent<\/strong>), Hasan Kattan (Allies in Exile<\/strong>), Moahammad Rasoulof (Sense of Water<\/strong>) and Shahrbanoo Sadat (Super Afghan Gym<\/strong>).

During the press conference, Blanchett acknowledged the unique mix of collaborators and thanked the Founding Partners of the pilot scheme \u2013 including Droom en Daad \u2013 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: \u201cHuman 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 \u2013 it\u2019s 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\u2019m excited for audiences to delve into these captivating, surprising and inspiring narratives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clare Stewart, Managing Director IFFR, and Tamara Tatishvili, Head of The Hubert Bals Fund, said: \u201cWith 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\u2019re proud to continue supporting filmmakers in developing work that matters. We\u2019re 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.\u201d

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\u2019s largest gathering dedicated to addressing challenges faced by refugees and their host communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2025, the Selection Committee was chaired by Cate Blanchett and included journalist and documentarian Waad Al Kateab (We Dare to Dream<\/strong>, For Sama<\/strong>), actor, producer and musician Cynthia Erivo (Wicked<\/strong>, Drift<\/strong>), director and screenwriter Agnieszka Holland (Green Border<\/strong>), IFFR Festival Director Vanja Kaludjercic, educator, activist and refugee Aisha Khurram,  filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Flee<\/strong>), and Amin Nawabi [alias], an LGBTQ+ asylum seeker who is Jonas\u2019 inspiration for the story of Flee.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The five inaugural DFF short films will screen at IFFR 2026 in a combined programme at the following times: <\/p>\n\n\n\n