Cate Blanchett‘s Displacement Film Fund is set to release five short films in partnership with The New Yorker.
Its inaugural slate features films by Mohammad Rasoulof, Shahrbanoo Sadat, Mo Harawe, Maryna Er Gorbach and Hasan Kattan, exploring displacement through stories of identity, belonging and exile.
The acquisition follows the films’ world premieres at the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam.
The films will be released on weekly basis through The New Yorker’s website and its YouTube channel, beginning with Kattan’s documentary “Allies in Exile.”
New York’s Film Forum theater will host screenings of the slate of films on Nov. 11 featuring Blanchett in conversation with a New Yorker editor, alongside Er Gorbach and Harawe.
The curated slate spans fiction and documentary, offering distinct perspectives on displacement, exploring the realities of exile, the loss of home, identity, and the search for belonging.
In a statement, Blanchett said, “With one in 70 people on earth displaced by conflict, war and persecution, and division fueled by toxic narratives, it’s vital that we create opportunities for audiences to connect with experiences beyond their own and build bridges back to our common humanity.” She went on to say, “Powerful, unexpected and intriguing short films by gifted filmmakers — who have experienced displacement — is one way to engage new ways of thinking and start conversations.”
“This vital collection of films felt especially urgent at this moment, exploring the lives of people in the aftermath of conflict through distinctive and creative approaches to storytelling,” Paul Moakley, The New Yorker’s executive producer of video, said. “Together, they embody everything we strive for with our film series: championing bold filmmaking and bringing a diverse array of voices and perspectives from around the globe to The New Yorker’s audiences.”
Clare Stewart, Managing Director IFFR, and Tamara Tatishvili, Head of the Hubert Bals Fund, said: “As Management Partner of DFF we are proud to have supported these filmmakers from idea to completion and to see their work contribute to meaningful dialogue on displacement, belonging and resilience. The New Yorker is an ideal partner to take these films out to a wider audience, an institution that aligns with our commitment to empowering filmmakers who are working in complex and often fragile conditions.”
The Displacement Film Fund has also selected a second cohort of filmmakers, including Mohammed Amer, Annemarie Jacir, Akuol de Mabior, Bao Nguyen and Rithy Panh, continuing its commitment to supporting filmmakers whose work brings the experiences of displaced communities to international audiences.
The second cohort films will have their world premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam in January.
The DFF was established last year and champions the work of displaced filmmakers with a proven track record of telling authentic stories. Each of the five inaugural projects received a €100,000 production grant, providing filmmakers with the resources and creative freedom to approach the subject through their own artistic vision. The films were recently presented at BFI London Film Festival and have upcoming screenings at Sao Paulo International Film Festival (Mostra) and Tokyo International Film Festival.
The fund’s Founding Partners are Master Mind, UNIQLO, Droom en Daad, the Tamer Family Foundation, and Amahoro Coalition, with the SP Lohia Foundation joining as a Major Partner in 2026.
The five films in the inaugural cohort acquired are:
Documentary
“Allies in Exile” (premieres Nov. 9)
Kattan and Fadi Al Halabi chronicle two Syrian journalists whose 14-year friendship has endured war and displacement, only to face new challenges navigating immigration systems and growing anti-refugee hostility.
Scripted
“Rotation”
Er Gorbach (Klondike), the film centers on a young Ukrainian woman undergoing therapeutic hypnosis as she adjusts to military service and the realities of a life transformed by war.
“Sense of Water”
Directed by Rasoulof (“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”), the film follows an Iranian writer living in exile who struggles to find his voice in a foreign language and reconnect with the emotions and memories that once shaped his writing.
“Super Afghan Gym”
Directed by Shahrbanoo Sadat (“No Good Men”), this short takes place inside a Kabul gym, where a group of housewives gather during the only hour reserved for women to exercise, share stories and discuss their lives.
“Whispers of a Burning Scent”
Directed by Mo Harawe (The Village Next to Paradise), the story explores a musician preparing to perform at a wedding while awaiting a court hearing that threatens to expose his private life.