The Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) in the Netherlands has proudly announced the inclusion of Moroccan director Asma El Midir's project among the winners of the HBF+Europe support for 2026. Her film, titled "Don’t Let The Sun Go Up On Me," is being developed in collaboration with production companies from Morocco, France, Norway, Denmark, and Chile, with French company Haut et Court Doc leading the production efforts.
This fund, recognized as the financial arm of the International Rotterdam Film Festival, has also selected seven other cinematic projects from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe for production grants. Each project will receive a grant of €60,000 (approximately $65,000) aimed at fostering co-productions between European production companies and directors from outside the European Union.
The current round of the fund emphasizes projects that bridge personal experiences with social and environmental contexts, featuring European production companies from France, Norway, and Denmark. At the forefront of the selected projects is Asma El Midir's film, which follows the story of Mariam, who strives to honor her sister Fatima Zahra. The latter suffers from a hereditary disease that prevents her from being exposed to sunlight, leading Mariam to create a care community and embark on a journey to the Arctic, where sunlight is scarce for extended periods.
Indonesian director Kamila Andini has also secured support for her new project, continuing her cinematic journey that blends philosophical and social dimensions, following her previous participation in international festivals. From Kosovo, director Kaltrina Krasniqi presents the film "Bleach," which explores the life of a cleaning worker at an advertising agency, highlighting her attempts to forge social connections beyond her economic class. Meanwhile, from the Philippines, director Don Joseph Raphael Iblacan contributes the film "Hum," which tells the story of a young horsewoman capable of imitating animal sounds, as she embarks on a mission to track down an "environmental terrorist." Ethiopian director Biza Hailu Lima introduces the film "The Last Tears Of The Deceased," depicting the journey of a rural priest confronting his past and beliefs. From Brazil, director Maya da Rinh presents "Nightsong," which captures the relationship between a child and an Indigenous woman amid the emergence of a pesticide-resistant plant.
The jury affirmed that the selected projects are distinguished by a clear visual vision and stories that transcend geographical boundaries, showcasing notable female directors such as Asma El Midir, Kamila Andini, and Maya da Rinh. This selection reflects an increasing trend to support Southern cinema and enhance its presence in co-productions with European companies, thereby enabling these projects to access broader financing and distribution networks.
Asma El Midir stands out as one of the prominent emerging cinematic voices in Morocco and North Africa. She gained international recognition with her feature documentary "The Mother of All Lies," which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. "The Mother of All Lies" won the Best Directing award in its category and subsequently garnered several international awards and was nominated to represent Morocco in the Oscars for Best International Feature Film.
The film explores the intersection of personal memory with collective history, as Asma El Midir reconstructs the events of the 1981 "Bread Uprising" in Casablanca using innovative visual approaches, incorporating models, archival materials, and family testimonies to unveil the silence surrounding the past. Critics have hailed the work as a prime example of the renewal of Arab documentary cinema in terms of language and narrative style. El Midir has directed several documentaries and short films that have been showcased at international festivals.
She graduated from the Higher Institute of Audiovisual Arts and Cinema in Rabat and has worked on documentary projects for international channels and platforms before developing her distinct style, which blends autobiography with visual investigation. Her works consistently focus on dismantling individual and collective memory, employing unconventional narrative tools such as reconstructing events through models or playing with the boundaries between documentary and fictional storytelling, positioning her among a new generation of Arab filmmakers who are broadening the horizons of this film genre.
The selection of her new project for support from the Hubert Bals Fund signifies the continuation of her rising international trajectory and her ability to attract European production partners, reflecting a growing interest in cinema emerging from Morocco and the region.
Established in 1988 and named after the founder of the Rotterdam Festival, the Hubert Bals Fund aims to support cinematic projects in countries facing production and financial challenges. The HBF+Europe program encourages European producers to become partners in projects from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
For the 2026 cycle, the program mandates that the project budget does not exceed €1.5 million (approximately $1.6 million), with 50% of the funding secured at the time of application. The application window closed on December 8, 2025, with results announced in March 2026.
The fund’s role extends beyond financing; it connects projects with European production and distribution networks, making it one of the key international platforms for integrating Southern cinema into the global market.
The 82nd Venice International Film Festival will kick off from August 27 to September 6, 2025, amidst a global cinematic landscape oscillating between ethical questions and political fluctuations. The festival will feature broad participation from countries and stars, emphasizing the quality of films without favoritism, with a prominent Arab presence led by Kawther Ben Hania.
Throughout 2025, Al Jazeera Documentary has garnered multiple awards, affirming its impactful presence in the global documentary production arena. Asma El Midir's film "The Others' Sun" won the Atlas Award for post-production, showcasing the fruitful partnership with Al Jazeera Documentary. The film narrates the story of the "Moon Girl" through family archives that depict her poignant human resilience.
As reported by aljazeera.net.
