Cate Blanchett and IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund Unveil 'Displacement Film Fund' at IFFR 2025
The chosen filmmakers will be announced during the Cannes Film Festival 2025, with the completed projects set to have their world premieres at IFFR 2026.
Cate Blanchett, actor, producer, and global Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, alongside IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund (HBF), has announced the launch of the Displacement Film Fund, a new short film grant initiative aimed at supporting displaced filmmakers. In its pilot phase, the Fund will provide up to five production grants of €100,000 each to filmmakers with a proven track record in authentic storytelling about the experiences of displaced people.
Backed by a coalition of film industry leaders, creators, and philanthropists, the Fund will be formally introduced at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Blanchett will participate in a panel on Saturday, February 1, alongside Koji Yanai, Waad Al-Kateab, Jonas Rasmussen, and Tamara Tatishvili, to discuss the Fund’s aims and the urgency of its mission.
With one in every 67 people on earth forcibly displaced due to conflict, war, or persecution, the global community is witnessing an unprecedented crisis. The Displacement Film Fund aligns with the Hubert Bals Fund's commitment to supporting underrepresented voices, particularly from regions with limited filmmaking infrastructure.
The Fund was first announced at UNHCR’s Global Refugee Forum, where Blanchett and other supporters, including Ke Huy Quan and Echo Quan, collaborated to create the initiative. With over 100 million people displaced worldwide, the Fund aims to provide a lasting legacy of support for filmmakers whose work reflects this urgent global crisis.
A longlist of filmmakers will be selected by the Nominations Committee, and the final recipients will be determined by the Selection Committee. The chosen filmmakers will be announced during the Cannes Film Festival 2025, with the completed projects set to have their world premieres at IFFR 2026.
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