Cate Blanchett’s fund takes five displacement films to The New Yorker

By Daniel Okafor

Cate Blanchett’s Displacement Film Fund will release five short films through The New Yorker, beginning on Nov. 9 with Hasan Kattan’s documentary “Allies in Exile.”

The New Yorker will place one film each week on its website and YouTube channel.

The fund said the acquisition follows the slate’s world premieres (the films’ first public screenings) at the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam; the films recently appeared at the BFI London Film Festival.

The slate resembles a five-part anthology. Its range runs from Syrian exile to a Kabul gym. The fund describes the mixture as distinct perspectives on displacement, exile, loss of home, identity and belonging.

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 added: “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.”

What does the slate cover?

The fund describes the five films as follows:

• “Allies in Exile” — Hasan Kattan, documentary. Kattan and Fadi Al Halabi chronicle two Syrian journalists whose 14-year friendship has endured war and displacement. They now navigate immigration systems and growing anti-refugee hostility. The film premieres Nov. 9 and opens the weekly release.
• “Rotation” — Maryna Er Gorbach, scripted fiction. The short follows a young Ukrainian woman undergoing therapeutic hypnosis as she adjusts to military service and a life transformed by war. Er Gorbach also directed “Klondike.”
• “Sense of Water” — Mohammad Rasoulof, scripted fiction. Rasoulof’s 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. Rasoulof directed “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.”
• “Super Afghan Gym” — Shahrbanoo Sadat, scripted fiction. The short takes place inside a Kabul gym, where housewives gather during the only hour reserved for women. They exercise, share stories and discuss their lives. Sadat directed “No Good Men.”
• “Whispers of a Burning Scent” — Mo Harawe, scripted fiction. The story follows a musician preparing to perform at a wedding while awaiting a court hearing that threatens to expose his private life. Harawe directed “The Village Next to Paradise.”

Where can audiences see the films?

The Displacement Film Fund announced that New York’s Film Forum theater will host a slate screening on Nov. 11, featuring Blanchett in conversation with a New Yorker editor and Er Gorbach and Harawe alongside them.

According to the fund, upcoming screenings are scheduled for the Sao Paulo International Film Festival (Mostra) and the Tokyo International Film Festival.

How is the fund backed?

The Displacement Film Fund was established last year to champion displaced filmmakers with a proven track record of telling authentic stories.

Each of the five inaugural projects received a €100,000 production grant, which the fund says gives filmmakers both the resources and the creative freedom to approach displacement through their own artistic vision.

The fund names Master Mind, UNIQLO, Droom en Daad, the Tamer Family Foundation and the Amahoro Coalition as its Founding Partners. The SP Lohia Foundation is joining as a Major Partner in 2026.

Why does The New Yorker back the release?

Paul Moakley, The New Yorker’s executive producer of video, said: “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.”

He continued: “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.”

They added: “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.”

What comes next?

The Displacement Film Fund has selected a second cohort (a group of filmmakers) comprising Mohammed Amer, Annemarie Jacir, Akuol de Mabior, Bao Nguyen and Rithy Panh.

Their films will have their world premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam in January. The fund says the cohort continues its support for filmmakers whose work brings displaced communities’ experiences to international audiences.

The weekly release turns the festival acquisition into a sustained audience program. The second cohort’s January premieres at Rotterdam will be the next test of the fund’s reach.