Brief
Cate Blanchett’s Displacement Film Fund teams with The New Yorker for short‑film series
The slate, featuring works by five displaced filmmakers, launches with weekly online releases and a Film Forum event on Nov. 11.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Cate Blanchett’s Displacement Film Fund announced a partnership with The New Yorker to release five short films that explore displacement, identity and exile. The films premiered at the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam and will roll out weekly on the magazine’s website and YouTube channel, beginning with Hasan Kattan’s documentary “Allies in Exile.”
What happened
The inaugural slate includes works by Mohammad Rasoulof, Shahrbanoo Sadat, Mo Harawe, Maryna Er Gorbach and Hasan Kattan. Each project received a €100,000 production grant from the Fund, which was founded last year to support displaced filmmakers. The New Yorker will host the first online release, followed by a series of weekly premieres. A live screening of the entire slate is scheduled for Nov. 11 at New York’s Film Forum, where Blanchett will converse with a New Yorker editor alongside Er Gorbach and Harawe.
What the reports add
Variety notes that the films were also shown at the BFI London Film Festival and have upcoming screenings at the São Paulo International Film Festival (Mostra). The outlet adds that a second cohort of filmmakers – Mohammed Amer, Annemarie Jacir, Akuol de Mabior, Bao Nguyen and Rithy Panh – has been selected, with their world premieres slated for the International Film Festival Rotterdam in January.
What was said
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,” as reported by Variety. 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.”
Paul Moakley, executive producer of video at The New Yorker, called the collection “vital” and said it aligns with the magazine’s aim to champion bold filmmaking and diverse global voices. Clare Stewart, Managing Director of IFFR, and Tamara Tatishvili, head of the Hubert Bals Fund, praised the partnership, noting the Fund’s role in supporting filmmakers from idea to completion and the New Yorker’s capacity to reach wider audiences.
How it came about
The Displacement Film Fund was created in 2025 to champion authentic stories from displaced creators. Its first cohort received substantial grants, enabling artistic freedom. The collaboration with The New Yorker follows the Fund’s earlier screenings at major festivals and builds on its strategy of pairing festival premieres with broader digital distribution, a model similar to Felo’s recent coverage of the Amy Goodman documentary release.
Key facts
- The Displacement Film Fund will release five short films weekly on The New Yorker’s website and YouTube, starting with Hasan Kattan’s documentary “Allies in Exile.” (variety.com)
- Each of the five inaugural projects received a €100,000 production grant. (variety.com)
- A live screening of the slate is set for Nov. 11 at New York’s Film Forum, featuring a conversation with Blanchett. (variety.com)
Sources
- [1] variety.com — originally reported as “Cate Blanchett’s Displacement Film Fund Partners With the New Yorker to Release Five Short Films (EXCLUSIVE)”
