Doha: Doha Film Festival of Doha Film Institute's (DFI) announced a compelling selection of international shorts in competition representing diverse voices by emerging filmmakers from across the world. According to Qatar News Agency, DFI said in a statement: "The selection highlights Doha Film Institute's (DFI) ongoing commitment to recognising fresh promising new global talent and authentic storytelling. The films will compete for Best Film (USD 20,000), Best Director (USD 12,000) and Best Performance (USD 7,000), awarded by a three-member jury led by industry professional Eddie Bertozzi and includes filmmakers Faris Alrjoob and Zoljargal Purevdash." Festival Director and CEO of DFI Fatma Hassan Alremaihi said: "The record number of over 1,600 submissions from every corner of the world reflects not only the strength of the festival's platform but also the universal belief in cinema as a bridge between cultures. Short films carry the pulse of our times, bold, immediate, and deeply connected to the world aro und them." "Our selection represents an exciting range of geographic diversity and an exceptional breadth of narratives-presenting the many sides of humanity, their aspirations, and fearless creative innovation, reminding us that great storytelling knows no borders," she added. Stories from Lebanon, Portugal, Morocco, India, Brazil, and beyond navigate grief, memory, and the human spirit of resilience through tales of persecution, belonging, and the endurance of hope. The programme presents a globally diverse slate, sharing intimate personal stories with honest social candour and includes a poignant first-ever short film from East Greenland and the Palme D'or winner I'm Glad You're Dead Now among many others. Highlights include Adieu Ugarit (Canada), set in war-torn Damascus; All This Death (Lebanon/Germany/Poland/Qatar), about a man obsessed with funerals; and Antigone (Portugal), a COVID-era tale of loss. Stories span from Iraq's marshlands in Beneath Which Rivers Flow to surreal introspection in South Korea's Glasses. Other notable films include I'm Glad You're Dead Now (Palestine/France/Greece), Les Dieux (Switzerland), L'Mina (Morocco), and Lost Songs of Sundari (India). The lineup also features courtroom surrealism in Loynes (Belgium/France/UK), twin reflections in My Brother, My Brother (Egypt/France/Germany), and haunting mystery in No One Knows I Disappeared (China). From Pasta Negra (Colombia) to Primary Education (Cuba/Spain), Samba Infinito (Brazil), and The Spectacle (Hungary), the films explore grief, resilience, and identity. Rounding out the selection are The Thief (Greenland), Upon Sunrise (Croatia), Voices from the Abyss (Mexico), and Zizou (Egypt/Qatar/France), a moving story of a bullied boy chasing his football dream. The festival will transform iconic locations across Doha, including Katara Cultural Village, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and the Museum of Islamic Art, into vibrant hubs of cultural exchange, bringing together filmmakers, storytellers, and audiences from every corner of the g lobe, to reaffirm art's power to inspire, to unite, and to spotlight voices that deepen our shared understanding.