Since its founding in 2010, the DFI has remained one of the critical support planks for regional and international films, supporting as many as 640 films from 70 countries. The air and sea blockade imposed on Qatar since June 2017 prevented some filmmakers from taking full advantage of that largesse – but now that diplomatic relations have been restored with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, those impediments have been lifted. In its most recent Spring Grants cycle that supports first- and second-time filmmakers from around the world, a total of 28 Arab feature, documentary, short film, and TV series projects from MENA received grants, including three from Qatar, and a further 4 from France, India and Mexico.