Cate Blanchett, Shahrbanoo Sadat & Mohammad Rasoulof Bring Displacement Film Fund To Tokyo With Help From ‘Godzilla’ Filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki
Cate Blanchett’s Displacement Film Fund presented its first five short films at the Tokyo Film Festival, with Blanchett and fund directors Shahrbanoo Sadat and Mohammad Rasoulof taking part in a post-screening discussion. The project aims to bring more stories by filmmakers who have experienced displacement to wider audiences, while recognising that displacement does not define their identities or work.
The films were Maryna Er Gorbach’s *Rotation*, Sadat’s *Super Afghan Gym*, Hasan Kattan’s *Allies in Exile*, Mo Harawe’s *Whispers of a Burning Scent* and Rasoulof’s *Sense of Water*. Blanchett said one in 70 people worldwide is displaced and described short films as a space for experimentation; Takashi Yamazaki, the *Godzilla Minus One* filmmaker, praised the selection. Launched in 2025, the fund has a second cohort that includes Mo Amer, Annemarie Jacir, Akuol de Mabior, Rithy Panh and Bao Nguyen.
In short
- The fund’s first five short films screened in Tokyo.
- Cate Blanchett says the project supports displaced filmmakers.
- Takashi Yamazaki praised the films and their selection.
Explained simply
Displacement happens when people have to leave their homes, often because of conflict or danger. Filmmakers who have experienced it can bring personal knowledge to their work, but their stories and creative identities are not limited to that experience.
Cate Blanchett’s Displacement Film Fund supports short films by filmmakers affected by displacement and aims to help their work reach wider audiences. Its directors include Shahrbanoo Sadat and Mohammad Rasoulof, who are also filmmakers; the fund’s first group includes directors from several countries.
Short films can offer filmmakers room to experiment with ideas and styles. Bringing these works to an international festival such as Tokyo’s can introduce audiences to different experiences and perspectives.