Prada Foundation Film Fund Chief Paolo Moretti on First-Year Journey That Helped Spawn Rubaiyat Hossain’s Venice Horizons Entry ‘The Difficult Bride’
Fondazione Prada has confirmed early success for its independent film fund, launched at last year's Venice Film Festival, with the announcement that Bangladeshi director Rubaiyat Hossain's "The Difficult Bride" is competing in the festival's Horizons section after receiving backing from the scheme. The fund, run by former Cannes Directors' Fortnight chief Paolo Moretti alongside programmer Rebecca De Pas, supports independent cinema regardless of theme, genre or language, and its progress matters as a rare example of a well-resourced institution stepping into arthouse film financing at a time when funding for experimental cinema is scarce.
Moretti told Variety the fund received around 1,200 project applications in its first year, prompting the team to expand its pool of readers and collaborators to review submissions thoroughly. It ultimately backed 14 projects rather than the planned 12, after finding that not all applicants had requested the maximum funding available. Supported budgets ranged from a few hundred thousand euros up to five million, reflecting the typical cost range for experimental arthouse films, though Moretti said exceptions could be made for pricier projects that fit the fund's spirit. Winners of the second round of financing will be announced in February, and Moretti said the volume of applications suggests the fund's budget could grow in future.
In short
- Prada's film fund backed Rubaiyat Hossain's Venice Horizons entry "The Difficult Bride"
- Fund received roughly 1,200 applications, ended up supporting 14 projects
- Second funding round winners to be announced in February 2026
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A well-resourced cultural institution can help fill a gap as funding for experimental cinema becomes scarce, giving filmmakers with distinctive projects a chance to make work that might otherwise struggle to find backing. The first year’s 1,200 applications and support for 14 films suggest substantial demand, while the fund’s openness to different themes, genres and languages may broaden opportunities for independent cinema.
The case against
A fund run by a single prominent institution still has limited capacity compared with the number of filmmakers seeking support, so its choices inevitably leave many projects unfunded. Concentrating significant resources in one scheme may also give its decision-makers considerable influence over which work reaches audiences; careful review and a commitment to varied projects matter, but do not remove that concern.
Explained simply
Fondazione Prada, the cultural arm of the fashion house, set up a film fund at last year's Venice Film Festival to help finance independent cinema, an area where money for experimental, non-mainstream films has become increasingly hard to find. It is led by Paolo Moretti, previously head of Cannes' Directors' Fortnight sidebar, working alongside programmer Rebecca De Pas, and the fund backs projects regardless of their theme, genre or language.
One of the films it supported, "The Difficult Bride" by Bangladeshi director Rubaiyat Hossain, has now been selected for the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival, which showcases innovative work from emerging and international filmmakers. This is being seen as an early sign that the fund is achieving what it set out to do.
In its first year the fund drew around 1,200 applications, far more than expected, and ended up financing 14 projects with budgets ranging from a few hundred thousand euros to five million. A second round of funding decisions is due in February, which matters because it will show whether the fund continues to expand its support for independent filmmakers.
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