Written and directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, film narrates the remarkable life story of Vincent van Gogh through oil paintings, all hand-painted

Strengthening its ongoing commitment to international film production, the Doha Film Institute (DFI) announced its latest co-financing partnership for the world’s first fully painted feature film, Loving Vincent, a cinematic ode to the remarkable life of legendary artist Vincent van Gogh.

DFI and Qatar Museums Chairperson Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani said they are delighted to support Loving Vincent, which she said is truly unique in terms of genre, content, approach and craft.

It brings to life the profound and inspiring story of one of the world’s most accomplished artists, Vincent van Gogh, celebrating his life and works. At DFI, we actively explore opportunities to partner with such ambitious ventures that push the boundaries of film making.’

The film brings the paintings of Vincent van Gogh to life to tell his remarkable story. Loving Vincent will have its world premiere at the 2017 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France, competing in the Festival’s Official Selection for feature films. DFI has been a long-term partner on the project since the early stages of production.   

Loving Vincent is produced by Academy Award winning studios Poland’s BreakThru Films and UK’s Trademark Films. Each of the 65,000 frames of the film is an oil-painting, hand-painted by 125 professional artists who travelled from across the world to the studios of Loving Vincent in Poland and Greece.

The film was first shot as a live action film with actors, who worked either on sets specially constructed to look like Van Gogh paintings or against green screens. The footage from the live action shoot then becomes the reference for painting animators. The final effect is the interaction of the performance of the actors playing Vincent van Gogh’s famous portraits and that of the painting animators, who bring the characters into the medium of paint.

Co-produced by the City of Wroclaw – European Capital of Culture 2016, Odra-Film/The Lower Silesian Film Fund and CeTA, the film is also supported by Silver Reel, RBF Productions, Sevenex Capital Partners, The Polish Film Institute, MEDIA and Unibail-Rodamco.

In addition to co-financing, DFI supports first- and second-time filmmakers from around the world and established filmmakers from the MENA region through its Grants programme. DFI also nurtures national film talent through the Qatari Film Fund dedicated to supporting short and feature films by Qatari filmmakers.

Visit the DFI website for more information.