New films by renowned directors Magnus von Horn (The Girl with the Needle), Emmanuel Parve (3 Kilometers to the End of the World) and Felipe Gálvez (The Colonists) are among eight projects to be pitched to a select group of VIP private investors in Cannes as part of the Marché du Film’s investor circle.
Marché du Film’s initiative, which connects private investors with carefully selected high-end film projects, will spotlight eight new films in development, with a particular focus on European talent whose films have premiered and been recognized on the international film festival circuit with budgets ranging from €1 million ($1.1 million) to more than €12 million ($13 million).
Investors Circle will be held on May 16th and 17th at Plage des Palmes.
“This year’s selection reflects a deliberate effort to bring together projects in various stages of development and financing, across a wide range of budgets, genres and narrative approaches,” said Alexandra Zakharchenko, Head of Programs at Investors Circle. “Special attention is being paid to projects that are ready to attract private investment, combining clear market potential and strong creative positioning, including the growing presence of high genre-driven works.”
The 2026 selection process was overseen by Alexandra Zakharchenko, head of the Investor Circle, in collaboration with a committee of industry players that is updated annually. This year’s committee consisted of Céline Dornier (Content Executive, IPR.VC), Jean des Forêts (Founder and CEO, Petit Film), Alice Laffillé (Vice President, International Sales, FilmNation Entertainment), and Anthony Muir (Senior Executive, International Co-Productions, Film i Väst).
2026 Investors Circle Initiative Elected Director
Noë Debray (France) – Debray is the screenwriter of Jacques Audiard’s 2015 Cannes Palme d’Or winner Dheepan. In 2024, he made his directorial debut with “Nice Jewish Boy”.
Ismael El Iraki (Morocco/France) – His debut film Zanca Contact premiered in the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival, where actress Kansa Batma won the Best Actress award.
Felipe Gálvez (Chile) – The Paris-based Chilean filmmaker’s debut film “The Settlers” (“Los Colonos”) premiered in Cannes 2023 in the “Un Certain Regard” section.
Atsuko Hirayanagi (Japan/USA) – Her debut film “Oh Lucy!” premiered at Cannes Critics Week in 2017.
Juho Kuosmanen (Finland) – The Helsinki-based filmmaker’s 2021 feature Compartment No. 6 won the Cannes Grand Prix.
Emmanuel Parvu (Romania) – His latest film 3 Kilometers to the End of the World premiered in competition at Cannes and won the Queer Palm Award.
Carine Tardieu (France) – Her films include Ôtez-moi d’un doute, which was submitted to Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2017, and “The Ties That Bind Us” (“L’Attachement”), which was submitted to Venice Horizons in 2024.
Magnus von Horn (Sweden/Poland) – His The Girl with the Needle premiered in competition at Cannes 2024 and won international awards, including Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.
