Set up in 2023, Marché du Film’s initiative connects private investors with alluring high-end film projects and today they’ve unveiled the eight lucky filmmakers (a drop from previous years that highlighted ten projects) who’ll get to pitch their upcoming projects. Naturally we find some recent Cannes alumni talent in this group of eight.
We find The Settlers / Chilean filmmaker Felipe Gálvez bringing Impunity – a spy thriller set in the late 1990s around the arrest of dictator Augusto Pinochet. Romanian filmmaker Emanuel Pârvu (his Three Kilometres to the End of the World was a surprise competition entry in 2024 (read review) – he shores up with his fourth feature project. Compartment No. 6 filmmaker Juho Kuosmanen submits what will be his third feature, while Magnus von Horn — whose three features have all premiered on the Croisette, including Competition title The Girl with the Needle (read review) — continues his strong Cannes track record. Look for several of this film projects to launch into production in 2026.
Here are the 2026 Investors Circle Initiative Selected Directors:
Noé Debré (France) – Screenwriter of Dheepan, Palme d’Or winner at the Festival de Cannes, and collaborator of filmmakers, including Jacques Audiard and Romain Gavras. He made his directorial debut in 2024 with A Nice Jewish Boy.
Ismaël El Iraki (Morocco/France) – La Fémis alumnus, where his short films screened at Cannes and Clermont-Ferrand. His debut feature Zanka Contact premiered in Orizzonti at the Venice Film Festival, where its actress Khansa Batma won Best Actress. The film has since toured major international festivals.
Atsuko Hirayanagi (Japan/USA) – Award-winning screenwriter and director based in San Francisco. Her short film Oh Lucy! screened at major festivals including Cannes and Sundance, winning over 35 awards. Her debut feature of the same name premiered at Semaine de la Critique in Cannes.
Emanuel Pârvu (Romania) – Director, screenwriter and actor. His debut feature Meda earned Best Director at Sarajevo, followed by Mikado (San Sebastián). His latest film Three Kilometres to the End of the World premiered in Competition at Cannes, where it won the Queer Palm.
Carine Tardieu (France) – French director and screenwriter known for her nuanced portrayals of intimacy and contemporary family structures. Her films include Ôtez-moi d’un doute (Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes 2017) and The Ties That Bind Us (L’Attachement) (Venice 2024), which won the César for Best Film and Best Adaptation.
Magnus von Horn (Sweden/Poland) – Graduate of the Łódź Film School, his debut The Here After premiered at Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes and won multiple awards. Sweat (2020) screened in the Festival de Cannes’ Official Selection, and The Girl with the Needle (2024) also premiered in Competition, earning major international recognition, including Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations.
