The fourth edition of the Cannes Investors Circle, a film market initiative that connects private investors to high-end film projects, has unveiled a showcase of eight projects from auteurs for the 79th Cannes Film Festival next month, including new films by Cannes directors. The girl with the needle, The ties that bind us and The settlersAnd also the screenwriter Diban.
“The 2026 edition will highlight eight never-before-seen feature-length projects, presented by leading producers and visionary directors in a special, invitation-only setting for a select group of leading private investors,” organizers said on Tuesday. “This year’s curated lineup reflects the breadth of contemporary international cinema, bringing together distinct directorial voices from a wide range of regions, with a particular focus on European talent. Their work has premiered and been recognized at the world’s leading festivals – covering a wide range of cinematic styles, with budgets ranging from €1.0 million ($1.2 million) to more than €12 million ($13.9 million).”
The titles or working titles of the projects being featured on the Croisette were not immediately disclosed. Cannes Invectors Circle 2026 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17 at Plage des Palmes, the official beachfront venue of the Marché du Film.
“After last year’s edition, the Investors Circle has already led to tangible investment results, with projects, e.g Gentle monster By Mary Kreutzer Poeta chileno “Directed by Sébastien Leliu secures investors through the programme. At the same time, the participating filmmakers are also represented in the selections of the most prestigious festivals. In this new edition, we are improving the selection process and will once again have a very prestigious selection of projects,” said Guillaume Esmeul, CEO of the Film Market.
“We also plan to expand the scope of the initiative beyond Cannes with activities throughout the year, such as our recent workshop in Trieste during East Meets West,” he added.
Alexandra Zakharchenko, Head of the Investors Circle Program, said: “This year’s selection reflects a deliberate effort to bring together projects at different stages of development and financing, covering a wide range of budgets, genres and narrative styles. Particular attention has been paid to projects that are ready to handle private investment, combining clear market potential with a strong creative position, including the growing presence of high-end genre-driven works.”
The 2026 selection process was overseen by Zakharchenko, in collaboration with this year’s panel of industry figures Céline Dornier (Director of Content, IPR.VC), Jean de Foret (Founder and CEO, Petit Film), Alice Lavelli (Vice President, International Sales, FilmNation Entertainment) and Anthony Moir (Senior Executive Director, International Co-productions, Film i Väst).
Check out the directors featured in the 2026 Cannes Investors Circle below:
Noy Debre (France) – screenwriter Dibanwinner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes and collaborator with filmmakers including Jacques Audiard and Romain Gavras. He made his directorial debut in 2024 with Nice Jewish boy.
Ismail El Iraqi (Morocco/France) – He is a graduate of the French film school La Fémis, where his short films were screened at Cannes and Clermont-Ferrand. His first feature Contact Zanka Orizzonte premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where actress Khansa Batma won the Best Actress award. The film has since toured major international festivals.
Felipe Gálvez (Chile) – Chilean director, writer and editor based in Paris. His first feature The settlers (Los colonos) Un Certain Regard premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received the FIPRESCI Prize. His short film rapaz It was also selected for the Critics’ Week in Cannes.
Atsuko Hirayanagi (Japan/USA) – Award-winning screenwriter and director based in San Francisco. Her short film Oh Lucy! It has been shown at major festivals, including Cannes and Sundance, and has won more than 35 awards. Her first film of the same name premiered at Critics’ Week in Cannes.
Juho Kuosmanen (Finland) – Helsinki-based filmmaker, all of whose works have been awarded prizes at Cannes, including The happiest day of Olly Mackie’s life (a certain look) and Cabin No. 6which won the Grand Prix in competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
Emmanuel Parvo (Romania) – director, screenwriter and actor. His first feature Meda He won the Best Director Award in Sarajevo, followed by Mikado (San Sebastian). His latest films, Three kilometers to the end of the worldpremiered in competition at Cannes, where it won the Queer Palm Award.
Karen Tardieu (France) – French director and screenwriter known for her nuanced depiction of intimacy and contemporary family structures. Her films include This is what you do (Directors’ Week, Cannes 2017) and The ties that bind us (Attachment) (Venice 2024), which won the César Award for Best Film and Best Screenplay.
Magnus von Horn (Sweden/Poland) – Lodz Film School graduate, making his feature debut Here next It premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes and won several awards. He sweats (2020) was screened in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival, and The girl with the needle (2024) also premiered in competition, receiving significant international recognition, including Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations.
