The Marché du Film’s Investors Circle is set to return for its fourth edition during the Cannes Film Festival and has unveiled the directors behind a curated selection of eight auteur-driven, feature-length projects. The initiative, which connects high-end filmmaking talent with private investors, continues to refine its positioning as a key platform for bridging cinema and private capital.

Scheduled to take place on 16 and 17 May at the Plage des Palmes, the official beachside venue of the Cannes Film Festival and the Marché du Film, the 2026 edition will showcase eight never-before-seen feature projects presented by leading producers and visionary directors in a private, invitation-only setting.

The 2026 line-up highlights a wide spectrum of international cinema, with particular attention paid to European talent, elevated genre-driven works and projects ready to engage private investors. Budgets for the selected films range from €1 million to over €12 million, reflecting diverse scales and narrative ambitions.

The 2026 selection brings together a roster of internationally acclaimed directors. Helsinki-based filmmaker Juho Kuosmanen’s works have been screened and rewarded at Cannes, including The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki (Un Certain Regard) and Compartment No. 6 (Grand Prix, Competition). Based in San Francisco, Atsuko Hirayanagi saw her short film Oh Lucy! get airings at Cannes and Sundance, winning over 35 awards, whereas her debut feature of the same name premiered in the Cannes Critics’ Week. Magnus von Horn premiered his debut feature, The Here After, in the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, and his 2024 film The Girl with the Needle competed in Cannes’ Official Selection, garnering major international recognition. Chilean filmmaker Felipe Gálvez made his debut with The Settlers, which premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2023 and won the FIPRESCI Prize, while his short Rapaz was also selected for the Cannes Critics’ Week.

The selection also includes Carine Tardieu, whose prior features include Just To Be Sure (Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2017) and The Ties That Bind Us (Venice 2024), which scooped the César Awards for Best Film and Best Adaptation. Romanian director, screenwriter and actor Emanuel Pârvu made his mark with Meda, winning Best Director at Sarajevo, and his latest feature, Three Kilometres to the End of the World, competed in Cannes’ Official Selection and received the Queer Palm. Ismaël El Iraki premiered his debut, Zanka Contact, in Venice Orizzonti, earning critical acclaim and a Best Actress Award for Khansa Batma. Finally, Noé Débré, the screenwriter of Dheepan (Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2015), and a regular collaborator with Jacques Audiard and Romain Gavras, made his directorial debut in 2024 with A Good Jewish Boy.

“Following last year’s edition, the Investors Circle has already led to some concrete investment outcomes,” noted Guillaume Esmiol, pointing to projects such as Gentle Monster by Marie Kreutzer and Poeta Chileno by Sebastián Lelio securing investors through the programme. He added that the initiative is now expanding beyond Cannes through year-round activities, including workshops tied to events such as When East Meets West.

According to Aleksandra Zakharchenko, head of the Investors Circle, this year’s selection places particular emphasis on projects at varying stages of development and financing. “The 2026 selection reflects a deliberate effort to bring together projects at different stages of development and financing, spanning a wide range of budgets, genres and narrative approaches. Particular attention has been paid to projects that combine clear market potential with strong creative positioning.”

The programme will unfold over two days, beginning with a series of public-facing industry panels focusing on evolving film-financing models, including the growing role of brands in the ecosystem. The second day will be dedicated to a private, invitation-only session featuring the pitching of the eight selected projects, followed by curated one-on-one meetings between filmmakers and investors.

The 2026 selection was overseen by Zakharchenko in conjunction with a committee comprising Céline Dornier (content executive, IPR.VC), Jean des Forêts (founder and CEO, Petit Film), Alice Laffillé (VP International Sales, FilmNation Entertainment) and Anthony Muir (senior executive, Film i Väst).

Since its launch in 2023, the Investors Circle has positioned itself as a tightly focused and increasingly influential platform for connecting auteur filmmakers with private financing, with the 2026 edition further consolidating its role within the international film financing landscape.

The Investors Circle programme is organised by the Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes with the support of Creative Europe – MEDIA.

Here is the full list of selected directors:

Noé Debré (France)
Ismaël El Iraki (Morocco/France)
Felipe Gálvez (Chile)
Atsuko Hirayanagi (Japan/USA)
Juho Kuosmanen (Finland)
Emanuel Pârvu (Romania)
Carine Tardieu (France)
Magnus von Horn (Sweden/Poland)