Magnus Von Horn, Emanuel Pârvu, Felipe Gálvez, Carine Tardieu to Pitch Projects at Cannes’ Investors Circle

New works from prominent directors Magnus Von Horn (“The Girl with the Needle”), Emanuel Pârvu (“Three Kilometres to the End of the World”) and Felipe Gálvez (“The Settlers”), are among the eight projects set to be pitched to a select group of VIP private investors in Cannes as part of the Marche du Film’s Investors Circle.

The Marché du Film’s initiative that connects private investors with a curated selection of high-end film projects will spotlight eight fresh features in development with a particular focus on European talents whose works have premiered and been recognized on the international festival circuit with budgets ranging from €1 million ($1.1 million) to over €12 million ($13 million).

The Investors Circle will take place on May 16 and 17 at the Plage des Palmes.

“This year’s 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,” said Alexandra Zakharchenko, head of the Investors Circle program. “Particular attention has been given to projects that are ready to engage with private investment, combining clear market potential with strong creative positioning, including a growing presence of elevated genre-driven works.”

The 2026 selection process was overseen by the Head of Investors Circle, Alexandra Zakharchenko, in collaboration with an annually renewed committee of industry figures. This year’s committee comprised Céline Dornier (Content Executive, IPR.VC), Jean des Forêts (Founder & CEO, Petit Film), Alice Laffillé (Vice President of International Sales, FilmNation Entertainment) and Anthony Muir (Senior Executive for International Co-Productions, Film i Väst).

2026 Investors Circle Initiative Selected Directors

Noé Debré (France) – Debré is the screenwriter of Jacques Audiard’s 2015 Cannes Palme d’Or winner “Dheepan.” He made his directorial debut in 2024 with “A Nice Jewish Boy.”

Ismaël El Iraki (Morocco/France) – His debut feature “Zanka Contact” premiered in the Horizons section at the Venice Film Festival, where its actress Khansa Batma won the best actress prize.

Felipe Gálvez (Chile) – This Paris-based Chilean filmmaker’s debut “The Settlers” (“Los Colonos”), premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2023.

Atsuko Hirayanagi (Japan/USA) – Her debut feature “Oh Lucy!” premiered in 2017 at the Cannes Critics’ Week.

Juho Kuosmanen (Finland) – This Helsinki-based filmmaker’s 2021 feature “Compartment No. 6” won the Cannes Grand Prix award.

Emanuel Pârvu (Romania) – 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) – Her films include “Ôtez-moi d’un doute” that was in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in 2017 and “The Ties That Bind Us” (“L’Attachement”) which was in the 2024 Venice Horizons.

Magnus von Horn (Sweden/Poland) – His “The Girl with the Needle” premiered in competition at Cannes inn 2024 earning international accolades, including Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.