The French feature film project All The Little Live Things by Carine Tardieu, produced by Antoine Rein and Fabrice Goldstein of Kare Productions won the 2026 ArteKino International Prize, valued at €20,000 at the 4th edition of The Investors Circle, the Marché du Film’s exclusive gathering of top film financing experts and investors, concluded its fourth edition with resounding success.
Held over two days during the 79th Festival de Cannes at the Festival & Marché’s official beachside venue Plage des Palmes, this high-profile event brought together key voices from across the global film industry. This year’s program placed a particular emphasis on the evolving role of brands within the film financing ecosystem, highlighting their growing strategic involvement and direct investment in cinema.
The event opened with keynote conversation featuring a prominent figure at the intersection of fashion, branding, and film:Â Koji Yanai, Group Senior Executive Officer and Director of the Board at Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., the parent company of UNIQLO. Yanai was also the producer of Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days, which competed for the Palme d’Or at the 76th Festival de Cannes.
These keynotes were followed by a panel discussion featuring Rebecca De Pas (Film Fund Manager, Fondazione Prada), Elsa Huisman (Founding Partner, 111 Avocats), Philipp Manderla (Global Head, Red Bull Studios), and Brian Newman (CEO, Sub-Genre Media), further exploring how brands are reshaping financing models and long-term engagement with independent cinema.
The conversations led into a private pitching session presenting eight ambitious, large-scale film projects — revealed exclusively to Investors Circle participants — from internationally acclaimed filmmakers.
This year’s selection included Juho Kuosmanen (Compartment No. 6, Grand Prix, Cannes 2021), Felipe Gálvez (The Settlers, FIPRESCI Prize, Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2025), Magnus von Horn (The Girl with the Needle, In Competition, Cannes 2024); Academy Award nominee), and Carine Tardieu (Ôtez-moi d’un doute, Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes 2017; The Ties That Bind Us – L’Attachement –, Venice 2024, César winner for Best Film & Best Adaptation).
Carefully selected for their potential to captivate audiences and investors alike, these projects, with budgets ranging from 1 to 12 million euros, represent a diverse array of storytelling and creative visions.
The presence of lead producers and internationally renowned directors lent an air of exclusivity as they unveiled their projects to a select audience of VIP investors, who had the exclusive opportunity to discover these 8 anticipated projects for the first time. With the support of 111 Avocats, a top law firm fully dedicated to the entertainment industry, the teams behind the projects received legal guidance to prepare their conversations with equity investors.
The announcement comes as a timely reminder of the Investors Circle’s role in championing bold new projects with international potential: last year’s winning project – Gentle Monster, directed by Marie Kreutzer and produced by Alexander Glehr & Johanna Scherz (Film AG Produktions GmbH) – premiered in Competition at this year’s Festival de Cannes.
Listen to our PODCAST about Gentle Monster
