“Particular attention was paid to projects ready to engage with private investors, combining clear commercial potential with a strong creative positioning, including a high presence of genre works.” This is how Alexandra Zakharchenko describes the criteria that guided the selection for Cannes Investors Circle, the Marché du Film program she directs, which connects private investors with high-quality films.
The 4th edition of Cannes Investors Circle will take place on May 16 and 17 at the Plage des Palmes: the pitches of the selected projects will be preceded, on Saturday the 16th, by a series of panels on the theme of financing, with a focus dedicated to brands and their growing importance in the world of film investment.
Guillaume Esmiol, Executive Director of the Marché du Film, recalled projects from past years that found significant investment during the initiative, such as Gentle Monster by Marie Kreutzer and Poeta Chileno by Sebastián Lelio, and added: “We are considering extending the initiative beyond Cannes through activities throughout the year, following the example of the recent workshop organized in Trieste during When East Meets West.”
Joining Alexandra Zakharchenko in the selection process was a committee composed of 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).
These are the selected directors: Noé Debré (France, A Nice Jewish Boy); Ismaël El Iraki (Morocco/France, Zanka Contact); Felipe Gálvez (Chile, Los Colonos); Atsuko Hirayanagi (Japan/USA, Oh Lucy!);Juho Kuosmanen (Finland, The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki; Compartment No. 6;); Emanuel Pârvu (Romania, debut film: Meda; Mikado; Three Kilometres to the End of the World); Carine Tardieu (France, Just to Be Sure; L’Attachement); Magnus von Horn (Sweden/Poland, The Here After; Sweat; The Girl with the Needle).
