Review: An Italian Dream - Films / Reviews - Italy
Fausto Caviglia’s documentary *An Italian Dream*, released in Italian cinemas on May 7, chronicles seven decades of Italian guest‑worker migration to Germany. The film traces the 1955‑1976 influx of roughly 4 million Italians who arrived under a bilateral Gastarbeiter pact to fuel the post‑war Wirtschaftswunder, enduring wages as low as one pfenning per 20 kg (≈ $0.01) and phone calls costing two marks (≈ $1.10). It follows pioneers like Lorenzo Annese, the first foreign member of Volkswagen’s works committee, and shows how later generations—exemplified by VW board chair Daniela Cavallo—have risen to senior positions. The narrative also warns that today’s “remigration” rhetoric revives old xenophobic currents across Europe.
Interview: Daniel Kuitunen • Producer, Komeetta - “I Look for a Distinctive and Compelling Voice” - Producers on the Move...
Finnish producer Daniel Kuitunen, founder of Helsinki‑based Komeetta, was named Finland’s representative at European Film Promotion’s Producers on the Move in Cannes. He has built a decade‑long record of auteur‑driven and genre co‑productions that have screened at Sundance, Toronto and...
Interview: Sunna Guðnadóttir • Producer, Bjartsýn Films - “In Co-Producing It Is About Establishing a Relationship First, and Hopefully the...
Icelandic producer Sunna Guðnadóttir, formerly a project‑manager, launched Bjartsýn Films after a deliberate career shift and quickly hit her five‑year target to deliver a feature. Her current slate blends youth‑oriented titles like *True North* with auteur‑driven works such as the documentary...
Greece Greenlights €750 Million “Greece On Screen” Strategy to Transform Its Audiovisual Sector - Industry / Market - Greece
The Greek government has approved a five‑year "Greece On Screen" strategy, earmarking €750 million (about $818 million) for 2026‑2030 to boost the country's audiovisual sector. The plan expands incentives beyond film and TV to animation, digital games and music‑related projects, and funds...
EXCLUSIVE: Espoo Ciné Announces New Initiative Cinéstesia - Festivals / Awards - Finland
Espoo Ciné International Film Festival is launching Cinéstesia, a new initiative that blends contemporary and archival film screenings with visual‑arts programming. The project will feature a curated selection, a cross‑disciplinary seminar, and collaborative exchanges designed to strengthen global moving‑image networks....
Kontinental '25 Wins Best Film Award at the Romanian Gopos - Festivals / Awards - Romania
The 2026 Gopo Awards in Romania crowned Radu Jude’s *Kontinental ’25* as Best Film, while the high‑budget biopic *The Yellow Tie* attracted 514,000 viewers but only technical honors. The ceremony, judged by about 900 industry professionals, highlighted a split between...
Lithuania Steps up Its Cannes Presence with Vesna, Ulya and Class Photo - Cannes 2026/Sponsored
Lithuania is mounting a high‑profile Cannes 2026 slate with three distinct titles: the feature debut *Vesna* in Special Screenings, the black‑and‑white coming‑of‑age *Ulya* in Un Certain Regard, and the short *Class Photo* in Critics’ Week. *Vesna* is a Lithuanian‑Ukrainian‑French co‑production...
Interview: Carlo Cresto-Dina • Producer, Tempesta - “A Shrinking Number of Players Now Decide Which Stories Are Told, How and...
Carlo Cresto‑Dina, producer at Tempesta, argues that modern producers must be seen as co‑creators who manage the collective creative process, not merely financiers. He introduces the "original producer" concept, calling for legal recognition of the intellectual property they generate. Cresto‑Dina...
The Party Films Sales Brings Three Wildcards to Cannes - Cannes 2026 – Marché Du Film
French sales agency The Party Film Sales is bringing three flagship titles—Congo Boy, Rehearsals for a Revolution, and Dua—to the Marché du Film at Cannes 2026. Congo Boy, a debut fiction from Congolese director Rafiki Fariala, will screen in Un...
The Riviera International Film Festival Steps Out of Its Comfort Zone - Festivals / Awards - Italy
The Riviera International Film Festival marks its 10th edition in Sestri Levante from May 5‑10, opening with the international premiere of the documentary Spring Wind – The Awakening, which follows newly elected Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar. The film, touted as the most‑watched Hungarian...
ECAM Forum Announces the Selected Projects From the Last Push and Films to Come Sections - Industry / Market -...
The ECAM Forum’s third edition runs June 9‑11 in Madrid, showcasing 15 development‑stage features and ten post‑production titles. A record 204 projects entered the Films to Come track and 86 applied to Last Push, reflecting growing global interest. Selections span Spain, Switzerland,...
Best Friend Forever Selling Two Titles Selected in Cannes - Cannes 2026 – Marché Du Film
Best Friend Forever, the Brussels‑based sales firm, will showcase two world premieres at Cannes 2026. Nepali drama Elephants in the Fog enters the Un Certain Regard competition, while off‑beat French animation Blaise screens in the ACID sidebar. Both titles are part of...
Be For Films Competing in Cannes with A Woman’s Life - Cannes 2026 - Marché Du Film
Belgian sales company Be For Films is presenting Charline Bourgeois‑Tacquet’s new drama *A Woman’s Life* at the Cannes Marché du Film, aiming for the Palme d’Or. The film follows surgeon Gabrielle, played by Léa Drucker, as she confronts personal turmoil...
Mario Casas Directing A Puño Descubierto - Production / Funding - Spain
Spanish star Mario Casas returns to the director’s chair with his second feature, *A puño descubierto*, a gritty drama about brotherhood and underground fighting. He also headlines the film alongside his brother Óscar Casas, who previously co‑starred in Mario’s debut....
Interview: Christoph Jörg, Andreas Dalsgaard • Co-Creators of The Oligarch and the Art Dealer - “It Felt Like Entering a...
The Oligarch and the Art Dealer, a new series debuting at Canneseries, examines the tangled relationship between Swiss art dealer Yves Bouvier and Russian oligarch Dmitri Rybolovlev, including an alleged billion‑dollar fraud surrounding masterpieces such as the $450 million Salvator Mundi. Producers...
Christopher Andrews’ Cavendish to Launch at Cannes’ Marché Du Film - Production / Funding - UK/Poland
British director Christopher Andrews is set to shoot his second feature, *Cavendish*, a 17th‑century witch‑hunt thriller starring Sophie Thatcher, Erin Kellyman and Joe Alwyn. The UK‑Polish co‑production, developed with BBC Film and supported by the Polish Film Institute, will begin...
Interview: Anna-Sophia Lumpe • President, German Voice Over Artists’ Association (VDS) - “I Have the Feeling that We Find Ourselves...
German voice‑over artists, led by the Verband Deutscher Sprecher:innen (VDS), have staged a boycott of Netflix after the streaming giant added an AI‑training clause to its contracts in early 2026. The clause would allow Netflix to use recorded voices for...
Ulrich Seidl Developing New Feature Distances - Production / Funding - Austria/Germany/France
Austrian auteur Ulrich Seidl is developing a new feature film titled *Distances*, which delves into dark tourism and the psychological isolation of its protagonist, Carl Schwert. The drama is a co‑production between Austria, Germany and France, backed by public funds...
Interview: Vivien Vande Kerckhove • Distributor, O’Brother - “Our Mission Has Always Been to Shed Light on What Belgian Film...
O’Brother, a Belgian arthouse distributor founded in 2009, is set to release 22‑24 titles in 2026—more than double its 2017 output. The company has expanded its Benelux presence with a new Netherlands office, growing the core team from three to...
Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell Is Heading to Cannes - Production / Funding - USA/Denmark
Nicolas Winding Refn’s long‑awaited feature *Her Private Hell* will debut out of competition at Cannes 2026, his first film in a decade. The futuristic thriller, co‑written with Esti Giordani, stars Sophie Thatcher and Charles Melton and was shot in Tokyo and Copenhagen....
Episode 88: Sirāt (Spain/France) - The Co-Production Podcast
The 88th episode of the Co‑production Podcast, released on April 28, 2026, brings together producers Xavi Font (Filmes Da Ermida, Spain) and Mani Mortazavi (4 à 4 Productions, France) to discuss the Eurimages‑supported co‑production of Óliver Laxe’s film *Sirāt*. They...
Europa Distribution Wraps the Sixth EDMentorShe Programme - Industry / Market - Europe
Europa Distribution concluded the sixth edition of its all‑female mentorship programme, EDMentorShe, in Brussels on 10 April. The initiative, launched in 2019 to address a gender gap where only 30% of CEOs are women, paired nine junior distributors with senior mentors...
Clouds Move with Great Speed Scoops the Top Prize at goEast - goEast 2026 – Awards
The 26th goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film concluded in Wiesbaden, showcasing 76 titles and welcoming over 120 international guests. Ukrainian soldier‑filmmaker Roman Ostrovskyi’s debut documentary *Clouds Move with Great Speed* captured the top Golden Lily award,...
Loco Films Boasts Two Strong Assets in the Cannes Showcases - Cannes 2026 – Marché Du Film
French sales agency Loco Films is banking on two first‑feature films at Cannes 2026. Aina Clotet’s drama *Alive* will debut in Critics’ Week, while Avril Besson’s romantic comedy *Marvelous Mornings* lands in the Official Selection Special Screening. Both titles are being pitched at...
Review: Club Heaven - Visions Du Réel 2026
Dutch filmmaker Jona Honer debuts with *Club Heaven*, selected for the Burning Lights competition at Visions du Réel 2026. The documentary‑style feature immerses viewers in Play House, a massive electronic‑music club in Chengdu, China, using thermal‑imaging and silent cinematography. It...
Interview: Participants and Organisers, Slow Pitch Industry Programme, ZagrebDox - "Perhaps the Industry Should Have Other Solutions, Other Ways of...
The Slow Pitch industry programme at ZagrebDox entered its second year as a low‑pressure alternative to traditional pitching forums. By swapping competition for open dialogue, mentors such as Marc Isaacs and Vanja Jambrović work closely with filmmakers to refine ideas...
Paradise City Sales Heads to Cannes Brandishing Three Aces - Cannes 2026 – Marché Du Film
French sales agency Paradise City Sales is showcasing three female‑directed titles at Cannes 2026. In Un Certain Regard it will sell Judith Godrèche’s adaptation *A Girl’s Story* and Konstantina Kotzamani’s debut *Titanic Ocean*, while Sara Ishaq’s *The Station* will compete in Critics’ Week....
Review: La Voix Du Troupeau - Visions Du Réel 2026
Mathias Jouland and Lucien Roux debut their first feature, La voix du troupeau, at the Visions du Réel festival in Nyon. The film follows Didier, a 50‑year‑old non‑hearing farmer, as he communicates through gestures, animal bonds, and poetic visuals. Presented...
A Fox Under a Pink Moon and The Mountain Won’t Move Crowned as ZagrebDox’s Champions - ZagrebDox 2026 – Awards
The 22nd ZagrebDox festival concluded with a slate of awards, highlighting the documentary *A Fox Under a Pink Moon* as the International Big Stamp winner and *The Mountain Won’t Move* as the Regional Big Stamp champion. The ceremony also recognized...
Nine Experiences to Lock Horns in Cannes’ Immersive Competition - Cannes 2026
The Cannes Film Festival’s 79th edition will host an Immersive Competition featuring nine unreleased works from eight countries, running May 12‑22 at the Carlton Hotel. The lineup includes a mix of virtual reality, large‑scale projection, and mixed‑reality pieces such as...
Review: Does the Horse Have to Work, Too? - ZagrebDox 2026
Leonhard Pill’s new documentary *Does the Horse Have to Work, Too?* follows Valeria, a shepherdess living in a metal container in the Austrian mountains, as she tends a flock through birth, slaughter, and seasonal cycles. The film premiered in the...
Andrea Riseborough and Ashley Walters Topline ITV Lunar Thriller Series First Woman, Now Filming in Belfast - Production / Funding...
ITV is filming the six‑part lunar thriller *First Woman* in Belfast, starring Andrea Riseborough and Ashley Walters. The series, created by Lydia Yeoman and George Oakes and directed by Philip Martin, follows a husband’s desperate search for his astronaut wife...
From Dawn to Dawn Wins Big at Visions Du Réel - Visions Du Réel 2026 – Awards
The Visions du Réel festival awarded its top International Feature prize to *From Dawn to Dawn*, the debut documentary by Catalan‑Chinese director Xisi Sofia Ye Chen. The film was praised for its poetic storytelling and its exploration of migration, economic survival and family...
Cineville Belgium: Currently the only Unlimited Arthouse Pass with a European Dimension - European Film Networks
The Cineville Art House Cinema Pass, launched in Brussels in 2022, has become the only unlimited arthouse subscription with a European dimension. Subscriber numbers rose over 20% to 12,863, and the pass now accounts for 25% of total admissions at...
Review: Remember My Song - ZagrebDox 2026
"Remember My Song" is a Croatian‑Serbian documentary that premiered in the regional competition at ZagrebDox 2026. Directors Jelena Bosanac and Tanja Brzaković reconstruct the 1980s tavern Jablan, a micro‑cosm of Yugoslav unity, using exclusively found VHS footage and archival photographs....
Review: From Dawn to Dawn - Visions Du Réel 2026
Xisi Sofia Ye Chen’s debut feature *From Dawn to Dawn* premiered in the International Feature Competition at Visions du Réel 2026. The film follows her brother A Wen, a Chinese immigrant navigating life in Spain, using intimate cinematography to reveal the cultural and emotional...
Les Films Du Losange Accompanies Two Women Directors to Cannes - Cannes 2026 – Marché Du Film
Les Films du Losange is leveraging two sophomore features by female directors at Cannes 2026. Manuela Martelli’s Chile‑set drama *The Meltdown* will screen in Un Certain Regard, while Lila Pinell’s French coming‑of‑age story *Shana* competes in the Directors’ Fortnight. Both...
The 32nd FANT Fills Bilbao with Suspense and Mystery - Festivals / Awards - Spain
The 32nd FANT Fantasy Film Festival launches in Bilbao on May 8 and runs through May 16, opening with Luis Calderón’s Spanish slasher "La casa en el árbol" and closing with the European co‑production "Reflection in a Dead Diamond." The Official Competition...
The Eighth Gabès Cinema Fen Pays Tribute to Óliver Laxe - Festivals / Awards - Tunisia
The eighth Gabès Cinema Fen runs from April 26 to May 2, featuring a full retrospective of Franco‑Galician director Óliver Laxe, whose film Sirāt will close the event in an open‑air screening. Festival director Afef Ben Mahmoud emphasizes environmental themes,...
Red Rocks to Take Part in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight - Cannes 2026 – Directors’ Fortnight
French auteur Bruno Dumont’s 12th fiction feature, *Red Rocks*, has been selected for a Special Screening in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes 2026. The film, his fourth Fortnight entry, follows two child gangs playing on the red cliffs of the...
Europa Distribution Explores Effective Communication and a Collaboration with Exhibitors in Sofia - Sofia 2026 – Sofia Meetings
Europa Distribution returned to Sofia for its third-year partnership with the Sofia International Film Festival, delivering a two‑day workshop that taught 11 independent distributors the Process Communication Model for better negotiation and team management. The program, led by business coach...
Filming Has Wrapped on Urania in Rome - Production / Funding - Italy
Pier Lorenzo Pisano’s debut feature _Urania_ has finished filming in Rome, produced by Fandango and Eolo Film under veteran producer Domenico Procacci. The sci‑fi‑infused drama follows sixteen‑year‑old Bianca, played by newcomer Gala Martinucci, as she copes with her father’s death...
Fantastic 7 Embraces Bold Visions at Its Eighth Edition - Cannes 2026 – Marché Du Film
The Fantastic 7 genre showcase returns to Cannes for its eighth edition, co‑organized by Sitges and the Marché du Film. The program will convene on 17 May, where seven internationally selected projects pitch to financiers, sales agents and distributors. Veteran director Takashi...
EXCLUSIVE: Vicky Krieps Starring in Emma Doucet by Élise Girard - Production / Funding - France/Germany/Belgium
Luxembourgish star Vicky Krieps headlines *Emma Doucet*, director Élise Girard’s fourth feature, which began shooting on 14 April across Paris, Normandy and Bavaria. The film is a French‑German‑Belgian co‑production backed by 10:15! Productions, Arte France Cinéma, Lupa Films and Stenola Productions, with pre‑sales to Arte, Be tv, Proximus and BR....
Review: Sea Sisters - BIF&ST 2026
Italian director Brunella Filì’s seven‑year documentary Sea Sisters premiered at BIF&ST, following two women’s quests for freedom on opposite ends of Europe. In Italy, Antonia "Tonia" Capani battles a deep‑rooted "marine patriarchy" that discourages women from fishing, while Norway’s Sandra...
The Council of Europe Adopts Landmark Convention on Series Co-Production - Industry / Market - Europe
The Council of Europe adopted a convention on co‑production of audiovisual series, the first international framework dedicated to independent series co‑production. Nine countries—France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Poland and Portugal—signed the agreement at the Séries Mania Forum. The...
Interview: Veronika Janatková • Programme Director, East Doc Platform - “In a Lot of the Countries that We Represent, There...
Veronika Janatková, newly appointed programme director of the Institute of Documentary Film’s East Doc Platform, oversaw the March 19‑25 market in Prague, selecting 14 projects from nearly 300 applications. The event highlighted a shift toward documentaries that explore fragility and...
TorinoFilmLab Announces the Projects and Participants Selected for ScriptLab, ComedyLab and Green Film Lab - TorinoFilmLab 2026
TorinoFilmLab unveiled its 2026 development line‑up, selecting projects for ScriptLab, ComedyLab and Green Film Lab. ScriptLab brings together 22 writer‑directors and trainees from 21 nations, including Sundance‑award winner Marija Kavtaradze. ComedyLab will develop four feature‑length comedy projects, while Green Film...
Interview: Synnøve Hørsdal • Producer, Maipo Film - “Independent Productions Help to Foster Dialogue and Understanding Within Our Society” -...
Norwegian producer Synnøve Hørsdal of Maipo Film warns that Europe’s TV series market is entering a risk‑averse phase, with broadcasters favoring familiar IPs and longer funding cycles. She highlights the difficulty of securing public and co‑production financing, especially for higher‑budget...
Disney+ Is After Local Productions for a Local Audience - Series Mania 2026 - Series Mania Forum
Angela Jain, Disney+’s new Head of Content for EMEA, used the Series Mania Forum to unveil an accelerated push of locally produced series across Europe. The streaming giant is commissioning comedies for 16‑34‑year‑olds, thrillers and documentaries, with titles such as...