Projects

Projects

Cannes Docs

Sama

Original Title: سما

Directed by: Rabab Khamis

Produced by: Rashid Masharawi | Masharawi Fund for Films and Filmmakers in Gaza, Palestine

Country of Production: Palestine, France

Runtime: 60'

Expected Release: September 2025

Production Stage: Post-production

Budget: €124,020 (59.14% in place)

1st Feature: Yes

Looking for: Festivals, sales agents, distributors, buyers, co-producers

Synopsis:

Every day, Sama, a 10-year-old girl from Gaza, collects plastic and cardboard to sell as fuel, silently facing a suffering that surpasses her capacity in a world from which her childhood has been stolen.

Director’s Profile:

Rabab Khamis, was born on 25 December 1997 in Gaza, is a multimedia specialist with a diploma in digital media. She has directed children’s plays and worked as a drama and psychological support trainer. Khamis has acted in various productions and made one short documentary.

Producer’s Profile:

Rashid Masharawi is a Palestinian filmmaker, born in Gaza in 1962 to a refugee family from the city of Jaffa. He grew up in Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza.

Rashid Masharawi lives and works between Ramallah and Paris. In 1996, he founded the Cinema Production Center in Ramallah with the aim of promoting local cinematic productions. He also established the Mobile Cinema Project in Palestine, which enabled the screening of films in all Palestinian refugee camps.
Other projects he has founded include the Annual Children’s Film Festival and large workshops on film production and direction.

Following the Israeli war on Gaza in 2023, Masharawi established the Masharawi Film Fund to provide opportunities for Palestinian filmmakers in Gaza. He produced the film From Ground Zero during the last war on Gaza, which was shortlisted for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2025 Oscars.

Cannes Docs

My Rebel Heart

Directed by: Ida Kat Balslev

Produced by: Sidsel Lønvig Siersted | Siersted Film, Denmark

Country of Production: Denmark, Palestine

Runtime: 80-90'

Expected Release: May 2027

Production Stage: Pre-production

Budget: €477,341 (27.7% in place)

1st Feature: Yes

Looking for: Programmers, sales agents, distributors, buyers, co-producers, production funds, strategic partners, consultants.

Synopsis:

Amid occupation and war, My Rebel Heart follows young actress Yara as she navigates the delicate balance between her artistic ambitions and the fight for Palestinian liberation. In the West Bank, she and her community face the harsh realities of oppression while holding on to their dreams, resilience, and identity.

Director’s Profile:

Ida Kat Balslev is a Danish director and screenwriter based in Copenhagen. She studied philosophy at the University of Southern Denmark before earning her MgA in directing from the Dramatic Faculty DAMU in Prague, followed by film studies at FAMU and Alma Script Academy. Her work spans film, photography, installations, and visual theater.

Ida has directed short films in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Denmark, including « Lost Lovers Glory » (2019), « Norma » (2018), and « Wilki » (2018), which have been screened at festivals such as Slow Film Festival, Film Spring Open, and City Lights Cinema Screenings. Her latest film, « The Art of Falling » (2022), was selected for Screen Talent Europe and screened in four Danish cinemas in 2023.

Producer’s Profile:

Sidsel Lønvig Siersted is an award-winning film producer based in Copenhagen. She has produced TV, documentary films, and series for nearly two decades, working on acclaimed titles such as « Democrats » (PBS), « Something Better to Come » (HBO Max), « Aquarela » (Sony Classics), and « The Kingmaker » (Showtime).
She produced « Natural Disorder » (IDFA 2015) and « Apolonia, Apolonia » (IDFA Best Film Award 2022), which won five Danish Academy Awards and was Oscar-shortlisted in 2024. Other credits include « A Modern Man » (IDA-nominated), « The Edge of Democracy » (Oscar-nominated), and « Hunting for Hedonia » (Amazon Studios). Sidsel holds an MA in Film and Media Studies from the University of Copenhagen.

Cannes Docs

Asphalt

Directed by: Hamza Hamideh

Produced by: Mahmoud Massad

Country of Production: Jordan

Runtime: 90'

Expected Release: March 2026

Production Stage: Post-production

Budget: $110,000 (65% in place)

1st Feature: Yes

Looking for: Gap financing, buyers, sales

Synopsis:

Amid the escalating war in Gaza, 20-year-old Debs, a Palestinian refugee from the Baqa’a camp in Jordan, dreams of marrying his beloved. he is forced to postpone his wedding due to the death of his relatives in Gaza-one after another. Debs embodies the suffering of an entire generation that has grown up in exile over the decades and within Palestinian refugee camps.

Director’s Profile:

Hamza achieved his B.A. degree in Software engineering from the University of Zarqa. His passion for photography began at an early age in his small neighborhood in Hashmi Shamali to develop a passion for storytelling. He participated in numerous workshops for better understanding of this form of art. « Mahareb » was his first short documentary, This year he was selected by the RFC to travel to Los Angeles to attend an international workshop by design certificate program organized by the University of California.

Producer’s Profile:

Mahmoud Al Massad is a Jordanian-Dutch director, scriptwriter, and producer. He received acclaim for his feature documentaries « Shatter Hassan », « Recycle », and « This Is My Picture When I Was Dead », reaching audiences worldwide.

Al Massad won three international awards for the script of his film « Blessed Benefit », a narrative feature that premiered in 2016 at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the NETPAC Jury Award for Best Asian Film, as well as the Special Jury Award for Best Acting at the Warsaw Film Festival. The film is featured on Netflix.

Cannes Docs

The Tiger of the East

Original Title: El Tigre del Este

Directed by: Jorge Acevedo Carrasco

Produced by: Mixie Araya Soler | Yareta Films, Chile

Country of Production: Chile, México

Runtime: 90' / 50'

Expected Release: January 2026

Production Stage: Editing

Budget: $260.000 (57% in place)

1st Feature: Yes

Looking for: Co-producer, sales agents, distributors and festivals

Synopsis:

The tiger of the east, is a documentary that follows a young Chilean cowboy named Custodio, who also composes rancheras and Mexican corridos, he dreams of reaching Mexico with his music. Custodio must overcome each of the difficulties that stand in his way to achieve his ultimate goal, which is to be able to play with Los Tigres del Norte.

Director’s Profile:

Filmmaker with more than 15 years of experience in sound for film and television. He founded Queltehue Films in 2013, a production company specializing in direct sound and sound post-production, participating in documentary pieces such as Chassange-Santiago, Searching A New Earth for the BBC and the series Habitantes Del Pacifico, broadcasted by TVN in 2015. In 2016 he ventured into audiovisual creation, working in the collective production of the short docu/fiction Silvia, exhibited at Chicago Film Festival, Antofadocs and International Film Festival of La Serena.

Producer’s Profile:

Filmmaker born in the disappeared Chuquicamata camp. Her debut film is the documentary “The Closing of the Desert ». In 2012 she created Yareta Films, a film and television production company. “Perrocuento” is her foray into directing in animation for children’s audiences, winner of the SecsTV award of the Prix Jeunesse Iberoamericano, 2019. In 2019 she was in charge of the Film Commission of the Antofagasta region and served for 3 years as General Producer of the Antofacine International Film Festival. She is currently Executive Producer of the feature film “The tiger of the east” and is in post-production of her short documentary “Mateo and the City”.

Cannes Docs

The Grand Illusion

Original Title: La Gran Ilusión

Directed by: Sebastián Pereira

Produced by: Gonzalo Rodríguez Varas | La Copia Feliz & Gatoperro, Chile

Country of Production: Chile

Runtime: 90'

Expected Release: February 2026

Production Stage: Post-production

Budget: $147.000 (70% in place)

1st Feature: No

Looking for: Festivals, sales agents, distributors, co-producers, gap financing, strategic guidance.

Synopsis:

Roberto, a young Cuban actor, wanders the streets of Havana hallucinating about being part of the cast of a Netflix series. His uncle, who is the ‘best bookseller in the world’, advises him through the heroes of the homeland. The murder of the producer, a counterrevolutionary proposal and conversations where Chile’s arteries are glimpsed, could be the grand illusion for all the characters.

Director’s Profile:

His project titled “Los Iluminados” was premiered in the official selection of FICValdivia (2015) and won Best National Feature Film at the Cine//B_8 Festival (2016). In 2022 he made his first film as producer “Voy y Vuelvo”, a film by Cristián Sánchez that premiered at the “Chilean Gala” of FICValdivia (2023) and BAFICI (2024). He is currently developing his next feature films where he explores between documentary and fiction genre; “La Gran Ilusión”,(Chile 2026) Doc:Lab Award -FIDBA 2023 and selected for WIP MAFIZ 2024, Award in Finaliza Lab of BoliviaLab 2024. At the same time, « Viajero Inmóvil » (Chile 2025) ends, selected and recently awarded at the Docs-In-Progress of Cannes Docs(2024) and at Encuentros Australes of FICValdivia(2024) as the best Chilean film of the future.

Producer’s Profile:

Producer, director, and university professor. He studied History at the University of Concepción, an Film at the Universidad Mayor Film School, and he is pursuing a Master’s degree in artistic creation. His short film as a director, « A had a borrowed house, » has been shown at festivals in Chile and around the world. He has worked as general producer and assistant to directors such as Sebastián Moreno and Ricardo Larraín. As a producer, he has directed films such as « Raíz, » by Matías Rojas Valencia, winner of « Best Chilean Film » at FICValdivia 2013 and with its international premiere at the San Sebastián Film Festival. He has worked with Chilean production companies such as Quijote Films alongside Giancarlo Nasi. In 2023, as executive producer and co-producer, he was part of the acclaimed TVN series « La Cacería, » directed by Juan Ignacio Sabatini and produced by Villano.

Cannes Docs

No Money, No Honey

Directed by: Nicole Costa

Produced by: Daniela Camino | Mimbre Films, Chile

Country of Production: Chile

Runtime: 80'

Expected Release: 'May 2027

Production Stage: Production

Budget: $250,000 (60% in place)

1st Feature: No

Looking for: Festivals, sales agents, distributors, gap financing

Synopsis:

Revisiting old VHS tapes, Máxima, an Argentine sex worker, longs for the wild, glamorous days of cashing big in Miami, while confronting the ghosts of a childhood scarred by neglect and abuse. As she reconciles with her past, she finds strength in the urgent needs of her trans-Latinx community, fueling her drive to move forward.

Director’s Profile:

Nicole Costa is a Chilean-born, New York-based actress, filmmaker, and producer. She received the award for Best Actress at the Queer Lisbon Festival. Her documentary film « The Journey of Monalisa » (2019) premiered at DOC NYC, IDFA, DocsBarcelona, among others, and was awarded by Cinema Tropical as Best Latinx Film in the United States in 2021, among others.

Producer’s Profile:

In 2013, Daniela Camino co-founded Mimbre Films. She has produced and distributed short and feature films, including « AliEN0089 » (Sundance 2023, Best International Direction for Short, Clermont-Ferrand LABO Prize 2024), « Going Back Home: Mother VR » (IDFA DocLab 2023), and the documentary « The Journey of Monalisa » (IDFA 2019).

Cannes Docs

Landless Children

Original Title: Los niños sin tierra

Directed by: René Ballesteros

Produced by: Nicole Bonilla | la Madre, Chile, Camille Laemlé, Serge Lalou | Les Films D’Ici, France, Johanne Schatz | La Ballesta, Chile

Country of Production: France, Chile

Runtime: 100' / 52'

Expected Release: May 2026

Production Stage: Post-production

Budget: €314,335 (67% in place)

1st Feature: No

Looking for: Gap financing to finalize post-production, and a sales agent to help expand the reach of this intimate and deeply resonant story on cross-border adoption. We are also looking for strategic partners and festivals for the film’s international launch.

Synopsis:

Two Chileans adopted in Europe embark on a journey. Daniel was declared dead at birth; Juan dreams of a wounded woman. Both seek to understand their origins, find a mother, and reconstruct their stories. Landless Children is an invitation to a journey—both mental and physical—into the depths of a forgotten land.

Director’s Profile:

René Ballesteros (Chile, 1975) is a psychologist, film director, and screenwriter. After working with incarcerated youth and street children in the Araucanía region of Chile, he studied documentary filmmaking at Université Paris VIII, EICTV (Cuba), and Le Fresnoy (France). In 2010, his debut documentary feature La Quemadura won the Joris Ivens Award at Cinéma du Réel, Best Documentary at Documenta Madrid, and Best Chilean Director at SANFIC, among other honors. In 2011, he was selected for the Cinéfondation Résidence of the Cannes Film Festival. As a screenwriter, he co-wrote Los versos del olvido by Alireza Khatami, which received the Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay at the 2017 Venice Film Festival. His second documentary, Los sueños del castillo, premiered at the 2018 Valdivia International Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Chilean Film.

Producer’s Profile:

Nicole Bonilla (Chile, 1990) is a film producer and cultural manager. She served as coordinator of the International Programs of the Audiovisual Fund and the Chile Film Friendly Program at the Film Commission Chile, within the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage. In 2019, she founded La Madre, a production company dedicated to documentary films that spotlight stories of women, childhood, and sexual dissidences.
Her debut as a producer was « Travesía Travesti » (Travesti Odyssey) by Nicolás Videla, a Chile–Argentina co-production that premiered at IDFA in 2021. She is currently preparing the release of « Landless Children » by René Ballesteros, co-produced with France, while continuing to develop and produce new projects.
Alongside her work as a producer, she serves as Operations Manager at Screen Capital S.A., an asset manager company focused on the entertainment industry.

Cannes Docs

Something Familiar

Directed by: Rachel Close

Produced by: Monica LăZurean-Gorgan, Elena Martin | Manifest Film, Romania, Aleksandra Bilic | My Accomplice, UK

Country of Production: Romania, UK

Runtime: 80'

Expected Release: First quarter 2026

Production Stage: Early post-production (editing)

Budget: €368,000 (65% in place)

1st Feature: Yes

Looking for: Festivals, sales agents, gap financing

Synopsis:

While trying to help a fellow adoptee find her birth mother, British-Romanian filmmaker Rachel delves back into her own family story looking for healing and closure. Launching an international search for her missing sisters she unearths a tragic legacy of abuse and exploitation. Can she harness the creative power of self-authorship to interrogate the ghosts of her past and write a new script for her future?

Director’s Profile:

Rachel Close is a British-Romanian filmmaker, lecturer, and social worker (BA, MA, MA, PGDip). Rachel has directed documentary short films selected for Sheffield Doc/Fest, East End Film Festival, and SEE Documentary Festival.

Rachel was awarded the Cineuropa Marketing Award, as well as winning first place for the Romanian CNC Development Fund in 2022 for her debut feature-length documentary, « Something Familiar ». The film has also received funding from Creative Media and the British Film Institute (Doc Society). Rachel is a member of the Documentary Association of Europe.

Producer’s Profile:

Monica Lazurean-Gorgan, member of AMPAS/Oscar and EFA, is the producer of « Acasa, My Home » by Radu Ciorniciuc, winner of the Sundance Cinematography Award 2020 and over 40 international awards, producer for « Tata » by Lina Vdovii and Radu Ciorniciuc, selected at Toronto IFF 2024, and of « Bright Future » by Andra MacMasters, IDFA 2024.

Founded by Jamie Clark, My Accomplice is an award-winning London-based production company known for its commitment to diverse voices and cultural credibility. Under the creative leadership of Aleksandra Bilić, who joined in 2018, My Accomplice has delivered feature documentaries including BIFA-nominated Nascondino (BFI Doc Society) and has served as UK producers on Netflix’s Emmy and BAFTA-nominated The Great Hack.

Cannes Docs

Hope Against Hope

Original Title: Omid Alayhe Omid

Directed by: Mina Keshavarz

Produced by: Mina Keshavarz | MinDoc Film Production, Christophe Bruncher | Ici et Là Productions, France, Anita Norfold | FolkFilm, Norway

Country of Production: France, Norway

Runtime: 100'

Expected Release: Beginning of 2027

Production Stage: Production

Budget: 52,96% in place

1st Feature: No

Looking for: Gap financing, distributors, festivals

Synopsis:

Spanning a quarter of a century, Hope Against Hope is the filmmaker’s own story and an intimate look at how political and social conflicts shape us.

Director’s Profile:

Mina Keshavarz (b. 1984) is an award-winning Iranian documentary filmmaker and creative producer. Her films explore social-political issues using personal narratives, including « Unwelcome in Tehran » (Thessaloniki International Film Festival, 2012), « Profession: Documentarist » (Tim Hetherington Award in Sheffield Doc/Fest, IDFA, 2014), « Braving the Waves » (Best Documentary Film Award at London Film Festival, 2016), « The Art of Living in Danger » (Best Documentary Film at Busan International Film Festival, IDFA, Sheffield, 2020), and « Phobos » (CPH:DOX, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Millennium, 2023).

Mina is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents, Hot Docs Emerging Docs Accelerator Lab, EsoDoc, Tribeca Film Institute, and Women’s Circle Doc Accelerator. She is an invited fellow at Nipkow Film Residency, Berlin Air Film Residency, Cité Internationale des Arts, Villa Serpentara Rome, Akademie der Künste, and the Camargo Foundation.

Producer’s Profile:

Anita Norfolk is the founder of Norwegian Folk Film. She has co-produced a string of internationally acclaimed feature documentaries, most recently « Motherland » (2023, winner at CPH:DOX, nominated for the European Film Awards) and « How to Save a Dead Friend » (ACID Cannes, Grand Jury Prize at DOC NYC).

Christophe Bruncher: In 2006, he co-created Films de la Butte, producing « All Together » by Stéphane Robelin, managing to convince Jane Fonda to return to France after a 30-year absence. The film premiered at Locarno and was released in over 30 countries with great success. His latest productions include « Women Do Cry » by Mina Mileva & Vesela Kazakova (Un Certain Regard, 2021) and « Not a Word » by Hana Slak (TIFF 2023).

Cannes Docs

DEAR

Directed by: Ramona Mos

Produced by: Julia Cöllen | Fünfer Film, Germany

Country of Production: Germany, Norway

Runtime: 95'

Expected Release: February 2026

Production Stage: Production

Budget: €425,000 (75% in place)

1st Feature: No

Looking for: Festivals, sales agents, distributors, buyers, gap financing

Synopsis:

In DEAR, the director unveils her personal story of a six-year journey with her mother and close friends on an ever changing and seemingly never-ending road of courage, despair and resilience. As they lift each other up in the most dire moments, their journey turns into a struggle for justice and the efforts to preserve their own reality and solidarity pulls them back from despair.

Director’s Profile:

Ramona has been in the international documentary circuit, having attended over 150 festivals with her films, in the likes of IDFA, Sheffield, Moma, Krakow and Sarajevo film festivals. In total, she has won 20 awards to date. She’s received prestigious support from international institutes like Sundance, Tribeca, IDFA, Creative Europe MEDIA and Catapult film fund.

Producer’s Profile:

Julia Cöllen studied film and cultural studies in Hamburg and Belfast (M.A.). Before becoming a partner and producer at Fünferfilm in 2019, she realized numerous internationally successful documentaries in ten years as a creative producer for the production company Filmtank. In 2021 she participated at Cutting Edge Talent Camp. She is a graduate of EAVE Ties That Bind 2020. FÜNFERFILM was launched in 2016 and has since established itself as a company in northern Germany and internationally with its repertoire of auteur films and exceptional cinematic signatures.