British filmmaker Harry Lighton, previously recognized at Cannes for his first major work Pillion, has been selected as one of the six promising directors for the 51st edition of the Cannes Film Festival’s La Résidence program.
Joining him are Emma Branderhorst, Joecar Hanna, Saulé Bliuvaité, Mansi Maheshwari, and Oliver McGoldrick. This session is scheduled from March 16 to July 31, 2026.
“Securing a place in La Résidence is incredibly thrilling. Colleagues who have previously participated speak very highly of it. This opportunity gives me five months solely dedicated to crafting my next screenplay, and to do so in Paris is a dream come true. I’m hoping to leave with a completed script, make connections with fellow filmmakers, and perhaps find a Parisian partner,” Lighton expressed in a statement regarding his inclusion in this group.
Featuring Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård, Pillion captured attention at its premiere in the Cannes Un Certain Regard section last year and took home the Best Screenplay award.
The film achieved both critical acclaim and box office success, securing the Best British Independent Film at the BIFAs and earning three BAFTA nominations. Lighton’s earlier short film Wren Boys was also a contender for Best British Short Film at the 2018 BAFTAs.
Amsterdam’s Emma Branderhorst is acclaimed for her deeply personal and emotionally charged narratives that frequently examine societal issues through a feminine lens. Her short films Under the Skin, Spotless, and Ma Mère et Moi were showcased at the Berlinale, with Spotless winning a Crystal Bear in 2022.
Besides her narrative projects, Branderhorst has directed the award-winning short Piece of Me, which clinched the Cannes Lions Grand Prix, and she consistently directs narrative-driven commercials throughout Europe. She is presently developing her first feature film titled This Will Not End Well.
Joecar Hanna, a filmmaker of Chinese and Lebanese heritage from Spain, transitioned to New York where he has honed his craft as a film editor for both cinema and television. His academic journey at NYU’s Grad Film program was distinguished by awards like the Black Family Prize and the Ang Lee Scholarship, along with a selection for the Marcie Bloom Fellowship (Sony Pictures Classics).
His short Deliver Me debuted at SXSW 2023 and was picked up by Canal+. Another short, Talk Me, produced by Spike Lee, premiered at Cannes 2025, won Best Short at TIFF, and made its U.S. debut at SXSW 2026.
As an actor, his first significant role was in Lump by Alex Rockwell, which was honored at the Warsaw Film Festival. Hanna is set to direct his first feature in the U.S. later this year and develop his second feature during his time at the Cannes Residence 2026.
Lithuanian filmmaker Saulé Bliuvaité, who also works as a screenwriter and editor, graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in 2018. Her filmmaking debut began with several shorts and she co-wrote Isaac, Lithuania’s entry for the 2021 Academy Award for Best International Feature.
Her first feature film Toxic premiered at the 2024 Locarno Film Festival’s International Competition and won the prestigious Golden Leopard. Since its premiere, Toxic has been featured in nearly 100 film festivals globally, received various international awards, and was nominated for the European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI at the European Film Awards.
Indian animation director Mansi Maheshwari, known for her humor-infused and emotionally resonant narratives, initially explored storytelling through fashion before pursuing a more direct narrative approach with an MA in Animation Direction from the UK’s National Film and Television School.
Her graduation project Bunnyhood premiered at Cannes, securing third prize in the La Cinef Selection competition, and was later featured at Sundance and Clermont-Ferrand. Her work often draws on personal experiences to explore themes of family, reunions, and the subtle complexities of human interactions.
Irish filmmaker and medical doctor Oliver McGoldrick, who splits his time between New York City and County Down, Northern Ireland, completed his medical studies at the University of Edinburgh in 2017 before pursuing an MFA in Film at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He is a BAFTA North America Scholar and an alumnus of the Film at Lincoln Center Artists Academy.
His short film Three Keenings debuted at the Venice Film Festival in 2024, was showcased at over 50 festivals worldwide, and won best short film at the Galway Film Fleadh. His upcoming short, Melter, executive produced by Spike Lee, is currently in post-production. He is also developing his first feature film Barnyard, through the Munich Film Up Program and La Résidence.
At La Résidence, participants reside together in the festival’s accommodation in Paris, benefiting from both a personalized screenwriting program and a series of meetings with film industry professionals.
Each year, La Résidence welcomes 12 emerging filmmakers across two sessions, each lasting four and a half months, aimed at aiding them in the development and scripting of their first or second feature film.
Since its inception, La Résidence has supported over 250 filmmakers from around 60 countries, including notable names like Lucrecia Martel (Argentina), Corneliu Porumboiu (Romania), Amat Escalante and Michel Franco (Mexico), László Nemes (Hungary), Lukas Dhont (Belgium), Nadine Labaki (Lebanon), Nadav Lapid (Israel), Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović (Croatia), Carla Simón (Spain), Karim Aïnouz (Brazil), Rungano Nyoni (Zambia), Payal Kapadia (India), and Chiang Wei (Singapore).
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