Top Directors’ Films Selected for Venice Gap Financing Market: Meier, Diaz & Hausner Featured!

The Venice Film Festival’s 13th Gap-Financing Market, scheduled for September 4 to 6, 2026, has announced its selection of projects that are in need of final funding.

This year’s selection includes works by renowned filmmakers such as Lav Diaz, Ursula Meier, and Jessica Hausner from around the globe.

During the three-day event, 66 international projects in their late stages of development will be showcased, with teams having the chance to connect with potential investors, distributors, and sales agents. The 31 featured films (20 from Europe and 11 from other regions) have already secured at least 70% of their necessary funding.

The 2026 edition will spotlight projects from Greece, with the backing of the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Centre, and Switzerland, supported by Swiss Films.

Venice Gap-Financing Market (as shared by the festival)

1. A YEAR WITHOUT SUMMER fiction (Switzerland, Germany) by Flurin Giger, Beauvoir Films, Heimatfilm – Focus on Switzerland

2. AFRICAN GREY fiction (Greece, Bulgaria) by Yorgos Goussis, Plankton Films – Focus on Greece

3. ALL CLEAR fiction (Ukraine, Germany, Luxembourg) by Christina Tynkevych, Evos Film

4. AN ENTRY INTO A PORTUGUESE WOMAN’S SADNESS fiction (France, Philippines, Portugal) by Lav Diaz, Films Boutique

5. BALLAD OF THE PHOENIX animation (Mexico) by Rodolfo Ambriz Rendón and Arturo Ambriz Rendón, Woo Films, Cinema Fantasma

6. CÁBULA fiction (Mexico, Spain) by Lila Avités, Pimienta Films

7. CHOCOLAT AMER fiction (Switzerland, Germany, France) by Valentin Merz, Cinédokké – Focus on Switzerland

8. UNTITLED WATER DOCUMENTARY documentary (Chile, Canada) by Carola Fuentes, La Ventana Cine, Intuitive Pictures

9. DON’T LET THE SUN GO UP ON ME documentary (Morocco, Norway, France, Chile) by Asmae El Moudir, Insight Films, Haut et Court Doc, Quijote Films, Lofoten Film

10. FAUX BIJOUX fiction (France, Lebanon, Belgium) by Jessy Moussallem, Vixens

11. HOLIDAY fiction (France, Italy, Greece, Lebanon) by Wissam Charaf, Aurora Films, Intramovies, Marni Films, Né à Beyrouth Films

12. KURINJI fiction (India, France, Germany) by Payal Sethi, FilmKaravan, Blue Monday Productions, 70 Steps

13. KYŪSHŪ MOON fiction (Switzerland, France) by Stéphanie Argerich, Intermezzo Films, Les Films du Bélier – Focus on Switzerland

14. LA MANCHE fiction (Poland, Germany, France) by Damian Kocur, Kijora Film, Les Contes Modernes, Oma Inge

15. LAND OF SAVAGES fiction (Colombia, United States, Chile) by Fernando Guzzoni, Oso Films

16. LIGHT BOXES animation (Bulgaria, Canada, France, Belgium, Poland) by Theodore Ushev, Cinelibri

17. LIONFISH fiction (Greece, Germany) by Thanasis Trouboukis, asterisk*, Studio Zentral – Focus on Greece

18. MAGNUM OPUS fiction (Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Moldova) by Bogdan Mirica, deFilm

19. NEWS FROM LOD, A LETTER TO CHANTAL AKERMAN documentary (France, Belgium) by Michale Boganim, Blue Train Films

20. PATRIMONIAL FEARS AND OTHER ILLUSIONS fiction (Greece, The Netherlands, Cyprus) by Elina Psykou, Jungle Films, Homemade Films, StudioBauhaus, Studio Ruba, Bark Like a Cat Films – Focus on Greece

21. PRIMO VIAGGIO fiction (Italy, France) by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kauffman, Sacher Film, Halley Production

22. QUIET LAND fiction (Switzerland, France, Canada) by Ursula Meier, Bande à part Films, Paradise City Films – Focus on Switzerland

23. SALUT ROBERT documentary (USA, Switzerland, France) by Laura Israel, Correspondent

24. SHITBALLS fiction (Iceland, Canada) by Alfrun Ornolfsdottir, Compass Films

25. SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED TO ME fiction (Ukraine, United Kingdom) by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, Mellivora Production

26. STALLIONS documentary (Morocco, United States) by Rita Baghdadi, Lady & Bird Films

27. THE AMATEURS documentary (Chile, Argentina) by Felipe Solari Yrigoyen, Quijote Films

28. THE FUNERAL fiction (Brazil, Portugal, Romania) by Carolina Markowicz, Biônica Filmes

29. THE HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE documentary (Norway, Sweden, Germany) by Lene Berg, Twentyone Pictures

30. THE LANGFANG REPUBLIC fiction (Japan, France, Taipei) by Katsuya Tomita, Kuzoku

31. THE ROPE fiction (Italy, Switzerland) by Alberto Fasulo, Nefertiti Film

32. THE SMUGGLER fiction (Switzerland, Greece, France) by Kaveh Bakhtiari, Beauvoir Films, Homemade Films, TS Productions – Focus on Greece

33. THEY BURN IN THE SAME WAY fiction (Argentina, Brazil) by Clarisa Navas, Gentil Cine

34. TOXIC fiction (Austria, Germany, France, Sweden) by Jessica Hausner, Schubert

35. URIHI – THE FOREST-LAND documentary (Brazil) by Morzaniel Iramari, Aruac Filmes

36. WAKE fiction (Greece, Cyprus, Serbia) by Thelyia Petraki, Filmiki & Out the Box – Focus on Greece

37. WOLFMOTHER fiction (France, Morocco) by Ismaël El Iraki, Special Touch Studios, Kasbah Films

38. YA & NIKI fiction (Italy, France, Lebanon) by Rä Di Martino, Dugong Films

14 Immersive Projects:

14 Immersive projects (8 from Europe and 6 from around the world), spanning fiction, documentary, animation film, and various interactive installation-based experiences, all of which have already secured 30% of their budget.

Projects from Greece and Switzerland, featured in the VPB Focus 2026, are included in this lineup.

1. AFTER THE FLOOD (Germany) by Chloé Lee, Reynard Films

2. A FUNERAL FOR THE INTERNET (USA, United Kingdom) by Samantha Gorman and Scarlett Kim, Thresholds & Co.

3. ANIMAL BEING (United Kingdom) by Barnaby Steel, Ersin Han Ersin and Robin McNicholas, Marshmallow Laser Feast

4. GLOOMY EYES & THE LAST STANDING (Taipei, France, Argentina) by Jorge Tereso and Fernando Maldonado, HTC VIVE Originals, Atlas V, 3dar

5. HIDE AND SEEK (Switzerland, France) by Fabienne Giezendanner, Elefant Films – Focus on Switzerland

6. MARTA BECKET’S DEATH VALLEY (Switzerland) by Gilles Jobin and Susana Panadés Diaz, Cie Gilles Jobin, Studio 44 MocapLab – Focus on Switzerland

7. MONTMARTRE, LA NUIT (France) by Pierre-Alain Giraud and Stéphane Foenkinos, Novaya

8. OPI AND THE QUIET ONES (Argentina) by Federico Carlini, Jorge Tereso and Fernando Maldonado, 3DAR LTDA

9. PILGRIMS (United Kingdom) by DARKFIELD

10. RACE AGAINST THE MACHINE (Brazil) by Amir Admoni and Fabito Rychter, Delirium XR

11. THE BERLIN WALL (France, Germany) by Karim Ben Khelifa and Tina Ahrens, Lucid Realities, Filmtank

12. THE MYSTERIES OF ELEUSIS (USA, Greece) by John Fitzgerald and Simon Critchley, Techno Firma, Onassis Onx – Focus on Greece

13. THE RIVER WITHIN YOU (Taipei) by Hsin Hsuan Yeh, Joyful Beings Animation Studio

14. WOLF – OF HIDE AND FLESH (Belgium) by Alex Verhaest, Timescapes

11 BIENNALE COLLEGE CINEMA – IMMERSIVE PROJECTS:

11 projects developed during the workshop of Biennale College Cinema Immersive, 10th edition, now at various stages of development, pre-production, and post-production.

1. DAMNED (France, Ukraine) by Nataliya Velikanova, Da Prod

2. ISABELLA, MAD WITH LOVE (Germany, Italy) by Giulia Falciani, Studio Fazi

3. MYSTIS (United Kingdom) by Tatiana Collet Apraxine, Onism Studio

4. OUBLIETTE (Taipei) by Wen-Yee Hsieh, Wen-E Studio

5. PELLE (Italy) by Stefano Conca Bonizzoni, Officine Creative-University of Pavia

6. PRIMER PLANO (Venezuela, USA) by Giulia Jiménez Tani, Casivache

7. SĀMOA OCEAN ODYSSEY (Sāmoa, New Zealand, Australia) by Yuki Kihara, Pernickety Split

8. THE MOTHER TREE (Italy, Brazil, Portugal) by Vernante Pallotti and Daniele Zen, Gastonia Motion Srl, Hilda Motion

9. UNSTILL STILLNESS (Taipei) by Bang-Yao Liu, Boilfilm Studio

10. VISITOR (Greece, Luxemburg) by Spyros Boukas, asterisk*

11. WALKING WITH GHOSTS (Colombia) by Alejandro Angel-Torres, Armadillo: New Media & Films

3 BIENNALE COLLEGE CINEMA PROJECTS:

3 projects developed during the first workshop of Biennale College Cinema, 14th edition, now in various stages of development and pre-production.

1. BARNACLES fiction (Italy) by Andrej Chinappi, Mosaicon Film Srl

2. PIGGY BABY fiction (Italy, France) by Maria Giménez Cavallo, Berta Film

3. TITHES & OFFERING fiction (Kenya) by Tony Koros, We Are Not the Machine Ltd.