VENICE GAP-FINANCING MARKET 2026 - THE SELECTED PROJECTS

La Biennale di Venezia is proud to announce that the projects have been selected for the 13. edition of the Venice Gap-Financing Market (September 4 – 6, 2026), organised as part of the Venice Production Bridge, taking part during the 83. Venice International Film Festival (September 2 - 12, 2026).

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The 3-day Venice Gap-Financing Market will present 66 projects from around the world in the final stages of development and funding. Over 370 project applications have been received, and the selection reflects the great diversity of backgrounds, stories and talents, aesthetics, genres and budgets of the projects submitted for consideration.

In 2026 the VPB Focuses will be Greece, supported by Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Centre, and Switzerland, supported by Swiss Films.
 
The selection is divided as follows:

• 38 feature-length Fiction and Documentary projects (incl. 9 VPB Focus projects)
• 14 Immersive projects (incl. 3 VPB Focus projects)
• 11 Biennale College Cinema - Immersive projects
• 3 Biennale College Cinema projects

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38 SELECTED FICTION AND DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS:
- Fiction: 31 projects (20 from Europe and 11 from around the world), for feature-length fiction films that need to complete their funding package with minority shares in co-production, having at least 70% of the funding in place.
- Documentaries: 7 projects (2 from Europe and 5 from around the world) for narrative or creative documentaries (fulfilling the same requirements as the fiction films above).

Projects from Greece and Switzerland, the VPB Focuses 2026, are included in this line-up.

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, Fiction Park and Samsa
4. AN ENTRY INTO THE SADNESS OF A PORTUGUESE WOMAN 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. 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
9. FAUX BIJOUX fiction (France, Lebanon, Belgium) by Jessy Moussallem, Vixens
10. HOLIDAY fiction (France, Italy, Greece, Lebanon) by Wissam Charaf, Aurora Films, Intramovies, Marni Films, Né à Beyrouth Films
11. KURINJI fiction (India, France, Germany) by Payal Sethi, FilmKaravan, Blue Monday Productions, 70 Steps
12. KYŪSHŪ MOON fiction (Switzerland, France) by Stéphanie Argerich, Intermezzo Films, Les Films du Bélier - Focus on Switzerland
13. LA MANCHE fiction (Poland, Germany, France) by Damian Kocur, Kijora Film, Les Contes Modernes, Oma Inge
14. LAND OF SAVAGES fiction (Colombia, United States, Chile) by Fernando Guzzoni, Oso Films
15. LIGHT BOXES animation (Bulgaria, Canada, France, Belgium, Poland) by Theodore Ushev, Cinelibri
16. LIONFISH fiction (Greece, Germany) by Thanasis Trouboukis, asterisk*, Studio Zentral - Focus on Greece
17. MAGNUM OPUS fiction (Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Moldova) by Bogdan Mirica, deFilm
18. NEWS FROM LOD, A LETTER TO CHANTAL AKERMAN documentary (France, Belgium) by Michale Boganim, Blue Train Films
19. 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
20. PRIMO VIAGGIO fiction (Italy, France) by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kauffman, Sacher Film, Halley Production
21. QUIET LAND fiction (Switzerland, France, Canada) by Ursula Meier, Bande à part Films, Paradise City Films - Focus on Switzerland
22. SALUT ROBERT documentary (USA, Switzerland, France) by Laura Israel, Correspondent
23. SHITBALLS fiction (Iceland, Canada) by Alfrun Ornolfsdottir, Compass Films
24. SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED TO ME fiction (Ukraine, United Kingdom) by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, Mellivora Production
25. STALLIONS documentary (Morocco, United States) by Rita Baghdadi, Lady & Bird Films
26. THE AMATEURS documentary (Chile, Argentina) by Felipe Solari Yrigoyen, Quijote Films
27. THE FUNERAL fiction (Brazil, Portugal, Romania) by Carolina Markowicz, Biônica Filmes
28. THE HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE documentary (Norway, Sweden, Germany) by Lene Berg, Twentyone Pictures
29. THE LANGFANG REPUBLIC fiction (Japan, France, Taipei) by Katsuya Tomita, Kuzoku
30. THE ROPE fiction (Italy, Switzerland) by Alberto Fasulo, Nefertiti Film
31. THE SMUGGLER fiction (Switzerland, Greece, France) by Kaveh Bakhtiari, Beauvoir Films, Homemade Films, TS Productions - Focus on Greece
32. THEY BURN IN THE SAME WAY fiction (Argentina, Brazil) by Clarisa Navas, Gentil Cine
33. TOXIC fiction (Austria, Germany, France, Sweden) by Jessica Hausner, Schubert
34. UNTITLED WATER DOCUMENTARY documentary (Chile, Canada) by Carola Fuentes, La Ventana Cine, Intuitive Pictures
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

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14 IMMERSIVE PROJECTS:
14 Immersive projects (8 from Europe and 6 from around the world), including fiction, documentary, animation film and other interactive installation-based experiences. All projects have secured 30% of their budget and have this financing in place.

Projects from Greece and Switzerland VPB Focus 2026, are included in this line-up.

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

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11 BIENNALE COLLEGE CINEMA - IMMERSIVE PROJECTS:
11 projects, that have been developed during the workshop of Biennale College Cinema Immersive, 10^th edition, and that have reached different 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

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3 BIENNALE COLLEGE CINEMA PROJECTS:
3 projects, that have been developed during the first workshop of Biennale College Cinema, 14^th edition, and that have reached different 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.

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 The Venice Production Bridge is co-financed by the European Commission’s MEDIA Programme.