VENICE GAP-FINANCING MARKET 2026 - THE SELECTED PROJECTS

The 3-day Venice Gap-Financing Market will present 65 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 (EKKOMED), and Switzerland, supported by Swiss Films.
 
The selection is divided as follows:

• 37 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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37 SELECTED FICTION AND DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS:
- Fiction: 30 projects (19 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. 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 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) 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. HOLIDAY fiction (France, Italy, Greece, Lebanon) by Wissam Charaf, Aurora Films, Intramovies, Marni Films, Né à Beyrouth Films
10. KURINJI fiction (India, France, Germany) by Payal Sethi, FilmKaravan, Blue Monday Productions, 70 Steps
11. KYŪSHŪ MOON fiction (Switzerland, France) by Stéphanie Argerich, Intermezzo Films, Les Films du Bélier - Focus on Switzerland
12. LA MANCHE fiction (Poland, Germany, France) by Damian Kocur, Kijora Film, Les Contes Modernes, Oma Inge
13. LAND OF SAVAGES fiction (Colombia, United States, Chile) by Fernando Guzzoni, Oso Films
14. LIGHT BOXES animation (Bulgaria, Canada, France, Belgium, Poland) by Theodore Ushev, Cinelibri
15. LIONFISH fiction (Greece, Germany) by Thanasis Trouboukis, asterisk*, Studio Zentral - Focus on Greece
16. MAGNUM OPUS fiction (Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Moldova) by Bogdan Mirica, deFilm
17. NEWS FROM LOD, A LETTER TO CHANTAL AKERMAN documentary (France, Italy) by Michale Boganim, Blue Train Films
18. 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
19. PRIMO VIAGGIO fiction (Italy, France) by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kauffman, Sacher Film, Halley Production
20. QUIET LAND fiction (Switzerland, France, Canada) by Ursula Meier, Bande à part Films, Paradise City Films - Focus on Switzerland 
21. SALUT ROBERT documentary (USA, Switzerland, France) by Laura Israel, Correspondent
22. SHITBALLS fiction (Iceland, Canada) by Alfrun Ornolfsdottir, Compass Films
23. SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED TO ME fiction (Ukraine, United Kingdom) by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, Mellivora Production 
24. STALLIONS documentary (Morocco, United States) by Rita Baghdadi, Lady & Bird Films, Nava Projects 
25. THE AMATEURS fiction (Chile, Argentina) by Felipe Solari Yrigoyen, Quijote Films, Gentil Cine
26. THE FUNERAL fiction (Brazil, Portugal, Romania) by Carolina Markowicz, Biônica Filmes
27. THE HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE documentary (Norway, Sweden, Germany) by Lene Berg, Twentyone Pictures
28. THE LANGFANG REPUBLIC fiction (Japan, France, Taiwan) by Katsuya Tomita, Kuzoku
29. THE ROPE fiction (Italy, Switzerland) by Alberto Fasulo, Nefertiti Film
30. THE SMUGGLER fiction (Switzerland, Greece, France) by Kaveh Bakhtiari, Beauvoir Films, Homemade Films, TS Productions - Focus on Greece
31. THEY BURN IN THE SAME WAY fiction (Argentina, Brazil) by Clarisa Navas, Gentil Cine, Desvia produçoes
32. TOXIC fiction (Austria, Germany, France, Sweden) by Jessica Hausner, Schubert
33. UNTITLED WATER DOCUMENTARY documentary (Chile, Canada) by Carola Fuentes, La Ventana Cine, Intuitive Pictures
34. URIHI – THE FOREST-LAND documentary (Brazil) by Morzaniel Iramari, Aruac Filmes
35. WAKE fiction (Greece, Cyprus, Serbia) by Thelyia Petraki, Filmiki & Out the Box - Focus on Greece
36. WOLFMOTHER fiction (France, Morocco) by Ismaël El Iraki, Special Touch Studios, Kasbah Films
37. 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 (Taiwan, 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, Lucid Realities  - 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 (Taiwan) 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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