Venice Gap Financing Market: Ursula Meier, Lav Diaz, Jessica Hausner
The 13th edition of the Venice Film Festival Gap-Financing Market (September 4th – September 6th, 2026) has revealed its lineup of projects seeking closing finance.
Among this year’s lineup (in full below) there are projects from acclaimed international filmmakers Lav Diaz, Ursula Meier and Jessica Hausner.
The three-day Venice Gap-Financing Market will present 66 projects from around the world in the final stages of development and funding. Teams will have the opportunity to meet with financiers, sellers and distributors. The 31 features (20 from Europe and 11 from around the world) already have at least 70% of their funding in place.
In 2026 the VPB Focuses will be Greece, supported by Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Centre, and Switzerland, supported by Swiss Films.
Venice Gap-Financing Market (as provided 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), 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
11 BIENNALE COLLEGE CINEMA – IMMERSIVE PROJECTS:
11 projects, that have been developed during the workshop of Biennale College Cinema Immersive, 10th 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
3 BIENNALE COLLEGE CINEMA PROJECTS:
3 projects, that have been developed during the first workshop of Biennale College Cinema, 14th 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.
