Paris, March 2026 — The Festival de Cannes has announced the selection of six international filmmakers for the 51st session of its renowned La Résidence program, continuing its long-standing commitment to nurturing emerging cinematic talent from around the world.
Saulė Bliuvaité © Aris Rammos / Oliver McGoldrick © Andrey Francis / Mansi Maheshwari © DR
The selected directors — Harry Lighton (UK), Emma Branderhorst (Netherlands), Joecar Hanna (Spain), Saulė Bliuvaitė (Lithuania), Mansi Maheshwari (India), and Oliver McGoldrick (Ireland) — will take part in an intensive residency in Paris from March 16 to July 31, 2026.
During the four-and-a-half-month program, participants will benefit from a personalized screenwriting residency along with a collective schedule of meetings with industry professionals. The initiative is designed to support filmmakers as they develop scripts for their first or second feature films.
La Résidence annually welcomes twelve filmmakers across two sessions, offering a collaborative environment in the heart of Paris that encourages creative exchange and artistic growth. Since its inception, the program has supported over 250 filmmakers from nearly 60 countries, many of whom have gone on to achieve international recognition at major film festivals.
Notable alumni include Lucrecia Martel, László Nemes, Nadine Labaki, Lukas Dhont, and Payal Kapadia, reflecting the program’s global impact.
The 51st session features an equal gender balance, with three women and three men selected — a reflection of the festival’s continued emphasis on diversity and inclusion in filmmaking.
Among the selected participants is UK-based writer-director Harry Lighton, whose debut feature Pillion gained critical acclaim after winning Best Screenplay in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes 2025. Dutch filmmaker Emma Branderhorst, known for her emotionally nuanced short films, joins with plans to develop her debut feature.
Spanish filmmaker Joecar Hanna, of Chinese-Lebanese descent, brings a strong international background shaped by work in both editing and directing, while Lithuanian director Saulė Bliuvaitė arrives following the success of her award-winning debut Toxic.
India’s Mansi Maheshwari, an animation director recognized for her Cannes-winning short Bunnyhood, will also participate, alongside Irish filmmaker and doctor Oliver McGoldrick, whose short films have screened at major festivals including Venice.
The selected filmmakers expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to focus on writing, collaborate with peers, and draw inspiration from Paris — widely regarded as a historic hub of artistic creativity.
With its continued focus on emerging voices, La Résidence remains a cornerstone of the Festival de Cannes’ mission to support the next generation of global filmmakers.
By Cem kaplan