EFP European Film Promotion and its member organisations announce the 20 producers selected for the 27th edition of PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE, taking place during the Cannes Film Festival (12–23 May 2026).
The new group of producers who are taking part in the EFP networking programme at this year’s festival embraces a strong female presence:
Lixi Frank (Austria), Roxanne Sarkozi (Belgium), Constantinos Nikiforou (Cyprus), Dagmar Sedláčková (Czech Republic), Maria Møller Kjeldgaard (Denmark), Marianne Ostrat (Estonia), Daniel Kuitunen (Finland), Julie Billy (France), Philipp Trauer (Germany), Danae Spathara (Greece), Sunna Guðnadóttir (Iceland), Julianne Forde (Ireland), Stefano Centini (Italy), Marion Guth (Luxembourg), Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen (The Netherlands), Ivana Shekutkoska (North Macedonia), Agata Novinski (Slovak Republic), Xavi Font (Spain), Linda Mutawi (Sweden) and Michela Pini (Switzerland).
Through their diverse company profiles, the respective 20 producers reflect the breadth and vitality of contemporary European filmmaking, spanning different genres, from drama and comedy to thriller, fantasy, documentary, animation, and coming-of-age.
Two of the producers are attached to titles in the Cannes Film Festival Official Selection: Lixi Frank (Panama Film) from Austria is producer of Sandra Wollner’s Everytime (2026), screening in Un Certain Regard, and co-producer of Valeska Grisebach’s Competition entry, The Dreamed Adventure (2026). Italy’s Stefano Centini (Volos Films) is aboard Jorge Thielen Armand’s Death Has No Master (2026) which has been selected for Directors’ Fortnight.
Several participants are linked to internationally recognised productions, including recent submissions to the Academy Awards’ International Feature Film category: Marianne Ostrat (Alexandra Film) from Estonia was behind the acclaimed Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (2023) which won the Directing Award at the World Cinema Documentary Competition at Sundance. Icelandic producer Sunna Guðnadóttir (Bjartsýn Films) is associated with Beautiful Beings (2022), Iceland’s Oscar® submission. The PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE party also includes Xavi Font (ZuZú Cinema), Spanish producer of Cannes Jury Prize winner, Sirât (2025), which was nominated twice for the last year’s Academy Awards as well as Swedish producer Linda Mutawi (Fikra), whose credits comprise Sweden’s Oscar® entry, Eagles of the Republic (2025), which premiered last year in the Cannes Film Festival competition. Further names in this year’s ‘line-up’ are Julie Billy from France (June Films), whose film The Little Sister (2025) by Hafsia Herzi earned Nadia Melliti the Best Actress Award at Cannes, Philipp Trauer from Germany (BerghausWöbke Filmproduktion), associated with September 5 (2025) which was nominated for both an Oscar® and a Golden Globe®, as well as Finnish producer Daniel Kuitunen (Komeetta) and his film Nightborn (2026), which premiered in this year’s Berlinale Competition starring former Shooting Star Seidi Haarla. Ivana Shekutkoska (Minimal Collective) from North Macedonia is one of the two producers of DJ Ahmet (2025), produced by Cinema Futura, which received the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision and the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival 2025, while Julianne Forde (Tailored Films) from Ireland produced The Apprentice, which received nominations at the Oscars®, BAFTAs, and Golden Globes®. Danish producer Maria Møller Kjeldgaard (Manna Film) was behind Isabella Eklöf’s Kalak (2023), which won the Special Jury Prize at the San Sebastián Film Festival 2023.
Production of documentaries and animation films is likewise a strong part of the different company portfolios: Agata Novinski (NOVINSKI | Film) from the Slovak Republic, produced Kristina Dufková's animated feature, Living Large (2024) which won the Contrechamp Jury Award at Annecy; Marion Guth (a_BAHN) brings to the fore a cross-disciplinary approach entailing film, animation, and immersive storytelling, such as Ceci est mon coeur (2024), which was screened out of competition in the Immersive section at Cannes Film Festival 2024. Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen (100% Film) has established a distinctive voice in documentary filmmaking with this year’s Berlinale entry, Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest (2026).
The selection underscores a strong focus on female-driven storytelling and a close collaboration with women directors: Dagmar Sedláčková (MasterFilm) from the Czech Republic produced Zuzana Kirchnerová’s Caravan (2025) and Michela Pini (Cinédokké) from Switzerland was behind Klaudia Reynicke’s Love Me Tender (2019).
A few participants are connected to debut features and emerging directing talent: Constantinos Nikiforou (Caretta Films) from Cyprus produced Kristijan Risteski’s Snow White Dies at the End (2022); Danae Spathara (Heretic) produced Kostis Charamountanis’ debut Kyuka: Before Summer’s End (2024), the opening film of ACID Cannes 2024, which was later featured at the 2025 New Directors/New Films Festival curated by MoMA; and Roxanne Sarkozi (De Wereldvrede) from Belgium produced Leonardo Van Dijl’s Julie Keeps Quiet (2024), winner of both the SACD Award and the Gan Foundation Award at Cannes Critics’ Week.
EFP PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE is made possible thanks to the support of Creative Europe – the MEDIA Programme of the European Union, Eurimages, Film i Väst, Vienna Film Commission, as well as the participating national film promotion institutes (EFP’s member organisations) from the Producers on the Move countries: Austrian Films, Cinecittà (Italy), Czech Film Center, Danish Film Institute, Deputy Ministry of Culture (Cyprus), Estonian Film Institute, Finnish Film Foundation, Film Fund Luxembourg, Flanders Image (Belgium), German Films, Hellenic Film & Audiovisual Center, Icelandic Film Centre, Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (Spain), North Macedonia Film Agency, Screen Ireland / Fís Éireann, SEE NL (The Netherlands), Slovak Film Institute, Swedish Film Institute, SWISS FILMS and Unifrance. The main media partner is Variety, with Cineuropa and Screen International as additional media partners.
