The Pop Up Film Residency has selected eight participants who will be taking part in residencies across Europe this summer. The program’s latest cohort was announced during an event at the Cannes Marché du Film’s Village Innovation.
Since the pilot edition in 2018, 150 residencies have been offered, and each year the number is increasing.
“What amazes me most about this new batch of residencies is the sheer global reach we’ve all built together. In a single season, we have an Iranian filmmaker developing his project in Paris, a Japanese director landing in France for the first time, A Rwandan-Swiss filmmaker hosted in Lithuania, a Palestinian voice finding space in Rome, a Canadian director working on the shore of an Italian lake, Slovenian genre filmmakers heading to Bratislava and the Swedish islands, a Lithuanian filmmaker travelling to the Faroe Islands and a producer from Ethiopia reaching Slovakia to exchange with fellow producers. This is what our network actually looks like.
The strength of Pop Up Film Residency has always been its people: the hosts who welcome the filmmakers in their countries, the partners like CNC, Eurimages, VIPO, and the Slovenian Film Centre who trust in a model built on depth rather than volume, and above all the filmmakers who bring their most urgent stories and allow us to accompany them through their cinematic journey.” Matthieu Darras, TATINO CEO
Upcoming summer Pop Up Film residencies:
Pop Up Film Residency CNC 2026
The Pop Up Film Residency CNC 2026, dedicated to supporting Iranian filmmakers in the development of their feature film projects, will welcome in France:
Parsa ANSARI
for his project
SHOOTING STARS
Parsa Ansari will be hosted in Paris, France by Franco-Chilean screenwriter Antonia Girardi.
Pop Up Film Residency Emerging Producers 2026
Pop Up Film Residency Emerging Producers, organized in partnership with Jihlava IDFF a nd open to European documentary emerging producers, goes to:
Nahusenay DEREJE
Producer of the project
THE FORTUNATE
Ethiopia
Nahusenay Dereje will be hosted in Bratislava, Slovakia by director Ivana Hucikova in September/October 2026.
Pop Up Film Residency Eurimages 2026
Pop Up Film Residency Eurimages, organized in partnership with Eurimages and open to experienced European women filmmakers, goes to:
Alanté KAVAÏTÉ
for her project
BEAVER SONG
Lithuania/France
Alanté Kavaïté will be hosted in Faroe Islands, Denmark by producer Jón Hammer in June 2026. This award is given by a jury made of Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir, Japanese director Chie Hayakawa and Indian producer Guneet Monga.
Pop Up Film Residency Japan Film Frontier 2026, in partnership with VIPO
Pop Up Film Residency teams up with VIPO to launch its latest initiative, the Pop Up Film Residency Japan Film Frontier. This 2026 residency, aimed to support Japanese filmmakers and giving them the chance to experience a residency outside their home country, goes to:
Mai NAKANISHI
for her project
CHILD, UNINVITED
Mai Nakanishi will be hosted in Paris in the summer of 2026.
Pop Up Film Residency Focus CoPro 2026
The 2026 resident of Pop Up Film Residency Focus CoPro, open to short filmmakers developing feature debuts highlighted by Festival de Cannes’ Short Film Corner and Rendez-vous Industry by Cinéma de demain, is Rwandan–Swiss filmmaker:
Gaël Kamilindi
for his project
THE ZEBRA’S SHADOW
Gaël Kamilindi will be hosted in Vilnius, Lithuania in August 2026, hosted by Lithuanian producer Marija Razgute.
Pop Up Film Residency Next Wave Genre Slovenia 2026
Pop Up Film Residency Next Wave Genre Slovenia, organized in partnership with the Slovenian Film Centre and open to Slovenian writers, directors, writer-directors, and producers currently developing feature genre film projects, will welcome residents:
August BRAATZ
for his project
WE ARE STILL SCREAMING
Slovenia
&
Urška Djukić Lecamus
for her project
FORBIDDEN FRUIT
Slovenia
August Braatz will be hosted in Bratislava, Slovakia by director Ivana Hucikova in September/October 2026.
Urška Djukić Lecamus will be hosted in Fårö Island, Sweden by director Helen Beltrame-Linné in September/October 2026.
Pop Up Film Residency On Demand
This Residency programme is only open to filmmakers with an already established body of work (at least two features written and/or directed, or similar filmography), and that usually cannot benefit from new talents supporting schemes. This the Pop Up Film Residency on Demand was given to:
Harley Chamandy
for his project
REVEREND
Canada
Harley Chamandy will be hosted in Lago, Italy by Lago Film Festival director Viviana Carlet in the summer 2026.
Pop Up Film Residency Wildcard
Pop Up Film Residency Wildcard is designed to support exceptional film talents from countries in a state of political unrest. This year, for this Pop Up Film Residency, we can count on the cooperation and support of producer Giovanni Pompili and his company Kino Produzioni, who will host for the first time a Pop Up Film Residency in Rome, welcoming:
Laila Abbas
for her project
AMERICA IS BEHIND THE DOOR
Palestine
Laila Abbas will be hosted in Rome, Italy in June.