Projects

Runtime: 90'

Expected release: January 2027

Production stage: Production

Budget: $534,299 (10% in place)

1st feature: Yes

Looking for: Festivals, sales agents, distributors, buyers, gap financing, strategic guidance, broadcasters

Synopsis:

Sadije (14) is a wrestling champion from Skopje’s Albanian-Muslim district Gazi Baba. Expected to be her family’s breadwinner as a modern “sworn virgin”, she wrestles under the Macedonian flag, yet doesn’t speak the language. Wrestling offers escape but also relentless pressure: cutting weight, training under male coaches, and navigating a world where her victories are sidelined by ethnic politics. Sadije must decide whether wrestling is her freedom or just another role shaped by others’ expectations.

Director’s Profile:

Pauline Blanchet is an award-winning film director and producer whose work explores themes of sports, nationalism, and identity. Her short documentary Zuckerberg You Owe/Own Me has been screened internationally, and she has participated in renowned programs such as CPH:DOX, Sheffield Doc Fest, and the Sundance Co//ab Documentary Course. Her current project, Big in Gazi Baba, has garnered multiple awards, including the Cannes Docs Marché du Film Award, Al Jazeera Balkans Co-Production Award, and EURODOC award. Pauline’s archive-based film What You Remember, now in development, received a Special Mention from Sandbox Films at AFO 2024. She is known for her innovative use of experimental and collaborative filmmaking, incorporating archival research and cutting-edge technologies like AI-driven reconstructions to explore history and collective memory.

Producer’s Profile:

Avdi Thachi is a film producer and editor from North Macedonia who crafts human-centered narratives through his company, Lumiere Films. With a foundation in editing, Thachi expanded into production, bringing comprehensive understanding to each project. His talents span numerous productions, including the short documentary Antigona and Farmer’s Blues, where he served as producer. He was also co-producer on the feature film Everybody Calls Redjo. In 2025, he is taking part in Eurodoc, further strengthening his focus on creative documentary. Working as both producer and editor allows him to shape stories from technical and creative perspectives. Deeply vested in filmmaking, Thachi develops compelling international projects that showcase diverse voices. Through Lumiere Films, he remains committed to authentic storytelling that resonates with global audiences.

Kreshnik Jonuzi is an Albanian/American filmmaker who is based in New York City. He began his filmmaking career at NFL Films, working on numerous sports documentaries that aired on HBO & ESPN. He has directed and produced three feature documentaries that screened at festivals worldwide, including Thessaloniki, Warsaw, Dokufest, Nordisk Panorama, and Reykjavik Film Festival. Recently, he was featured in DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40, which spotlights young creatives who are making an impact on the field of documentary.

Aymeric Isnard is a passionate producer specializing in the development of audiovisual fiction and documentary projects at Futur Antérieur Production. He stands out for his bold and innovative approach to creating narrative content, always seeking to explore unique and contemporary stories. In 2024, Aymeric participated in the prestigious “Less is More” program at Groupe Ouest as a Development Angel, further strengthening his expertise in supporting projects at the writing and development stages. With a solid background in the field, he is dedicated to supporting emerging writers and directors, focusing on original and impactful stories that bridge the gap between auteur cinema and mainstream fiction. Before joining production companies, he worked in law firms dedicated to cinema (111 avocats and FTPA). He graduated with a master’s degree in Intellectual Property law from King’s College London.

Runtime: 75'

Expected release: January 2027

Production stage: Production

Budget: €428,626 (66% in place)

1st feature: Yes

Looking for: Festivals, sales agents, distributors, buyers, co-producers, gap financing

Synopsis:

Based on diaries and photographs of the director’s grandfather and mother, the film reconstructs the life of one family within the never-ending cycle of destruction and restoration in her hometown — Mariupol. Today, the director is left with nothing except her memories. And she is not the only one: while we are watching this film, somewhere there is war.

Director’s Profile:

Zoya Laktionova is a Mariupol born film director and contemporary artist. Her first short Diorama (12’) about the mined sea in the Mariupol area received an award in the MyStreetFilms at 2018 “86” Festival. Her next film Territory of Empty Windows (10’) premiered at 2021 DocudaysUA and received numerous awards at European film festivals. Zoya has been residing in Paris in 2022-23 as a recipient of the Harriman Residencies of Columbia University and in 2024-25 as a resident of Cité internationale des arts at Montmartre. As an artist, she has been exhibited in Roma’s MAXXI, Paris’ The Centre Pompidou and Vienna’s MUMOK. Zoya works with themes of war, memory and personal stories.

Producer’s Profile:

Experienced in co-production and finance through her work with international companies, Natalia Libet is a producer and a co-founder of the women-led production company “2Brave Productions” based in Kyiv/Ukraine. She has produced several successful features, including Kateryna Gornostai’s Timestamp (2025 Berlinale Competition) and Stop-Zemlia (2021 Crystal Bear Berlinale Generation 14+), Mantas Kvedaravicius’ Parthenon (2019 Venice International Critics’ Week) and Anna Buryachkova’s Forever-Forever (2023 Venice Orizzonti Extra). She holds a U.S. MBA as a recipient of the 2000 Edmund Muskie Fellowship Award. She is a member of European and Ukrainian Film Academies, an alumna of EURODOC 2021, Emerging Producers 2022 and Nipkow Program 2023. Natalia also serves as the Head of Tatino Films’ First Cut+, an annual workshop focusing on marketing and positioning of feature films. In 2024, Natalia became a Film Independent Global Media Makers fellow.

Victor Ede, a co-owner and a producer of Cinephage Productions. Cinéphage is a French production based in Marseilles with a catalogue dedicated to gender, childhood, environmental, mental health and war aftermath issues. Cinephage is involved in a large majority of international projects, while having a strong presence in Marseilles and the international industry. Our last films are the Hungarian film KIX (CPH:DOX), the Swedish Unanimal, and the Balkanic The Mountain Won’t Move both to be premiered spring 2025.

Runtime: 90'

Expected release: February 2026

Production stage: Advanced stage of post-production

Budget: $137,580 (93% in place)

1st feature: Yes

Looking for: Festivals, worldwide premiere, distributors, sale agents, strategic guidance

Synopsis:

My grandfather, who was married for 57 years in conservative Costa Rica, died in a house fire. After this tragic event, my father revealed that, just like me, my grandfather was gay. Motivated by this discovery, my father and I revisit my grandfather’s life, discovering ourselves in the process.

Director’s Profile:

Andrés Madrigal is a Costa Rican filmmaker exploring queer narratives and the intersection of the personal and political through documentary storytelling. His short film Pray For Us (2017) was nominated for Best Short Film at the Ícaro International Film Festival and screened at Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival. He also co-directed the short documentary I Was Born There (2016), which was selected for the Havana  International Film Festival. In 2023, he was recognized by the Prince Claus Fund’s Seed Awards as one of 100 emerging cultural practitioners. He has refined his work through top industry labs, including the Sundance Documentary Storytelling Lab, Guadalajara Film Festival WIP, Conecta Chile WIP, SANFIC, Bolivia Lab, and Proyectos de Atitlán.

 

 

 

Producer’s Profile:

Sofía Meza Herrera is a queer and feminist Costa Rican creative producer. She graduated with honors from UCR in audiovisual production and strategic communication, with her thesis focused on impact campaigns in Latin American cinema. She was selected as an emerging filmmaking talent at Ícaro 2020 and Málaga Talent 2022.