The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the new cohort of its prestigious Résidence programme, an initiative designed to support the development of emerging film projects. For its 51st edition, the programme brings together six directors—three women and three men—who have been working in Paris since 16 March and will remain there until 31 July.

The selected filmmakers are Lithuanian director Saulė Bliuvaitė, British filmmaker Harry Lighton, Dutch director Emma Branderhorst, Spanish filmmaker of Chinese and Lebanese origin Joecar Hanna, Irish director Oliver McGoldrick, and Indian filmmaker Mansi Maheshwari. During their residency, they will receive tailored support to develop the screenplay for their first or second feature film.

Among the participants are several filmmakers who have already begun to establish themselves on the international circuit. Bliuvaitė won the Golden Leopard and the Best First Feature Award at the Locarno Film Festival in 2024 with her debut Toxic. Lighton, for his part, received the Best Screenplay Award in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes for Pillion. Branderhorst was awarded the Crystal Bear at the Berlinale in 2022 for Spotless and is currently preparing her debut feature, This Will Not End Well.

The group is rounded out by Joecar Hanna, who competed in Cannes’ La Cinef section with the short film Talk Me; Oliver McGoldrick, whose short Three Keenings screened in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival in 2024; and Mansi Maheshwari, who won Third Prize in La Cinef in 2024 for Bunnyhood.

Created in 2000, the Cannes Film Festival Résidence has hosted more than 250 directors from around 60 countries, establishing itself as a key platform for launching new international talent. Alumni include filmmakers who have gone on to achieve global recognition, such as Lucrecia Martel, Corneliu Porumboiu, Amat Escalante, Michel Franco, László Nemes, Lukas Dhont, Nadine Labaki, Nadav Lapid, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, Carla Simón, Karim Aïnouz, Rungano Nyoni, Chiang Wei and Payal Kapadia.