Producers on the Move Program Reveals Cannes Candidates

European Film Promotion and its member organizations have revealed the 20 up-and-coming producers selected for the 27th edition of its networking program Producers on the Move, taking place during the Cannes Film Festival. The credits of the selected participants include “Sirât,” “September 5,” “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” and “DJ Ahmet,” and Cannes 2026 competition title “The Dreamed Adventure.”

The producers are 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).

Two of the producers are attached to titles in the Cannes official selection: Lixi Frank of Panama Film from Austria is producer of Sandra Wollner’s “Everytime,” screening in Un Certain Regard, and co-producer of Valeska Grisebach’s competition entry “The Dreamed Adventure.” Italy’s Stefano Centini of Volos Films is aboard Jorge Thielen Armand’s “Death Has No Master,” which has been selected for Directors’ Fortnight.

Several participants are linked to internationally recognized productions, including recent submissions to the Academy Awards’ International Feature Film category: Marianne Ostrat of Alexandra Film from Estonia was behind “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” (2023), which won the Directing Award at the World Cinema Documentary Competition at Sundance. Icelandic producer Sunna Guðnadóttir of Bjartsýn Films is associated with “Beautiful Beings” (2022), Iceland’s Oscar submission.

The group also includes Xavi Font of ZuZú Cinema, Spanish producer of Cannes jury prize winner “Sirât” (2025), which was nominated twice for the Academy Awards as well as Swedish producer Linda Mutawi of 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 lineup are Julie Billy from France of June Films, whose film “The Little Sister” (2025) by Hafsia Herzi earned Nadia Melliti the best actress award at Cannes, Philipp Trauer from Germany of 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 of Komeetta and his film “Nightborn” (2026), which premiered in this year’s Berlinale Competition, starring former Shooting Star Seidi Haarla.

Ivana Shekutkoska of 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 of Tailored Films from Ireland produced “The Apprentice,” which received nominations at the Oscars, BAFTAs and Golden Globes.

Danish producer Maria Møller Kjeldgaard of Manna Film was behind Isabella Eklöf’s “Kalak” (2023), which won the special jury prize at the San Sebastián Film Festival in 2023.