Projects from Emily Atef, Babak Jalali, Luis Ortega and Ulrich Seidl are among the 40 films selected for the 12th edition of the Venice Gap-Financing Market (August 29 – 31), taking place during the Venice Film Festivals.
The market is a part of the Venice Production Bridge and provides the 67 projects with the chance to close their intentional financing. This year’s focus is on projects from the UK, Chile and Morocco.
Atef makes her English-language debut with Call Me Queen about a friendship between an Irish journalist in Kenya and a Rwandan woman during the 1990s AIDS crisis. It is produced by Germany’s Ringel Film and France’s Les Films Pelleas.
UK-Iranian filmmaker Jalali’s project is called A Town In Nova Scotia and is produced by the UK’s Paradise City with production set to start in Liverpool later this year. Jalali’s last film Fremont won the John Cassavetes Independent Spirit Award in 2024.
Also seeking financing is Seidl’s Distances about a journalist who travels to dark tourism spots and slowly loses touch with reality. The Austrian filmmaker is producing via his own company Ulrich SeidlFilmproduktion. Further projects selected come from France’s Sofia Alaoui, Indonesia’s Kamila Andini and Argentina’s Luis Ortega.
Organisers said this year’s Venice Gap-Financing Market received over 330 applications with 32 fiction, eight documentaries and 14 immersive projects finally selected.
The fiction projects have at least 70% of their financing already in place.
Venice Gap- Financing Market 2025
93 Echo From a Collapse (Den-Faroe Islands-Ice) Documentary
Dir: Andrias Høgenni
Prod co: Tambo Film
Afonso’s Smile (Port-Lux-It)
Dir: João Pedro Rodrigues
Prod cos: Terratreme Filmes, Joli Rideau Media, Frenesy Film
Amapola (Ecu-Braz-Mex-Chile)
Dir: Ana Cristina Barragán
Prod cos: Trópico Cine, Botón Films
A Town In Nova Scotia (UK) Focus on the UK
Dir: Babak Jalali
Prod co: Paradise City
A White House (It-Fr)
Dir: Francesco Romano
Prod co: Amarena Film
Arru (Nor-Swe-Fin)
Dir: Elle Sofe Sara
Prod co: Stær Film
Athos 2643 (Ger)
Dir: David Wnendt
Prod cos: Seven Elephants, Constantin Film Produktion, Constantin Film Distribution
The Black Pearl (Mor) Focus on Morocco
Dir: Ayoub Qanir
Prod co: Hypothèse
Call Me Queen (Ger-Fr)
Dir: Emily Atef
Prod co: Ringel Film
Caro Nanni (Sp)
Dir: Pablo Maqueda
Prod co: Viva Films
Culebra Cut (Pan-Fr-Chile)
Dir: Ana Elena Tejera
Prod cos: Mestizo Cinema, Fulgurance
Distances (Aus-Ger-Fr)
Dir: Ulrich Seidl
Prod co: Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion, Coproduction Office
Dog Legs (Chile- Col-Ger) Focus on Chile
Dir: Matías Rojas Valencia
Prod cos: A Simple Vista, Rhayuela, Klinker Films
Drifting Images (Chile-Sp) Documentary, Focus on Chile
Dir: Nicolás Tabilo
Prod co: TABILOs
Echoes Of Light (It-Ger)
Dir: Luca Lucchesi
Prod co: Alción
Emerald Butterfly (Neth-Bel-Sing-UK)
Dir: Martin Koolhoven
Prod co: N279 Entertainment
Forough: Let Us Believe In The Beginning Of The Cold Season (UK-Den-Gre-Fr) Focus on the UK
Dir: Tina Gharavi
Prod co: Bridge + Tunnel
Four Seasons In Java (Indo-Neth-Nor-Fr-Ger-Sing)
Dir: Kamila Andini
Prod co: Forka Films
Heirloom (Ind-Ger) Animation
Dir: Upamanyu Bhattacharyya
Prod cos: Odd& Even, Otter Studio, POM POM Animation
I’ll Forget Your Name (Fr-Switz)
Dir: Yamm Gonzalez
Prod co: Pan Cinema
In The Black Fantastic (UK) Documentary. Focus on the UK
Dir: Julianknxx
Prod co: Rememory
Love Story With A Dancing Man (It-Chile)
Dir: Cosimo Gomez
Prod co: Tramp Limited
Magnetized (Arg)
Dir: Luis Ortega
Prod co: El Despacho
The Mammoths That Escaped The Kingdom Of Erlik Khan (Port-Den-UK-North Mac) Focus on the UK
Dir: Tamara Koteveska
Prod co: Alecrim Vagabundo
May You Outlive Us (Bel-Leb-Fr)
Dir: Isabelle Mecattaf
Prod co: Rouge International
Maya Butterfly (Ire-Lux)
Dir: Edwina Casey
Prod co: Hail Mary Pictures
The Missing Camel (Mor-Sen-Mali) Focus on Morocco
Dirs: Cheihk N’Diaye, Abel Aflam
Prod cos: Astou Productions, Ds Productions
My Way (Arg-It)
Dir: Diego Lerman
Prod co: Campo Cine
Orso Q: Seasons Of Solitude (Greenland-Fin)
Dir: Inuk Silis Høegh
Prod co: Ánorâk Film
The Outside (Sp)
Dir: Víctor Moreno
Prod co: KV Films
People Still Die Of Love (Chile-Mex)
Dir: Fernando Guzzoni
Prod co: Oro Films
Rebellion Of Memory (Switz-Peru) Documentary
Dir: Joël Jent
Prod cos: Aaron Film, Amazona Producciones
Save Our Souls (Ger-Fr)
Dir: Jonas Steinacker
Prod co: Lichtschloss Filmproduktion
Serafina (Est-Lat)
Dir: Veiko Õunpuu
Prod co: Nafta Films
Sound Of Silence (Fr-Gre-UK-Leb)
Dir: Joyce A. Nashawati
Prod co: Pan Cinema
Tarfaya (Mor-Fr) Focus on Morocco
Dir: Sofia Alaoui
Prod cos: Jiango Films, Srab Films
To Die On Your Feet (Chile-Sp-Lux-Urug) Focus on Chile
Dir: María Paz González
Prod co: Quijote Films
Torn Heart (Braz-Port-Ger)
Dir: Helvécio Marins
Prod cos: Canabrava, Casana Árvore
Wild Horse In The Rotten West (UK-Bulg-Fr) Focus on the UK
Dirs; Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova
Prod co: MK38
Wild Wild East (Pol-Isr)
Dir: Jan Holoubek
Prod co: TPB POL