La Factory des cinéastes
DIRECTORS' FACTORY CEARÁ-BRAZIL CANNES 2025
The Directors’ Factory project
Directors’ Fortnight wishes to encourage new cinematographic languages and forms.
Since 2013, under the umbrella of Directors’ Fortnight, the Factory aims at the emergence of new talents on the international scene. Each year, with the support of a new partner country, the Factory mentors 8 budding filmmakers with ambitious first or second feature projects to co-write and co-direct, in pairs, a total of 4 short films to be screened at the Fortnight in May.
Following a call for applications at the beginning of July, the Fortnight and the Factory select the 8 best projects in development - first or second feature films - including 4 by filmmakers from the hosting partner country and 4 by international filmmakers.
Then, the 8 directors enter a residency program. They will be paired in four teams (a local one from the hosting country associated with an international one) and will co-write and co-direct a 15min short film. The 4-film program will be screened in May at Directors’ Fortnight.
At the same time, during the Cannes Film Festival, the 8 directors will have the opportunity to present their feature film projects to a panel of professionals (institutions, producers, sales agents) and to take part in one-to-one meetings.
Directors’ Factory 2025: Ceará-Brazil in the spotlight
After its third edition in 2015 in Chile, Directors' Factory is more than happy to head back to Latin America in 2025 in the Nordeste of Brazil. The program is coproduced by Inflamável in Brazil and Dominique Welinski, founder, and curator, at DW (France) in partnership with The Secretariat of Culture of Ceará, represented by the Instituto Mirante and the Instituto Dragão do Mar. Factory Ceará-Brazil will be mentored by Karim Aïnouz.
Call for applications 2025
The Fortnight’s editorial line
First and second feature film projects submitted must demonstrate experimentation and singularity in terms of mise en scène. For instance:
new narrative structures,
new visual and aesthetic imaginations,
innovative techniques of montage,
original shot composition, use of color, sound design, actor directing etc.
Fictions, documentaries and all hybrid or original formats are authorized. Adaptations of novels are allowed.
Timetable
- July 1st: Launch of call for applications
- August 12: Closure of the call for applications
- September 10: Shortlist of 8-10 Brazilian directors to be auditioned (live or online)
- September 23 to 28: Interviews with shortlisted directors, final selection and pairing directors.
- October 1st till December 31st: scriptwriting for the selected pairs.
- Mid-January: pre-prep with local teams and directors, remotely with the international ones.
- March/April: shootings and post (TBC)
- May 13 to 23: Cannes (exact duration of the stay TBC)
