Festival de Cannes: Meet the New Generation of Young Directors

It’s that time of year again — the Festival de Cannes is just around the corner, and with it comes a new wave of emerging filmmakers joining the prestigious Résidence du Festival de Cannes. This year, Flóra Anna Buda, Andrea Gatopoulos, Xiwen Cong, Simon Maria Kubiena, Constance Tsang, and Rodrigo Ribeyro are among the talented few who will reside in Paris from March 15 to July 31, 2025. Over the course of their stay, they will benefit from a personalised screenwriting residency and a curated programme of meetings with leading film professionals. Here’s everything you need to know about the next generation of directors shaping the future of cinema. 

Flóra Anna Buda

Hungary 

Born in Budapest, Flóra Anna Buda first dreamed of becoming a fashion designer, but her love for drawing ultimately led her to study animation at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME). Her animated graduation film, Entropia — a story about three women living in parallel universes — premiered at the 69th Berlinale and received the 33rd Teddy Award. After graduating, she joined MIYU Productions as an intern, later creating her first professional film in co-production with Boddah. The short film, titled 27, follows an ordinary 27-year-old woman who, after a near-fatal bicycle accident, decides to radically change her life. 27 premiered at the Festival de Cannes, where it won the Short Film Palme d’Or, and later received the Cristal Award at the Annecy Festival in 2023.

“I am deeply honoured to join the prestigious Résidence du Festival de Cannes,” she says. “This opportunity represents a transformative milestone in my career as a filmmaker. Being part of this programme is not only a validation of my creative vision, but also a chance to hone my craft under the guidance of accomplished mentors and alongside talented peers. The structured support, access to industry resources, and the freedom to engage deeply with my script will allow me to take my work in new directions. As someone still carving out a path in this competitive industry, this residency symbolises more than just an accolade — it is a platform to deepen my understanding of storytelling and connect with a vibrant creative community.”

Andrea Gatopoulos

Italy

“I fell in love with cinema because of the possibility of conjuring and creating worlds, and turning imagination into light,” declares Italian-Greek director, producer, and distributor Andrea Gatopoulos. “More than once, in recent years, I’ve encountered people who tried to kill that imagination, pushing me to make films that would merely respond to the market. As a result, many of my stories retreated into a drawer and disappeared. This selection rekindles a fire inside me: it reminds me that what I dream is possible, that what I imagine can become a film one day.”

Born in 1994, Gatopoulos already holds an impressive list of accolades. He is a member of the European Film Academy and an alumnus of Berlinale Talents, the Locarno Spring Academy, and TorinoFilmLab (TFL). He founded the production company Il Varco, the short film distribution platform Gargantua, and the avant-garde cinema residency Nouvelle Bug. Holding a degree in Literature, he also honed his craft in workshops with such masters as Werner Herzog, Radu Jude, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

A former gamer before the age of 18, Gatopoulos often explores virtual realities, uncanny valleys, disillusionment, anti-capitalism, and critiques of progressivism in his work. Happy New Year, Jim (2022) — a story of two boys immersed in video games even on New Year’s Eve — became the first machinima film ever presented at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight. In 2023, he premiered Eschaton Ad in Locarno, a striking meditation on the apocalyptic advent of AI. Later that year, he debuted his first documentary feature, A Stranger Quest, at the Torino Film Festival — a portrait of David Rumsey, who spent three decades amassing one of the world’s largest collections of historical maps. In 2024, Gatopoulos opened the 39th Venice Film Critics’ Week with The Eggregores’ Theory — a philosophical short created with AI that delves into the chaotic interior world of a musician. It marked the first AI-generated film to ever premiere at Venice.

Xiwen Cong

China

Xiwen Cong grew up in a small county town in Northeast China. She studied film directing at the prestigious Beijing Film Academy (BFA) and made a name for herself with the poignant short film Banished Love, which follows a young Chinese girl questioning whether the rest of the world resembles her country — and whether aggression is the only way to express love. The film was selected for La Cinef at the 77th Festival de Cannes and also screened at the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival.

“Being able to participate in La Résidence means that I can focus more deeply on revising my script,” she shares. “I think it’s exciting to be writing in Paris. When I was a teenager, I read a lot of French novels, and many of the authors described their experiences writing in Paris — I thought that was amazing.” Xiwen also looks forward to connecting with other filmmakers: “When I was fifteen, I discovered the films of Carla Simón, and they had a real impact on me. When I learned that she had also participated in La Résidence, I felt even more honoured to be part of this program.” Currently, she is developing her first feature, Home, Sick, during her time at La Résidence du Festival de Cannes.

Simon Maria Kubiena

Austria

Born in 1998, Simon Maria Kubiena is an Austrian writer-director based between Vienna and Berlin. He began studying film directing in 2019 at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, spending a semester abroad at La Fémis, France’s most prestigious film school. In 2023, he enrolled in a Master’s program in screenwriting at the London Film School (LFS).

His short film Blue Noise, about a young man searching for a paternal bond with his teacher, received an award at the 72nd Berlinale, followed by the co-directed short Mise à nu, which explores the boundaries between friendship and desire, premiering at the 73rd Berlinale. His latest short, At Home I Feel Like Leaving, about a young woman returning to her home village, premiered at Premiers Plans d’Angers.

“It is a huge privilege for me to follow in the footsteps of so many extraordinary filmmakers at La Résidence, and I feel encouraged and grateful to receive the support of the Festival de Cannes at this early stage of my career,” Kubiena says. “I am excited to be challenged, to have time to experiment, and to exchange perspectives with my fellow residents. Through all of this, I aim to face the heart of my first feature film honestly and without compromise. As I like to explore magical encounters in my films, I hope to experience something similar during these precious months — wandering around Paris, engaging with inspiring art and people.”

Simon is currently developing his first feature film, The Flowering of a Chimaera, which follows a disturbed young man coming to terms with his guilt through an unusual, healing connection with an older man.

Constance Tsang

USA

Based in New York, Chinese-American filmmaker Constance Tsang holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Individualised Study from New York University and a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting and Directing from Columbia University. Her first feature, Blue Sun Palace — a touching story about two Chinese migrants living in Queens — premiered at the Semaine de la Critique in Cannes in 2024, where it won the French Touch Prize.

“I am deeply grateful and honoured to be selected for La Résidence as I embark on writing my next feature,” she confides. “Writing, for me, is both a frustrating and joyful process — one that often demands intense focus and can feel profoundly isolating. The opportunity to fully immerse myself in storytelling is a true gift, but what makes this experience even more special is the chance to share the journey, support, and collaborate with my fellow residents — something I will truly cherish.” Her next feature, My Mother and Yours, is currently in development at La Résidence du Festival de Cannes.

Rodrigo Ribeyro

Brazil

A graduate of the Academia Internacional de Cinema and the Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Brazilian filmmaker Rodrigo Ribeyro has written and directed several short films and experimental music videos. Raised in an environmental reserve on the fringes of São Paulo — the Serra da Cantareira — Ribeyro’s artistic practice explores the frictions between society, nature, and labor. He dedicated his first short fiction film, Cantareira, about a worker and resident of downtown São Paulo who returns to his grandfather’s house in the Serra da Cantareira, to his native region. Cantareira received an award from the La Cinef Jury at the 74th Festival de Cannes, as well as prizes at major Brazilian festivals including the Brasília Film Festival, Rio de Janeiro International Short Film Festival, and São Paulo International Short Film Festival. His most recent short film, The Nature, about a young man helping his father fulfill his final wish, premiered at Festival do Rio.

“It is a joy to be a part of La Résidence,” Ribeyro explains. “I’m grateful for the continuous support from Cannes, which has played an important role in my career since the very first steps. I am motivated by the time, space, exchange, and inspiration that this opportunity will provide. I hope to find new friends, experiences, and paths for my project.” At La Résidence, Rodrigo will be developing his first feature film project.

Text: Lidia Ageeva