The 49th session of La Résidence of the Festival

La Résidence welcomes its 49th session! Take a world tour with 6 Residents: Flóra Anna Buda from Hungarye, Andrea Gatopoulos from Italy, Xiwen Cong from China, Simon Maria Kubiena from Austria, Constance Tsang from the USA and Rodrigo Ribeyro from Brazil. Welcome to these talented young filmmakers who will enjoy personalized support for four and a half months in the heart of Paris, as they bring their debut or second feature film projects to life within this Residence that has successfully nurtured many remarkable and inspiring projects.

Discover who the six new faces of La Résidence are.

Flóra Anna Buda

“I am deeply honored to join this prestigious Résidence du Festival de Cannes. This opportunity represents a transformative milestone in my career as a filmmaker. Being a part of this program is not only a validation of my creative vision but also an opportunity to hone my craft under the guidance of accomplished mentors and alongside talented peers. The structured support, access to industry resources, and the space to freely engage with my script will allow me to elevate my work to new directions. As someone still carving a path in this competitive industry, this residency symbolizes more than just an accolade—it is a platform to deepen the understanding of the way I want to tell a story, and connect with a vibrant community.“

Flóra Anna Buda was born and raised in Budapest. After studying fashion, her love for drawing and storytelling led her to study animation at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME), from which she graduated at the age of 27. Her graduation film, Entopia, premiered at the 69th Berlinale and received the 33rd Teddy Award. Right after graduating, she became an intern at MIYU Productions, where she later made her first professional film in co-production with Boddah. This short film, entitled 27, premiered at the Festival de Cannes and won the Palme d’or, and then the Cristal Award at the Annecy Festival in 2023.

Andrea Gatopoulos

“I fell in love with cinema because of the possibility of conjuring and creating worlds, and making imagination turn into light. More than once, in recent years, I have met with people who tried to kill this imagination to try and make me do films that could respond to the market, and this made so many of my stories shy away into a drawer and disappear. This selection really rekindles a fire inside me: that what I dream is possible, that what I can imagine will be a film one day!”

Andrea Gatopoulos is an Italian and Greek director, producer and distributor. A member of EFA, and alumnus of Berlinale Talents, Locarno Spring Academy and TFL, he founded his company Il Varco, the short film distribution Gargantua and the avant-garde cinema residency Nouvelle Bug. He holds a degree in Literature and studied at workshops with Werner Herzog, Radu Jude and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. His films deal with virtual realities, uncanny valleys, disillusion, anti-capitalism and critiques of progressivism. Happy New Year, Jim (2022) was the first machinima presented in Cannes, at the Directors’ Fortnight. In 2023 in Locarno, he presented Eschaton Ad, a film about the apocalyptic advent of AI. Later that year he presented his first documentary feature, A Stranger Quest (2023), at the Torino Film Festival. In 2024, his short film The Eggregores’ Theory opened the 39th Venice Film Critics’ Week as the first AI film in Venice.

Xiwen Cong

“Being able to participate in La Résidence means that I can focus more on revising my script. I think it’s exciting to be writing in Paris. When I was a teenager, I read a lot of French novels and a lot of them had experiences writing in Paris, which I thought was amazing. I look forward to meeting more young or experienced filmmakers at La Résidence. When I was fifteen, I watched the works of director Carla Simon, and her films had a real impact on me. When I learned that she had also participated in La Résidence, I felt even more honored to be able to participate.”

Xiwen Cong grew up in a county town in Northeast China. She studied film directing at the Beijing Film Academy (BFA). Her short film Banished Love was shown at the 77th Festival de Cannes as a La Cinef Selection and at the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival. Xiwen is currently developing her first feature Home, Sick at La Résidence du Festival de Cannes

Simon Maria Kubiena

“It is a huge privilege for me to follow the path of so many extraordinary filmmakers into La Résidence and I feel encouraged and grateful to receive the support of the Festival de Cannes at this early stage of my career. 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 compromises. As I like to explore magical encounters in my films, I would love to experience a similar feeling during these precious months, while wandering around Paris and being in touch with inspiring art and people.“

Simon Maria Kubiena, born in 1998, is an Austrian writer-director based in Vienna and Berlin. He began studying film directing in 2019 at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, with a semester at La Fémis. In 2023, he started a Master’s degree in screenwriting at the London Film School (LFS). His short film Blue Noise received an award at the 72nd Berlinale, followed by the co-directed short film Mise à nu, which premiered at the 73rd Berlinale. His latest short film At home I feel like leaving was shown at Premiers Plans d’Angers. Simon is currently developing his first feature film, The Flowering of a Chimera, which explores the journey of a disturbed young man coming to terms with his guilt through a healing, yet unusual, connection with an older man.

Constance Tsang

“I am deeply grateful and honored to be selected to La Résidence as I embark on writing my next feature. 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.”

Constance Tsang is a Chinese American filmmaker based in New York. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Individualized Study from New York University and a Master’s of Fine Arts in Screenwriting and Directing from Columbia University. Her first feature, Blue Sun Palace, premiered in Semaine de la Critique in Cannes in 2024, where it won the French Touch Prize. Her next feature, My Mother and Yours, is currently in development at La Résidence du Festival de Cannes.

Rodrigo Ribeyro

“It is a joy to be a part of La Résidence. I’m grateful for the continuous support from Cannes, which has played an important role on 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.“

Rodrigo Ribeyro is a filmmaker from São Paulo, Brazil. A graduate of the Academia Internacional de Cinema and of the Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, he wrote and directed several short films and experimental music videos. Cantareira, his first fiction short, received an award from La Cinef Selection at the 74th Festival de Cannes and at the main Brazilian festivals including Brasília Film Festival, Rio de Janeiro ISFF and São Paulo ISFF. The Nature, his most recent short, recently premiered at Festival do Rio. Raised in an environmental reserve located on the fringe of the big city, the Serra da Cantareira, his artistic practice is in connection with the frictions between society, nature and labor. At La Résidence, Rodrigo will be developing his first feature film project.