For the sixth year in a row, Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) joins forces with the Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes to spotlight outstanding international feature films in post-production at the PÖFF Goes to Cannes showcase.
This curated presentation offers filmmakers a unique chance to introduce their projects to leading sales agents, distributors, and festival programmers from around the world. The deadline for submissions is February 20, 2026.
Goes to Cannes is a high-profile showcase bringing together film festivals and markets from across the globe. Selected teams are invited to pitch their creative visions and connect their projects with international industry decision-makers at one of the world’s most important film markets.
Over the years, PÖFF Goes to Cannes has helped launch bold new voices onto the international stage. As project manager Triin Tramberg notes: “Our goal has always been to spotlight exciting emerging filmmakers and exceptional projects. It’s incredibly rewarding to follow their journey — for example Father by Tereza Nvotová, Slovakia’s Oscar submission, which was first presented at Industry Tallinn & Baltic Event in 2021 and later at PÖFF Goes to Cannes in 2024. The Slovak-Czech-Polish psychological drama went on to premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and has since travelled widely on the international circuit.”
Who should apply:
PÖFF Goes to Cannes is aimed at feature-length fiction films that are:
Projects do not need to be finished by the Cannes Official Selection deadline and are not expected to premiere in Cannes.
The selected projects will be presented in a 110’ market screening slot at Palais K (147 seats) on Friday, May 15 (16:15–18:05), and in the Online Market screening.
Eligibility
Presentation format
Selected projects compete for The Goes to Cannes Award (Sideral Cinema): €10,000 MG and Ciné+ OCS Award: €15,000, for French co-productions securing a French distributor within three years of Cannes 2026.