The Cannes Festival selection is augmented, each year, with a spate of student movies by young filmmakers sending their unfinished projects from around the world in the hope of finding a sensitive ear and a receptive heart. With deep pockets, preferably.

L’Atelier (“workshop” in the French original) is a way for students in search of finishing funds to come to Cannes, pitch their project, meet with prospective partners and nab the cash needed to complete their film.

This year will mark the fifteenth edition of the program. Fifteen directors have been selected and will be in Cannes in May to support their work.

The Cinefondation’s Atelier was created in 2005 to foster the next generation of filmmakers. So far, out of 198 projects that were focused on, 157 have been released in theaters and 27 are currently in pre-production. Here are the fifteen filmmakers, their projects and country of origin.

Felipe Galvez (Chile), “The Settlers”
Gabriel Tzafka (Denmark), “Ode to Joy “
Mikko Myllylahti (Finland), “The Woodcutter Story”
Christos Massalas (Greece), “Broadway”
Yotam Ben-David (Israel), “Over Time and Distance”
Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese (Lesotho), “Victoria Falls”
The Maw Naing, Myanmar, “The Women”
Fidel Devkota (Nepal), “Kangling”
Jaap van Heusden (Netherlands), “In Alaska”
Parveen Bilal (Pakistan), “Wakhri Iram” (featured image)
Maja Miloš (Serbia), “Rift in the Ice”
Anna Bofarull (Spain), “Sinjar”
Michal Blaško (Slovakia), “Victim”
Soudade Kaadan (Syria), “Nezouh”
Gürcan Keltek (Turkey), “New Dawn Fades”

Screen Comment’s Ali Naderzad will be at the Cannes Festival this year bringing you all the buzz from the world’s greatest international film festival.

MORE INFORMATION about the Cannes Festival’s Cinéfondation program