The Circle Fiction Orbit 2026 lineup is here, and it offers a sharp snapshot of where ambitious European auteur cinema is heading next. Unveiled by the Circle Training Initiative, this year’s incubator brings together five feature film projects from women and gender-expansive filmmakers for a week-long development retreat in Herceg Novi, Montenegro.
Designed as a high-level creative lab rather than a traditional market event, Circle Fiction Orbit 2026 focuses on mid-career filmmakers and producer-director teams ready to take the next step. The programme combines mentorship, reflection, screenings and project development, creating space for filmmakers to refine not just what they want to make, but how they want to make it.
What Is Circle Fiction Orbit 2026?
Circle Fiction Orbit 2026 is the third edition of Circle’s feature film incubator, an initiative created to support women and gender-expansive filmmakers working in fiction. Founded in 2018, Circle has steadily built a reputation as a meaningful European support platform, backed by Creative Europe MEDIA and organised under the patronage of Eurimages by Wake Up Films.
This year’s seven-day residential retreat runs in Herceg Novi through November 1 and is led by award-winning producer and screenwriter Bianca Oana, known for acclaimed titles including Touch Me Not, Collective and Anhell69. Her approach emphasizes slow, thoughtful development over industry pressure and speed.
That philosophy is central to Circle Fiction Orbit 2026. Instead of pushing projects through a rapid-fire pipeline, the incubator prioritizes artistic clarity, collaboration and sustainable creative growth.
The Five Projects Selected for Circle Fiction Orbit 2026
The selection reflects a wide range of themes, styles and regional perspectives, while sharing a commitment to character-driven storytelling and strong directorial vision.
1. Por Este Arroios Acima – Leonor Bettencourt Loureiro
Portuguese filmmaker Leonor Bettencourt Loureiro brings Por Este Arroios Acima, a project exploring the relationship between bodily transformation, urban change and community rebuilding after a traumatic accident. The film continues themes present in her earlier work, including her fiction feature C’est Pas la Vie en Rose, which examined contemporary Lisbon and the social tensions surrounding gentrification. Producer Rita de Moura Santos is attached through Grumpy Panda Productions.
2. Nutsa.Love – Irine Jordania
Georgian writer-director Irine Jordania enters Circle Fiction Orbit 2026 with Nutsa.Love, a Tbilisi-set story centered on an unexpected relationship between an unlikely couple. Jordania previously directed Air Blue Silk, which screened at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. She is joined by producer Elene Margvelashvili.
3. Premier Souffle – Sabine Lubbe Bakker
Dutch filmmaker Sabine Lubbe Bakker’s Premier Souffle asks whether a rebellious outsider can reclaim a place within a community after years of isolation. Produced by Baldr Film, the project builds on Bakker’s festival-recognized earlier feature Becoming Mona, continuing her interest in identity, belonging and emotional resilience.
4. Leech – Katarina Bulajić
Montenegrin director-producer Katarina Bulajić participates with Leech, a first feature about a woman returning to her hometown and confronting the scale of betrayal waiting for her there. Bulajić teams up with screenwriter and producer Ana Vujadinovic of Giggling Goat Production. With local roots and psychological tension, the project adds a strong regional voice to Circle Fiction Orbit 2026.
5. Soloist – Marta Prus
Polish director and screenwriter Marta Prus rounds out the lineup with Soloist, a drama set in the elite ballet world that explores reinvention, physical endurance and inner transformation at the end of a career. Prus is already known for the award-winning documentary Over The Limit, about Olympic gymnast Margarita Mamun. The new feature is produced by Telemark.
Why This Film Incubator Matters
The importance of Circle Fiction Orbit 2026 goes beyond the five selected titles. It represents a development model that many filmmakers increasingly value:
- Focused mentorship from experienced producers, writers and directors
- Creative space away from the pressure of sales and pitching markets
- Support for underrepresented voices in European cinema
- Cross-border collaboration between filmmakers from different national industries
- Long-term career building rather than one-off project exposure
The selected teams were chosen by a committee comprising writer-producer Suzy Gillet, film scholar Jelena Mišeljić and writer-director Ivana Mladenović. The programme was guided by Circle Head of Programme Biljana Tutorov and Co-Head of Programme Brigid O’Shea.
Additional contributors this year include producers Myriam Sassine, Dana Bunescu and Dominique Welinski, while acclaimed filmmaker Dea Kulumbegashvili joins for a keynote session and a screening of her Venice Special Jury Prize-winning film April.
Circle’s Growing Track Record
One reason Circle Fiction Orbit 2026 deserves attention is the initiative’s proven momentum. Several projects from earlier editions have already advanced into the international festival circuit, including:
- Lex Julia by Laura Hyppönen
- IDDA by Irene Dionisio
- Perla by Alexandra Makarová
That growing list suggests the incubator is not simply a networking exercise. It is becoming a serious launchpad for arthouse features with festival potential, particularly for filmmakers who may benefit from a more intentional and care-driven development environment.
What Circle Fiction Orbit 2026 Signals for TV & Video Audiences
While rooted in feature filmmaking, Circle Fiction Orbit 2026 also matters to wider TV & Video audiences who follow emerging screen talent. Many of today’s most exciting television creators move fluidly between film, limited series and prestige international co-productions. Tracking incubators like Circle offers an early look at voices likely to shape future screen storytelling across formats.
In a content landscape often dominated by franchise noise and algorithm-friendly sameness, Circle’s curated retreat stands out by investing in original authorship. These are stories about cities, bodies, betrayal, isolation, love and reinvention — themes with clear crossover appeal for global screen audiences.
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Conclusion
Circle Fiction Orbit 2026 is more than an industry announcement — it is a reminder that meaningful film development still depends on time, trust and creative care. With five promising projects, experienced mentors and a clear mission to elevate women and gender-expansive filmmakers, this year’s edition underscores why Circle has become one of the most closely watched incubators in European screen culture. For anyone following the future of film and premium visual storytelling, Circle Fiction Orbit 2026 is well worth watching.
