New Voices in Cinema: Producing a Filmmaker’s Debut in France and the United States
Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2026
March 5 - 15
Speakers
Julie Billy
producer
Leah Chen Baker
producer
Stephanie Roush
producer
Cynthia Kane
moderator
This panel brings together trailblazing film producers from France and the United States to explore how producing first and second feature films raises shared challenges, including access to financing, risk management, and the balance between creative ambition and market expectations. While France relies on robust public funding and institutional support, the U.S. system is more market-driven, offering greater flexibility but fewer safety nets. By comparing these approaches, this conversation examines questions of sustainability, talent development, and the role producers play in backing emerging filmmakers within distinct economic and cultural contexts. This conversation is organized in collaboration with French in Motion and Gotham Film & Media Institute.
- Julie Billy, producer of The Little Sister (Cannes 2025), Gagarine (Rendez-Vous 2
021), and The Lobster (Cannes 2015) - Leah Chen Baker, producer of The President’s Cake (Cannes 2025)
- Stephanie Roush, producer of Stress Positions (Sundance 2024, New Directors/New Films 2024), and Union County (Sundance 2026)
- Moderator: Cynthia Kane, producer of The Dilemma of Desire (SXSW 2020) and Us Kids (Sundance 2020)
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