Directors' fortnight profile

Every year, the Directors’ Fortnight created by the SRF (French Directors Society) in 1969, programs a selection of films from around the world during the Cannes Film Festival.

Since its creation, the Directors' Fortnight has discovered and held the first French screenings of debut films by Werner Herzog, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Nagisa Oshima, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Jim Jarmush, Michael Haneke, Spike Lee, the Dardenne Brothers, Sofia Coppola… and invited the likes of Robert Bresson, Manoel de Oliveira, Stephen Frears, among others.

Among the various sections at the Cannes Film Festival, the Directors’ Fortnight is distinguished by the independent judgment displayed in the choice of films, the “cinéphile” standards and the accessibility to non-professional audiences at the festival.In fact, the Directors’ Fortnight is the non-competitive program at Cannes that is open to the general public, which can buy a subscription for the entire program or purchase tickets for individual screenings.


Directors' Fortnight editorial line

This not only involves highlighting new talent in world cinema and the directors of tomorrow, but also supporting filmmakers who are still little-known in the West or whose work has not been shown in the major international festivals.

In striving to be eclectic and receptive to all forms of cinematic expression, the Directors’ Fortnight pays particular attention to the annual production of fiction features, short films and documentaries, to the emergence of independent fringe filmmaking, and even to contemporary popular genres, provided these films are the expression of an individual talent and an original directorial style.


Films selection

The films are chosen by the SRF-appointed artistic director (Olivier Père), seconded by a team of selectors (professionals and film critics) who accompany him around the world to screen some 1000 films annually in search of innovative, original and exciting films.


A few figures of the 2007 edition

40 500 spectators - 101 screens - 7,500 paying admissions - 2,000 accreditations

20 countries visited - more than 1,000 films screened - 39 directors invited - 15 countries of origin