Female-Focused Circle Fiction Orbit Project Incubator Unveils 2026 Cohort

The Circle Training Initiative has selected five feature film projects for its third Circle Fiction Orbit incubator, a development programme for women and gender-expansive filmmakers. The seven-day retreat in Herceg Novi, Montenegro, gives mid-career filmmakers and their producers time and support to develop their projects, with the cohort meeting through 1 November.

The projects are *Por Este Arroios Acima* by Portugal’s Leonor Bettencourt Loureiro, *Nutsa.Love* by Georgia’s Irine Jordania, *Premier Souffle* by the Netherlands’ Sabine Lubbe Bakker, *Leech* by Montenegro’s Katarina Bulajić and *Soloist* by Poland’s Marta Prus. Their subjects include urban change and community, relationships, isolation, betrayal and ballet. Producer Bianca Oana leads the retreat, joined by producers Myriam Sassine, Dana Bunescu and Dominique Welinski; the programme also includes a keynote with Dea Kulumbegashvili and a screening of *April*.