Jérôme Pierrat’s fiction directorial debut, Moolah (La Moula), will receive its world premiere in Venice’s Horizons section on 9 September. The crime drama matters because Pierrat draws on his experience reporting on organised crime in France to depict the drug-trafficking world around Marseille’s port.

Pierrat also stars as Jérôme, a struggling crime reporter who sees a chance to revive his career through Charlie, a cocaine trafficker, and his associates. The 82-minute film follows the group as they await a shipment near Marseille, where suspicions of a police presence place them in danger; Iconoclast Films is handling world sales.