Cannes Market Highlights Three New Film Projects: Ceasefire, Hola Mamá, and Hold on to Your Angels

The Marché du Film, part of the Cannes Film Festival (12 – 20 May 2026), is the primary venue where producers present upcoming titles to international buyers. This year three distinct projects—*Ceasefire*, *Hola Mamá*, and *Hold on to Your Angels*—are being positioned for global distribution at the market.

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*Ceasefire* dramatizes the secret back-channel that Irish-American journalist Niall O’Dowd built between the IRA and the Clinton administration. Written and directed by Oscar-winner Terry George, the film stars Chris O’Dowd as O’Dowd, Jane Fonda as Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, Ciarán Hinds as Bill Flynn, John C. Reilly as Congressman Bruce Morrison, and Tom Hollander. Production will begin in Ireland later 2026; Fine Point Films and Wildcard are producing, while Bankside Films will manage worldwide sales at Cannes.

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*Hola Mamá* is a three-part documentary series that follows filmmaker Adrian Reamey’s search for his birth mother and uncovers a decades-long network of illegal adoptions tied to Augusto Pinochet’s regime. Produced by APL Films with executive producers Jonathan T. Baker, Gary Reamey and others, the series blends personal testimonies with expert analysis, including an interview with Congressman Jamie Raskin. APL will pitch the series to buyers at Cannes, seeking broadcasters and streaming partners.

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*Hold on to Your Angels* reunites Oscar-winner Jessie Buckley and nominee Paul Mescal in a romance set against the crumbling bayou of South Louisiana. Written and directed by Benh Zeitlin, the film is produced by Plan B and Alex Coco’s Rapt Film, with international sales by The Veterans and domestic rights represented by CAA Media Finance. Production is scheduled to start in February 2027, and the project will be introduced to buyers at the Cannes market.

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Terry George said the film “highlights the fragile, dangerous, often invisible work required to end conflict.” Producers Trevor Birney and Patrick O’Neill noted the intractable nature of the Northern Irish war and the urgency of the story. Stephen Kelliher of Bankside emphasized the film’s contemporary relevance and its focus on individual agency. Jonathan T. Baker described *Hola Mamá* as becoming “part of the story” as its creators advocate for recognition of the adoptions as crimes against humanity. Plan B praised Zeitlin’s “cosmic sorcery,” while Alex Coco highlighted his ability to reveal “profound beauty and humanity” in overlooked American locales.

RTE (Radio Television of Ireland)

• “Ceasefire is about the fragile, dangerous, often invisible work required to end conflict. It’s about the belief that dialogue can triumph over violence. It’s a message and a story that is dramatic, moving and vital. I am honoured to tell it.” — Terry George, Writer-Director

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• “At the heart of Hola Mamá are the mothers and children who have spent decades searching for each other and for answers,” — Adrian Reamey, Director

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• “This story is so relevant today considering where we are in global politics—the rise of authoritarianism—it helps audiences understand the root of the issues rocking our world,” — Jonathan T. Baker, Executive Producer

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• “Hold on to Your Angels is the most impossible love story I’ve ever witnessed — an outlaw romance for the end of America, set on the crumbling edge of South Louisiana,” — Benh Zeitlin, Writer-Director

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• “Benh Zeitlin absolutely stunned us and the world at large with the cosmic sorcery of Beasts of the Southern Wild. With Hold on to Your Angels, Benh has set his powerful mix of intense realism, myth and magic against the large scale of an epic love story. This is a writer-director with a vision for the ages, and we could not be more proud to be by his side to make this film with Jessie and Paul.” — Plan B, Producer

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Each project tackles a distinct social or historical issue—peace negotiations in Northern Ireland, state-sanctioned child trafficking in Chile, and cultural erosion in the American South—demonstrating Cannes’ role in amplifying stories with global relevance.

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*Ceasefire* will commence filming in Ireland later 2026 and seek distribution at Cannes; *Hola Mamá* will negotiate sales deals at the market; *Hold on to Your Angels* will begin production in February 2027 after its Cannes exposure.

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