MoreThan Films is positioning this as a festival darling in the making, with co-founder Queralt Pons Serra highlighting how "personal stories" like Johanna's translate to universal appeal. The company clearly sees potential for awards play down the line.
Sources close to ACID selection say competition was brutal — only nine titles made the cut out of what industry insiders describe as a crowded field. This being Carridroit and Suter's debut feature makes the Cannes placement even sweeter for their production collective, Cavale Films.
The film world premieres May 2026 at Cannes' ACID sidebar, which selected only nine titles total (six are debut features). MoreThan Films operates between Barcelona and São Paulo, co-founded by Pons Serra and Damatto. The Geneva-set story follows Johanna, a luxury watch factory worker restoring her aging VW Beetle.
Cannes is notoriously brutal for first-time filmmakers hoping to crack the lineup — so landing in ACID's curated nine-title selection is no small feat. MoreThan Films clearly sees commercial potential here, but the real test comes when audiences get their hands on this hybrid documentary-fiction piece about labor and identity.
More Than Films has officially thrown its hat into the Cannes ring, boarding international sales rights to "Summer Drift" ("Virages") — the debut feature from Swiss co-directors Céline Carridroit and Aline Suter. The film is set for its world premiere later this month in ACID's sidebar program at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, a section known for championing independent cinema's path to theatrical release. The Switzerland-France co-production centers on Johanna, a woman working on the production floor of a luxury watch factory in Geneva.
When faced with letting go of her aging VW Beetle, she instead chooses to restore it — forcing herself back into the male-dominated world of mechanics that had once rejected her. The film operates as a hybrid between documentary and fiction, weaving through themes of labor, gender identity, and personal reinvention. Cavale Films — the Geneva-based collective co-founded by directors Carridroit and Suter alongside producer Aurélien Marsais — produced the project alongside Cécile Lestrade.
Both Carridroit and Suter share screenplay credits on the film, making this very much their collaborative vision from inception to completion. The production company operates as a creative collective, which industry observers note adds an interesting dimension to how the film's distribution strategy might unfold compared to more traditional productions. ACID — France's Association of Independent Filmmakers — selected just nine titles for its 2026 Cannes program, with six of those being debut features.
The sidebar has historically served as a launchpad for emerging talent, with past alumni including acclaimed directors Justine Triet and Radu Jude. Getting into this select group is no guarantee of commercial success, but it does provide a prestigious platform for filmmakers still building their reputations. "At More Than Films we are interested in films that push narrative boundaries and 'Virages' is a great example of how personal stories, such as Johanna's, can translate to films that speak to a wider audience," said Queralt Pons Serra, co-founder of the sales company.
She emphasized that the directors worked closely with their protagonist "with a lot of care and respect" to ensure authenticity in the storytelling. Lidia Damatto, More Than Films' other co-founder, offered an equally enthusiastic assessment: "Céline and Aline create a lighthearted luminous film that deals with complicated topics through the humorous and careless savoir-vivre of its protagonist. We're sure this 'Summer Drift' will be a hit with festivals in the next few months." The company's confidence appears genuine, though whether festival programmers beyond Cannes agree remains to be seen once the film screens for buyers and critics alike.
