Liesl Lategan-Kyriakou selected for Cannes Lions See It Be It 2026

Cannes Lions has announced the cohort for the 2026 See It Be It talent programme, and South Africa is on the list. Liesl Lategan-Kyriakou, founder and executive producer at Spitfire Films, has been selected as part of the global programme designed to accelerate the careers of women and non-binary talent in the industry.

Each year, See It Be It brings together a tight group of creatives from around the world and drops them into the middle of Cannes with access most people only ever hear about. Mentorship, private masterclasses, as well as backstage access and sessions tailored to each participant’s career goals, it’s the dream VIP pass.

The 2026 cohort includes 20 creatives from 15 markets, with Serbia and South Korea represented for the first time, which says a lot about how wide the programme’s lens has become. But what makes this one land a little differently is seeing a South African name in that mix.

Liesl says, “Being chosen as a representative from South Africa for the SIBI Cohort of 2026 is a huge honour for me. Creativity and being creative, for me is completely natural, it is the fabric of my life and my purpose which is inextricably linked to my business and its people. I look forward to learning and becoming a better leader and growing Spitfire as a business that continues to embody transformation, purpose and passion for all we do.”

Liesl’s path into this moment has been a long one. She worked her way up through production into a senior agency producer role before co-founding Spitfire alongside director AK, building a company that brings together production instincts with directing craft and technical know-how. Her earlier success with Aces Up Post set the tone, and over the past 13 years Spitfire has grown into one of the country’s most recognisable production companies, with more than 100 awards and a reputation for making the impossible feel routine. More recently, Liesl was invited to judge Cannes Lions, Ciclope and the Loeries, a reflection of the level she’s already operating at.

The programme, which runs during Cannes Lions from 22 to 26 June 2026, has become one of the festival’s most meaningful initiatives. Since launching in 2014, it has supported more than 150 women and non-binary creatives globally, all with the aim of addressing the still very real imbalance at senior creative levels.

A well-earned place on one of Cannes’ most meaningful programmes, with one of South Africa’s standout leaders representing on the global stage. Congrats Liesl.