Cannes festival

Cannes 2014 line-up announced

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Party Girl, by directors Amachoukeli-Barsacq, Burger and Theis

Party Girl, by directors Amachoukeli-Barsacq, Burger and Theis

Another year, another Cannes line-up. One can’t say that the festival flirts with mainstream audiences, with directors such as Loach, the Dardennes, Egoyan and Godard in the line-up! Most of the films are totally unknown to me, so it’s a bit early to start guessing.

Having said that, I like the idea of “Party Girl”, the tale of an aging nightclub hostess that makes a bid for a normal life, directed by three people. Which ones are you looking forward to?

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Cannes festival people

Classic Mastroianni shot used for Cannes 2014 poster

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cannes_poster_2014True to the previous posters, the Cannes Festival is still using classic images to promote itself. The 2014 poster features a very stylish shot of Marcello Mastroianni from Federico Fellini’s “8 1/2″, taken from the scene where he spots Claudia Cardinale’s character for the first time.

At the risk of repeating myself, it’s ironic that the most forward-thinking festival in the world uses classic images as their flagship image. But rather than being a total spoilsport I’ll admit it is a very striking image. It will also doubtless re-launch the sales of oversized sunglasses and Brylcreem.

Designers Hervé Chigioni and Gilles Frappier wax lyrical about Mastroianni in the press release. “The way he looks at us above his black glasses draws us right in to a promise of global cinematographic happiness — the happiness of experiencing the Festival de Cannes together.” Err, if you say so. Continue reading

Cannes festival

Should I pay for Market access at the Cannes Film Festival?

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Cannes Film MarketAt the time of writing, accreditations for the Cannes Film Festival are closed. If you missed them, you only have yourself to blame frankly. They were open long enough.

So what to do if you want to do business at the Cannes Film Festival this year? Apart from turning up at Cannes and hoping to meet random people in the street or at bars, the only realistic option to is to get yourself access to the Marché du Film/Film Market.

What can I do at the Film Market?

The Film Market is where you want to be if you are or want to be in the movie business. I wrote a long piece about it here. But the executive summary is that it is  practically an all-access card to everything business-related. The only thing I have not been able to do with it is walk into red-carpet screenings unannounced. For that you need a separate invitation. Continue reading

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Get more from Cannes with the Starter Guide

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Cannes starter guideAfter years of promising myself, I eventually sat down and wrote a guide to doing business at Cannes. It’s intended (mostly) for first-timers at the fest, MIPTV, MIPCOM, Midem and the like.

Rather than just running out the usual list of dos and don’ts, the Starter Guide looks at how to save money getting to and staying in Cannes, how to set up meetings, how to pitch, how to leave gracefully if you get shot down, how to not get depressed etc.

Although I have attended Cannes events for 17 years, I also asked other veterans for a few ideas, which turned into “the 4 things you should know before pitching a TV format at MIPTV”. It turns out, the four things are valid for almost any form of idea-pitching.

Are these tips valid for you? If you are attending for a first or second time: definitely. If you have attended but feel you should be achieving more: definitely. If you know all there is to know: get in touch with me to pass on a tip to two ;- )

You’ll find the Starter Guide here.

Cannes festival early bird rate

To save money at Cannes 2014, don’t miss these deadlines

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American PavilionThe countdown for the Cannes Film festival is definitely on. Don’t miss these deadlines:

  • March 21: early bird rate for access to the American Pavilion: 50% off! Details here
  • March 28: submit Mediterranean shorts to Made in Med for a chance to attend Cannes. Details here
  • March 31: early bird rate for the Cannes edition of the Film Finance Forum: 30% off Details here
  • April 8: last call for being able to use the European Pavilion as your base during the film market. This is a great venue, but conditions apply and there is lots of demand. So don’t wait. Details here.
  • April 9: Last day to register for the Marché du Film/Film Market and be included in the Guide (which I consider important). Details here.

That’s it. Keep preparing.

By the way, this information was first sent to the subscribers to the Cannes or Bust newsletter. To get tips such as these before anyone else, subscribe using the form in the right sidebar or here.

Cannes festival

German Pavilion at the Cannes Film festival 2014

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Film market, Cannes

German Pavilion CannesGermany has just announced the first companies that will be present at the German Pavilion at this year’s Cannes Film festival and Film Market (Marché du Film), 14 – 25 May 2014.

For the 14th time in 2014, German Films and FOCUS Germany are joining forces to showcase their activities.

The German Pavilion: focus on German film

The German Pavilion in the International Village has been a popular platform for many years. People can get to Continue reading

Cannes festival people RIP

RIP: Alain Resnais

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L'adieu d'Alain Resnais, prodige du cinéma français by euronews-fr
Veteran French filmmaker Alain Resnais, a New Wave icon turned grand old man of French cinema, died in Paris on March 1, 2014 aged 91. A testimony to his commitment and creativity, his latest film “Life of Riley”, based on an Alan Ayckbourn play, won a prize for innovation in Berlin only last month. Cannes festival head Thierry Fremaux echoed the sentiment of many people when he said Resnais was “a giant of the film world”. Continue reading

MIPDOC MIPTV people

4 things to know before pitching at MIP

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MIPTV 2009 - SPECIAL EVENTS - THE CONTENT 360 ZAPPING SHOW - JOIN THE CREATIVE FUN WITH RAY COKES WITH THE WINNERS
Kate Neale, Wanted

Kate Neale, Wanted

Kate Neale, of the consulting firm Wanted in Australia, specialises in TV formats and branded content. She goes over four key elements you need to prepare before pitching material at MIPTV or MIPCOM.

How much and what sort of detail should I include when pitching a TV format document at MIPTV?

Keep the document very brief and simple, just the key elements of your format. In so doing, make sure you capture the drama/conflict inherent in the format, as this is the buyer’s key interest. You Continue reading