Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer

Jon Feltheimer, Co-Chairman and CEO of Lionsgate, is MIPCOM ‘s 2010 Personality of the Year. The Cannes event is recognising Feltheimer “for his leadership at the helm of Lionsgate and for driving creative productions and developing award-winning TV programs”. These include the recently successful “Mad Men”. Feltheimer will be honoured on 5 October during the annual MIPCOM Gala Dinner. On October 5, Mr. Feltheimer will also share his vision of the future of the entertainment industry with MIPCOM delegates during a keynote address as part of MIPCOM’s Media Mastermind series of presentations.

“I am honoured to receive this award from MIPCOM and to be recognised in the company of so many of the pillars of the global entertainment community,” said Feltheimer. “We at Lionsgate remain committed to joining the rest of our community in harnessing new business models, new technologies and new markets to bring the work of our creative visionaries to a global audience.”

Jon Feltheimer has served as Chief Executive Officer of Lionsgate since March 2000. He previously served for nine years at Sony Pictures as head of the Columbia TriStar Television Group, head of Sony Entertainment Television and executive Vice President of SPE, leading the television group’s evolution into an international powerhouse that launched or partnered in nearly 30 branded channels, regional networks and co-production ventures around the world. While at Sony, Feltheimer’s strong creative talent relationships helped lead to such hits as “Mad About You,” “The Nanny,” “Dawson’s Creek,” “Party of Five” and “King Of Queens“. He previously was President of New World Entertainment.
Feltheimer joins an elite list of previous recipients that includes CNN founder Ted Turner, Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone, CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves, former Time Warner Chief Executive Officer Richard Parsons, MTV Networks Chairman and CEO Tom Freston, former News Corporation President and COO Peter Chernin, Gustavo Cisneros, Chairman and CEO of the Cisneros Group, Gerhard Zeiler, CEO of RTL Group and Canal Plus founder André Rousselet.

Sw4p Ctrl, photo by JeanSébastien Zanchi on Flickr

Closing night at the Plages Electroniques festival was dubbed the Minimal night, featuring local heroes and the German duo Tiefschwarz. Unsurprisingly, the grooves were pretty pared down, sometimes close to old school electro. But before talking about the music, it’s worth mentioning the festival itself. The Plages Electroniques is France’s only beach festival, held right under the wing of the Palais des Festivals. As this is a very public beach, the organisers have to set up and dismantle the stage and facilities every single night, so bathers can enjoy the beach unimpeded during the day. It has also become of the south of France’s key events, drawing electronic music fans from far. The crowd is incredibly up for the vibes, creating a party atmosphere.

First up has H-Tenza, who refers to Italo-House and disco as references, although that is not apparent when you check his tracks. Personal favourites were Sw4p Ctrl, a four-piece outfit that build tracks live on stage. I was reminded of Jeff Mills in that there are lots of layers, but the sound is brighter and less abrasive. Local hero Nicolas Massayeff got a great response from the crowd, although I fond the style a bit too streamlined. But it certainly hit the right spots with the audience. The German duo Tiefschwarz rounded off the night, with a set that was indeed very minimal.

For a review in French, see photographer JeanSébastien Zenachi’s Good Karma site. Plans are already being made for next year’s edition, plus editions in Martinique and the Pistes Electroniques in Isola next April.

I had been sent there after actually booking in the Cannes Garden Hotel, and so was a little dubious when entering the small entrance. Everything about the place screams two-star. The lift is particularly small. The room, however, was a pleasant surprise. Although tiny, everything was new and perfectly clean. A shower-room and toilet have been built into a corner. Surprisingly for a hotel of this level, it featured a hydro-massage shower. The double bed was large and comfortable. Unfortunately, the only window was small and well above head-level. The Wi-Fi connection was excellent.

To sum up: this is certainly a good value hotel, but might be cramped if you are not travelling alone and spend any time in the room.I would stay there again without a problem, although it probably wouldn’t be my first choice.

Local tip: the Waikiki Modern is around the corner from the Rue Hoche, which gets a little trendier every time I visit Cannes. I recommend stepping out for breakfast at one of the modern cafés. I had a brilliant tea at the Itinéraire Café at n° 10.

Check availability of the Modern Waikiki now.

Twitpic, courtesy of @RyanJunior

More and more people are using their phones for the fireworks show in Cannes. So, for those that couldn’t make it, here is a selection almost live from Twitter, taken August 7, 2010 during the show organised by Weco (Germany).

Wish I could add the music as well. If anyone has a playlist, feel free to add it in the comments.

Cannes fireworks, courtesy of Tweetphoto @TheMaterialMan

Courtesy of Tweetphoto @syikinix

Thanks to @sykinix, @TheMaterialMan, @RyanJunior and @JanVanderveen (he called it th emost beautiful firework show he’s ever seen) + Tweetphoto and Twitpic. Next show: Surex (Poland) on August 15. See Cannes Fireworks Show.

Trashy retro souvenirs? You got it!

If you’re staying in Cannes, you have to try some of the markets. Marché Forville is perhaps the best known, although there are others worth checking. You can pick up ultra-fresh fish and vegetables, cheap underwear and sunglasses, get some good wine or some cute simili-antiques to bring home (vintage postcards are always a gas).

Marché Forville (fruits – vegetables – flowers – fish) open daily except Monday, 7am to 1pm
Marché Gambetta (clothes – sundry) open daily except Monday, 7am to 1pm
Marché de La Bocca, Place Paul Roubaud (fruit – vegetables) open daily except Monday, 7am to 12.30pm
Marché aux fleurs des Allées (flowers) open daily
Marché d’autrefois (antiques), Place de l’Étang every Monday from 8am to 7pm
Marché artistique et artisanal, (arts and crafts) Les Allées de la Liberté open Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm
Antiquité-Brocante, (antiques) Marché Forville, every Monday 8am to 6pm.

Highlights include France’s Poni Hoax, Denmark’s The Raveonettes, the nutty Tune-Yards from the US and equally nutty Omar Souleyman from Syria as well as Ireland’s Two Door Cinema Club. The closing night features electro-minimalist poster boy Popof.

Details on the Pantiero site.

Wed 11th/08

20H00 >> Errors
21H00 >> Local Natives
22H00 >> Poni Hoax
23H15 >> The Raveonettes

Thu 12th/08
20H00 >> The Death Set
21H00 >> tUnE-yArDs
22H05 >> Omar Souleyman
23H20 >> The Rapture

Fri 13th/08
20H00 >> The Bewitched Hands On The Top Of Our Heads
21H00 >> Quadricolor
22H05 >> Two Door Cinema Club
23H20 >> Foals

Sat 14th/08
20H00 >> Bot’Ox
21H00 >> Mondkopf
22H05 >> Zombie Nation
23H15 >> Popof

THIS PROMO IS NOW CLOSED. But there will be more!

The first is the Club Nautique de la Croisette, located at the Bijou Plage near Palm Beach. the Club organises lessons for children, teenagers and adults Monday to Friday in July and August as well as rentals. They also organise outings and picnics on Ile St Marguerite. Five lessons cost €126, although you might have to become a member of the club. For details visit Club Nautique de la Croisette or call 04 93 43 09 40.

The other option is also located at the Bijou Plage. Mer et Montagne offers lessons for 5-16 year-olds and rentals. Five half-days and a trip to Ile Ste Marguerite costs from €180. Get more details on 06 81 25 28 53.

If you know of lessons in Mandelieu or Antibes, feel free to drop a message below. If you want to sail or windsurf in Cannes, check this site for news about the wind and weather in Cannes.

An article in France’s Le Monde provides more details about Prince’s plans. According to Pascal Bernardin, who would be one of the partners in the project, Prince had spoken about the idea of running an artist-friendly festival already. He and his musicians are also big jazz fans. So the idea to put in a project grew from a series of meetings, leading to a formal submission recently.

The idea of Prince acting as artistic director of a jazz festival is a nice one, no pun intended. However, there are a number of serious obstacles. First, there are other very serious competitors putting in tenders. Secondly, the town of Nice itself could complicate matters. It is known that they want to reduce the amount they put into the festival, while at the same time attracting larger profile artists and also reducing the ticket prices. This sounds almost impossible. Thirdly, there is also talk of moving the festival into the city centre, which would doubtless meet resistance from locals and shopkeepers. Fourthly, I can only guess at the sort of  friction that could arise from a maverick talent such as Prince having to deal with the Nice local authorities. Lastly, the winning candidate would also have to contend with the Jazz à Antibes festival, a prestigious event that celebrated its 50th anniversary this year and is loved by musicians. In an unfortunate lack of foresight, it is held at the same time as Nice Jazz! Are there enough jazz fans in the south of France to support two side-by-side jazz festival at a distance of some 20 kms?

The idea is certainly an interesting one. But whoever wins the day – and one can only hope that they will have some new ideas to inject into the jazz festival formula – will have quite a challenge. Prince fans might want to look out of the most recent issue of Le Courrier International, which features his latest album as a giveaway.

Prince fans have been posting photos and reviews of the shows in Nice and Cannes. For those that are interested, here is the set list of the Cannes après-gig show courtesy of @schkopi:

Instrumental
The Jam
Thank You For Talkin’ To Me Africa
…Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
We Want To Be Free
Baby Love
When Will We Be Paid
Girls & Boys
Cream
Ol’ Skool Company (no info about PR intro and/or Zara)
Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine

Among the companies to occupy space in the new Golden Village extension are long-time exhibitor Hugo Boss; Brioni, the Italian fashion label that made its travel retail debut at TFWA Asia Pacific & GATE ONE2ONE earlier this year; Hong Kong design brand Shanghai Tang, returning to the exhibition; and Polaroid Eyewear, making its first appearance at a TFWA event.

Among new and returning exhibitors are those making their first ever appearance at a TFWA event, such as Polaroid Eyewear, Chinese cosmetics brand Herborist, La Martiniquaise rum and Danish jewellery supplier Dyrberg. For others this will be the first TFWA World Exhibition after exhibiting at TFWA Asia Pacific & GATE ONE2ONE earlier this year, such as Brioni, Murano glassware producer Formia, cosmetics company Condensé Paris and Château d’Esclans wines.

In separate news, TFWA also announced that Erik Thomsen, Regional Manager Europe – Global Travel Retail at William Grant & Sons has been appointed Vice-President Commercial on the TFWA Board.

TFWA will take place between October 17-22, 2010. For details, visit TFWA.