For new participants looking to do business in Cannes Film Festival, the experience can, at times, be overwhelming. Who do we meet? How do we build relationships with future collaborators from other countries? How does one leverage the potential of the event and not come away feeling one didn’t do enough?
From my own experience, at times it felt as if this was simply because one didn’t know what to do in the limited time at hand. Sometimes it was because there was much that one could do but one didn’t know where to start. And worse, it often seemed as if everyone knew everybody else, and knew what to do, and I was the sole exception to the rule! Nothing like a dip in confidence to freeze you in your tracks at such a crucial time!
There is, of course, a strategy to getting the most out of Marchè du Film, as one learns over time. To expedite this learning, I turned to the person best equipped to give a low-down on managing your trip to Cannes.
The dynamic, affable, and multi-faceted Jérôme Paillard is the man behind the most successful film market in the world. He was Executive Director of Marché du Film for 27 years before he moved on to pursue other interests in 2022.
Last weekend, amidst prep for lessons that he gives as a flying instructor, Jérôme spoke about the Marché to help you to optimise your participation there.
Watch the video for a crash course on navigating Marchè du Film.
And to sum up, here is a quick list of dos and don’ts -
Prepare for Cannes well in advance and identify your goals clearly.
Strategise your meeting requests keeping your goals in mind. Cinando.com and Marchedufilm.com will help find potential partners who have goals aligned to yours.
Prepare well for your meetings - read up the story of people you are engaging with. It makes for building long-term relationships.
Network all the time! In pavilions, cocktails, parties, cinema queues. Take care though that you don’t inadvertently gatecrash meetings/ conversations.
Use social media round the year to connect with people you want to meet in Cannes and to talk about your work.
With more than a thousand slots, Cannes market screenings are not official selections and their promotion is a totally different ball game. Book screenings for your finished film with a clear strategy to attract the right people to watch your film. Else, the screening will likely run to a near-empty hall.
In the remaining work hours at hand, dive deep into the country pavilions at Village International. You will find that reps of various countries are very welcoming. They will share a host of information with you and introduce you to whoever is free to meet. You never know what opportunities these interactions throw up!
I have often come across participants who unexpectedly get to walk the red carpet and scramble to put together some formal gear at the last moment. Always pack in something for the off-chance that you might get a ticket for a red carpet screening.
Feel free to reach out with follow-up queries as you prepare for the market. All the best for Cannes!
Nina.
Navigating Marché du Film, Cannes Film Festival