For many years, I had been curious about attending the Cannes Film Festival and Market, which had always seemed exotic, as if you needed an invitation from someone in the inner circle.
The author observes, “Producing a film is a lot like rock climbing, the first steps are easy but the difficulty increases as you ascend.” Photo courtesy of Shirl Morrigan.
I was able to attend Cannes in May, 2015, for the first time as part of my transition from 22 years in Los Angeles as a director/editor to my new home in Massachusetts as a producer. I had some credits on IMDb, had experience in the film industry, and knew people who had attended, but what was the key to actually getting in? It turned out that my previous experience helped a little, but none of it made the final difference. This is my first-hand account of the three mysteries I uncovered about how to attend Cannes as an insider.
Cannes is a thrilling opportunity to experience the global film community from opposite ends of the production continuum: feature film projects in development looking for funding on one hand and the buying/selling of completed films ready for distribution on the other. Everyone has seen the stars walking up the red carpet to their premieres with hopes of receiving the Palme d’Or. That is the festival. But Cannes is also the Marché du Film (film market), where buyers and sellers have nonstop meetings, with hundreds of screenings spread throughout the venue. Surrounding the market is an ocean of pavilions and endless networking events. Take the excitement of Oscars night without its exclusivity, mix in the indy vibe of Sundance without its freezing temperatures, this is what the energy is like.
Mystery 1 Unveiled: The Other IMDb
The Marché is like a bazaar where films are bought, sold, negotiated, and viewed continuously.
For me, the first hurdle was really to learn how I could realistically attend as an insider, which effectively meant getting the right kind of badge. Several people told me an important step is to register your production company, however new and untested, in Cinando, an online directory of everyone associated with Cannes but more importantly: everyone who is anyone in film production. This was the first mystery unveiled: So long as you actually work as a filmmmaker in some capacity in the industry, you can be listed in Cinando. As part of applying to attend Cannes, you list what you do or your production company does. Once in Cinando, getting the badge that lets you in, is within reach.
The pavilions represent the film interests of many countries.
My next step was to apply to Cannes as a producer. Although a short titled Our Father on which I was an associate producer, had been accepted at the American Pavilion (a separate venue but still part of the festival), I wanted to go as an independent producer apart from any other project I’d worked on previously.
On the market side of the industry, Cannes is really about producing feature films. I had no feature credits but if I had, it is likely I could have applied as a working producer and been given free entry to the market and screenings. That was an eye opener because I’d always assumed the bar was set higher. As someone starting out on my own producing path, I had to approach it differently.
Mystery 2 Unveiled: Cannes Loves Newcomers
It turns out there is a large educational aspect of Cannes to help people new to producing. Many of us do not have any IMDb credits as a producer of a theatrically-released feature film but might one day have just that. Cannes now has a program to support new producers called The Producer’s Workshop, which is five days of on-going instruction geared toward helping you, the newly minted producer, start climbing up your own ladder. Discovering this was the second mystery unveiled: For about $500, not only was I able to get a stunning amount of access to people working in the film industry throughout the event, but also all-day classes and evening networking events to get grounded in what is otherwise a tornado of unfamiliar activities. The badge from this also opened up the possibility to attend red-carpet premieres of the festival.
The workshop has 300 people who are either new to producing or are established and just want to take the workshop because the opportunity to network is outstanding. They even encourage you to take it more than once. There are talks about What Kind of Producer Are You?, How to Navigate the Festival, Getting Your Project Made, plus a hands-on tour of the Marché. By the end, I felt more like an insider than I ever thought possible. Perhaps the most interesting part was listening to the range of projects the other attendees brought with them, which made it possible to connect with several people who have since become friends. With everything in English, this is one of the best opportunities for filmmakers to experience the global film community.
Mystery 3 Unveiled: Your Project is Your Identity
Having a project is the essence of the business side of Cannes. This is the third mystery I unearthed about Cannes: Come with a specific project you’re working on, no matter what stage it’s in. I discovered this in preparing with my coach, David Brownstein, who had been to Cannes as a producer and knew this is how you make the real connections. Being new to producing, I had to hustle to even find a project. At the eleventh hour, I was able to connect with a writer who was open to having a novel pitched as a feature and so with an informal agreement I created a “one sheet” that outlined the log line, plot, demographics, and author’s bio. Having something that I, personally, could present to others, made people I met take me much more seriously, as new as I was. As the result of feedback at Cannes, I’m now in development to produce this feature.
A listing in Cinando, attending The Producers Workshop, and coming with a specific project, helped me to demystify the first level of Cannes. But there’s one more insight about Cannes that is the difference between producers who make progress and those who don’t: It’s important to attend over a long enough period of time such that people take you seriously. I decided I would go for at least two more years to make my presence (and my project) a success. If you’re intrigued, go and see for yourself what Cannes is really about.
