The Cannes Movie Pageant’s Marché du Movie is gearing up for a 6% hike in attendance with numbers anticipated to hit shut to fifteen,000 members, based on projections revealed by Government Director Guillaume Esmiol within the run-up to its opening on Could 14.
“We’ll solely have the precise quantity on the finish of the market however for now we’re taking a look at a rise of greater than 6%,” predicts Esmiol, on the premise of an increase in registrations forward of the market kick-off.
“Final yr we introduced the report breaking attendance of simply over 14,000 attendees. I anticipate we’re going to interrupt that report once more to be not far off 15,000.”
Round 4,000 characteristic movies and tasks from 140 territories will likely be on supply, with screening staking place in 33 venues, whereas the market will even host 200 completely different occasions, together with 70 conferences, throughout its 9 days working from Could 14 to 22.
Whereas the AFM, Toronto and even the Berlinale’s European Movie Market have struggled to return to pre-pandemic ranges of attendance, Cannes has gone from power to power.
“After the pandemic, we had been asking whether or not individuals would come again to the market. Now it’s a query of how we’re going to welcome all these individuals?,” says Esmiol, who’s in his second version working the market solo, having succeeded Jérome Paillard final yr.
Amid the rising numbers, the market is introducing fast-track channels for patrons and sellers to allow them quick access out and in of the Palais.
“They’ll have a marker on their badge permitting them to go sooner, however I feel we already managed to enhance the stream into the Palais final yr with the automated metallic detector system.”
In different initiatives geared toward patrons and sellers, the market will reprise the Bistrot du Lérins, which launched final yr, providing an unique area for exhibitors to carry enterprise lunches contained in the Palais, whereas one other various would be the revamped Plage des Palmes on the Plage de Goeland.
“We’re additionally launching a cheerful hour within the lounge space within the Palais [The Viewpoint] as an area for sellers and patrons to relax a bit of bit after a busy day,” says Esmiol.
Guillaume Esmiol
MDF
As soon as once more, this version has been put collectively towards a backdrop of rising prices, even when international inflation has slowed down in current months.
“Final yr, it was a little bit of a shock as a result of we had been coping with a 40% rise in vitality prices,” says Esmiol, who says the hike led the market to audit and reconfigure its electrical energy use.
The rising prices have led to a rise in market badge charges, by round 4%, however Esmiol insists the value stays aggressive compared with different markets.
“We didn’t need to put this burden solely on the gross sales corporations by growing screening or stand costs. Many of those corporations are nonetheless attempting to get again to pre-pandemic ranges of enterprise. It didn’t really feel truthful,” says Esmiol.
“We nonetheless have the bottom worth in comparison with most the large markets, so we had some margin there,” he provides.
Esmiol says the booming Marché du Movie attendance stats are usually not essentially indicative of a wider uptick on the movie market circuit, suggesting the occasion might have been a beneficiary of corporations reining in worldwide journey.
“Just a few corporations are telling me that they’ve much less funds however they’re placing this funds into Cannes,” he says.
As per current norms, the U.S. would be the largest territory by attendance, accounting for 18% of registered members, adopted by France at 16% after which the UK, with Germany, Italy and Spain additionally out in pressure.
Esmiol expects additional U.S. exercise on the market within the wake of the Hollywood strikes.
“Whereas Thierry (Frémaux) was saying it had an influence on the variety of U.S. movies that had been obtainable for the pageant, conversely out there, we’re anticipating there to be extra U.S. tasks, as a result of they had been on maintain as a consequence of strikes and at the moment are going to be obtainable in Cannes,” he says.
He additionally notes the sturdy presence of smaller European territories that punch above their weight within the worldwide movie biz.
“You may have some nations which are very small in dimension however which are very lively like Belgium, Netherlands. Switzerland,” he says.
Switzerland is the market’s nation of honor this yr, following within the wake of Spain final yr and India in 2022.
The showcase will deal with Switzerland’s prowess in innovation and know-how in addition to its co-production know-how. The territory is concerned in round 80 options productions a yr, 43% of that are co-productions.
Different territories out in pressure embody Canada, South Korea and Japan.
There was speak of late that Asia has decoupled from the worldwide movie scene within the wake of the pandemic, with its professionals focusing extra on residence territories and regional partnerships.
Esmiol says this development is just not born out in Asian attendance which is again to pre-pandemic ranges.
“Already final yr we felt an enormous comeback from Asian nations. Japan was up plus 10%, and South Korea was up plus 16%. In the event that they’re coming to Cannes, it’s to attach with the worldwide enterprise,” he says.
One Asian territory lagging behind is China, though numbers are up on final yr.
“In 2022, there have been virtually no Chinese language professionals, other than these dwelling in Europe. Final yr, there have been round 250, which was a pleasant shock. There will likely be 250 to 300 this yr, nevertheless it’s nonetheless off pre-pandemic ranges when it was 600 to 650.”
Alongside its long-running Highlight Asia initiative, the market is launching the brand new Asian IP Showcase, presenting unique Asian IPs spanning performing arts, animated sequence, graphic novels and video video games appropriate for characteristic movie diversifications.
Different new initiatives embody the Cannes Remakes day geared toward fostering remake alternatives for European characteristic movies which have confirmed profitable of their residence territories.
Titles within the inaugural line-up embody Audrey Dana’s Males On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown, Stéphane Castang’s Vincent Should Die, Gerardo Herrero’s Underneath Remedy and Gianluca Ansanelli’s The Conflict of The Grandpas.
The market will even roll out the second version of its Buyers Circle aimed at connecting 10 characteristic movie tasks with high-net value buyers. Filmmakers presenting their tasks will embody Palme d’Or winner Ruben Östlund, with upcoming airplane catastrophe film The Leisure System is Down.
These two initiatives are a part of a concerted transfer by the Marché du Movie to do extra to assist professionals on the undertaking stage.
“The Marché du Movie basically revolves round three poles: the marketplace for accomplished movies, which is our core enterprise; the undertaking market, then there’s our function as a B2B platform, with our conferences serving to professionals stand up to hurry with key matters,” says Esmiol.
On the B2B program entrance, one spotlight for Esmiol, who started his profession in enterprise improvement and digital media innovation, is a partnership with Microsoft, which is a sponsor of the broader pageant for the primary time this yr.
The corporate will likely be current out there with the Microsoft Café on Majestic seashore the place the main target will likely be AI and the way it’s set to influence the movie enterprise.
“They’re bringing in specialists and case research of the place AI utilized in cinema. They gained’t be afraid to take a look at a number of the harder questions on the desk just like the influence of AI on jobs and the implications for rights,” says Esmiol.
