As Cannes’ Marché du Film gears up for its 2023 edition under new executive director, Guillaume Esmiol, Screen spotlights the people, places and elements to expect from this year’s Marché.
New leadership, new motto
The Marché heads into this year’s market with a new executive director in Esmiol, who co-directed the 2022 edition alongside longtime leader Jerome Paillard and is taking on his solo duties for the first time at this year’s May market.
The Marché’s new official tagline this year is ‘The heart of the film industry’. “We may be the biggest market, but the human dimension is important to us… This is the place where the international community gathers to reconnect and share new ideas,” explains Esmiol.
Birth of a new bistro
Business lunches are getting an upgrade this year. The Marché du Film is launching a new bistro in the Lerins space on the first floor for exhibitors in the Palais des Festivals to have business lunches, serving fare that Esmiol calls “qualitative and affordable”. While also accessible for those companies which take Croisette packages, “for those in le Palais, [there is] no need to get lost on the Croisette”, adds the Marché director.
La Plage des Palmes
Located next to the Palais and an extension of the International Village and its pavilions is the all-new Plage des Palmes which will host exclusive events and key market summits devoted to specific themes including streaming, new technology, AI and virtual production. The beach will be open for business breakfast and lunches during the day, and will be serving gourmet fare. By night, the beach will light up with select soirées including the Marché du Film’s opening night, a fête to honour Spain and events in partnership with the festival.
The producers’ club
The Producers Network also has a new HQ. The Marché’s programme, launched 16 years ago, gathers hundreds of producers from across the globe for meetings and events and will now be concentrated in a dedicated space on the first floor of the Palais (Lerins). Powered by film financier Filmhedge, it will be complete with VIP (Very Important Producer) breakfasts, workshops and even a yoga session for some Croisette calm amid the action.
Also for producers, the Marché is launching all-new “O-PN mic!” sessions this year, 30-minute slots where registered producers have three minutes to pitch their feature film projects to find co-producers.
A ’Queer Screen Goes to Cannes’ sidebar will see Australia’s Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival embark on the Goes to Cannes programme designed to connect works-in-progress project holders with sales agents, distributors and festival programmers. It’s the first time the programme will partner with an LGBTQIA+ festival, part of the impACT program.
There will also be a Ukraine in Focus initative to support Ukranian filmmakers and to celebrate Ukranian cinema. This will include events such as a pitching session that will present 10 Ukrainian feature film projects in development to potential co-producers and financiers.
Le Palais everywhere
While the Palais remains the central hub of festival and global market activity, Esmiol says, “It’s important that everyone understands that the market isn’t just in the Palais, but extends to the entire Croisette – the Plage des Palmes, the Village International and the companies with nearby offices.”
After an online 2020 edition, a 2021 summer edition plagued by pandemic-related restrictions and a 2022 event with construction up and down the Croisette, this year should see marketgoers flock to the newly revamped Mondrian (formerly the Grand) and iconic Carlton hotels and enjoy beachside business breaks and meetings all over town. The Marché is also adding more networking events for buyers and sellers both in the Palais, at the Plage des Palmes and other locations.
Esmiol adds: “Today, the market of funding films in development is also very important, and this market-within-a-market is happening all over the Croisette – in restaurants, hotels, everywhere. I feel there is real potential there.”
Skip the queue
Time is the hottest commodity at Cannes and this year it can literally be bought. The Marché is offering a fast-track access to the Palais for buyers with a priority badge who will be able to skip the long queues at the security lines and get straight to business.
A celebration of Spanish cinema
After celebrating Indian cinema in 2022, the Marché du Film will be putting the spotlight on Spain this year, joining forces with with ICEX Spain Trade & Investment and ICAA – Institute of Cinematography & Audiovisual Arts to highlight Spanish talent and content in fiction, documentary, animation and extended reality.
“It’s a country that has always been very present in Cannes that is very creative and has strong ambitions so I’m happy to have them as the country of honour for my first edition,” Esmiol says.
Wifi boost
The wifi capacity at all booths will be doubled this year and the Marché continues to upgrade its online market at Cinando. While most of the activity will be physically in Cannes, “as long as there are professionals who can’t travel, we’ll keep it online,” says Esmiol. “Plus, with the busy Cannes agendas, many people like having both options.”
More focus on streaming and finance
“We’re been developing our offer of pitching sessions, conferences, panels and keynotes for these past few years. So much so that we’ve even had to say no to a certain number of conferences to be able to squeeze everything in,” Esmiol says.
In addition to a 2023 line-up of panels and speakers, the Marché is reinforcing its programme with more events focused on streaming and a full day dedicated to film financing and investment.
It is part of a fresh approach Esmiol plans to bring to the Marché du Film in 2023 and in the years to come: “The Marché needs to position itself as not only a place to buy and sell films, but also as a hub of film financing, take into account the increasing importance of streamers for the industry, and put more focus on IP and intellectual property. In a few years, I hope the Marché isn’t just seen as a market for finished films, but as a market for every aspect of the industry.”
More is more
“Last year, even we were surprised by the strong participation – 12,000 people in Cannes and 13,000 online,” says Esmiol. “This year, we can do better. Already it’s looking like the numbers will be greater – at least 12,500-13,000 in Cannes. There are more Asian accreditations this year and more from China compared to last year. However, it’s increasingly hard to predict final numbers so early. Ever since Covid, more and more people are getting accredited last minute.”
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