Guillaume Esmiol, executive director of the Cannes’ Marché du Film has explained how this year’s record number of industry participants can access festival and market screenings as Cannes-goers attempt to get to grips with the ticketing protocols.
“We have a record 13,500 accreditations this year, we’re thrilled of course with the turnout, but this also means that there is more demand for ticketing and that has caused a certain amount of frustration among professionals,” said Esmiol. “But we want to be clear the market badge has priority over festival badges.”
A market badge grants access to festival screenings and to market screenings, in addition to access to Marché events and locations.
Plus, for the first time, under Esmiol’s initiative, to give exhibitors an added incentive to purchase stands within the Palais, the Marché offers Palais exhibitors one pair of gala tickets (film and date are chosen randomly), usually for the 22.00 screenings.
“They can either use the tickets themselves or give them to their client. We’ve had great feedback from this initiative so far,” said Esmiol. “They’re really happy with this addition because these guaranteed tickets didn’t exist before.”
Esmiol also clarified pricing: “Our market badge costs €459 excluding VAT and €399 excluding VAT for early bird pricing. We’ve always been transparent about the pricing.”
The Marche head added those with market badges can also see all of the films in the Official Competition the next day just by presenting their badges, no tickets needed.
“We do catch-up screenings every evening in the cinema Olympia the next day, and also rerun the full Competition line-up at the end of the festival [from Wednesday to Friday of the second week].”
And while marketgoers may have to forgo their tuxedos and ballgowns for such screenings, Esmiol adds: “It’s not the red carpet but the true cinema lovers can watch all of the films of the competition.”
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