The Marche du Film has expanded its innovation-focused programming heading into the 2026 Cannes Film Festival with bolstered virtual production, AI and immersive market venues and events.
After debuting at last year’s event, the Village Innovation returns as the main hub for Cannes Next, located again at the Pantiero in the international village next to the Palais. This year, the venue’s size has been expanded to host virtual production demos, conferences, exhibition spaces for tech companies and startups, and a networking terrace.
The Immersive Market is moving to the Carlton Hotel with a newly reconfigured 450 m2 demo space that can host up to 225 people for VR experiences and large-scale video mapping. The market will run alongside the festival’s Immersive Competition, and around 150 immersive producers are expected to attend this year to present their projects to distributors and curators.
The AI for Talent Summit returns for its second edition on May 15 and 16. The invitation-only event aims to bring together top executives from the film and tech industries to explore the latest real-world applications of AI in film. This year’s strand will focus on three key themes: integrating AI into production workflows, AI ethics and education.
As Screen previously announced, the Marche will also launch a half-day Creator Economy Summit on May 17, and this year’s Innovation initiatives will be supported by its revamped online platform Cinando.
Marche du Film executive director Guillaume Esmiol said: “At the Marché, we are dedicated to supporting and driving innovation, from technological advances that have continuously reshaped how films are conceived, produced, and distributed, to a broader mindset that reimagines business models, partnerships, and relationships.”
This year’s Marché du Film runs May 12-20.
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