Cannes’ Marché du Film Unveils Details of Virtual Edition

Cannes’ Marché du Film will be hosting virtual booths for sales agents, video meetings, virtual pavilions for institutions and online screenings during its upcoming digital market edition, which will run June 22-26.

The Marché du Film Online, which will run alongside the agencies-led virtual market, will also turn its popular conferences, including Cannes Docs, Cannes Next and Producers Network, into virtual events.

The online screenings, meanwhile, will be scheduled across around 15 virtual cinemas in order to maintain a momentum for viewing and dealmaking. Re-runs will also be organized for buyers in different time zones. In order to prevent piracy, the Marché will use strict security measures, including DRM, individual watermark and real-time management and monitoring.

Accreditation for the Cannes Marché Online will soon open and will be available at an early bird rate of €95 ($97) until May 29, and €195 ($212) after that. The full rate will include a one-year Cinando membership.

Jerome Paillard, head of the Marché du Film, said the organization of the digital initiative is addressing a need from the film industry to have a “spring rendez-vous before the summer” amid challenging times.

“A survey we conducted last week among distributors around the world reveals that 80% of them are interested in an online market and 66% have the capacity to make acquisitions (mainly completed aims but also of films in post-production and writing),” said Paillard in a release.

“We won’t replace the Cannes experience with the Marché du Film Online, but we are recreating part of the essence online by offering professionals an efficient and cutting edge platform to screen films, buy them, finance projects and meet partners,” added Paillard.

The executive said the Marché was also experimenting with a model that will attract some professionals who may not have the means or the time to come to Cannes.