With the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival now in full swing, you might wonder what’s the best way to meet the people in the know and work the crowd. Nina Romain deals with every film geek’s disappointment about not being able to go by talking to two Brit producers about where you should see and be seen around the red-carpet glitz and the Promenade de la Croisette.
British writer, producer and director Fredi Nwaka (below) will be in Cannes promoting his latest movie Jingle Hellz while also mentioning one of his previous films Ja-Facian.
He’s also known for his horror flick The Living Dead, which premiered at the UK’s largest independent horror fest FrightFest in 2019.
“The Marché du Film encompasses what Cannes is about – everyone sharing their passion about films.”
Nwaka said the best thing about the festival was interacting with other film makers and sharing their passion about films.
But It’s not all glitz and glam at the biggest film fest in the world. If you’ve attended seven times, as Brit writer, producer, and director James Smith (below) has, you have to be organised to fit it all in. He explains how he and his company Raya Films operate.
What’s the best thing about going to Cannes as an indie Brit producer and how do you fit everything in?
A. Time flies by in the film business, and it’s crazy to think that we’re no longer newbies at Cannes. We’ve been seven times now and, despite the sheer scale of the event, we kind of know the ropes. We left Gatwick this year and checked in 330am for the redeye flight to Nice for a number of meetings planned at the Marché du Film. This is the business side of the festival, the market you need accreditation for or need to purchase an entry badge.
We’ve learned over the years that the most effective way to do business is to have pre-booked meetings, unless you’re just looking to party and network. So at the Marché du Film we have meetings about our two films and with a bit of luck, we’ll come away with some interest. But it’s important to keep your feet on the ground and remain humble – there’s a lot of competition out there, and you need to stay calm and professional. Everyone wants a big deal tomorrow, and to lift the Oscar next year…but that’s not how this works! The big producers at Cannes are smart and perceptive, so it’s not the place for pushy or aggressive sales techniques.
The sales agents and larger outfits are super busy marketing their films, so you need to be prepared with a concise pitch and suitable material. We’ll be pitching our mystery-thriller Daggers Inn, currently in post-production, to sales agents, as well as The Finca, a larger project in development, to financiers and producers.
So where do you stay and how you get to see the sights and nightlife?
We’re always on a strict budget, so we don’t stay in five-star accommodation on the Promenade de la Croisette, the main seafront drag, or anywhere that glam. And there’s absolutely no shame in this; we’ve known a number of top producers, who do their work discreetly on the mega yachts that they charter, head off in the evening to hostels or Airbnb accommodation out of town, away from the madness.
“We’ll just have to pace ourselves somehow – I guess that’s where those “How to survive Cannes” guides come in!”
Our past visits to Cannes have been so busy – up at 5am for the bus to get to screenings, then working through until the evening – that our nightlife has been somewhat sedate to say the least. People back home often see the festival red carpet and party photos but don’t appreciate the market and business side of the festival. That said, this year I’d love to see the sheer spectacle at night and get involved in that side of things, so we’ll just have to pace ourselves somehow. I guess that’s where those “How to survive Cannes” guides come in!
How do you make sure you get the best out of visiting Cannes?
The good thing about Cannes is that you just don’t know what or who is around the corner; you may go to promote one film you’re attached to, but then get talking about another project, or you meet a contact with an entirely different perspective on your work. We’re in a position now where we have a body of work and are known to quite a few of the producers on the scene, so it’s a little easier to arrange meetings and chat about their and our projects. You need to be seen to be pushing ahead and promoting new ideas.
So if you’re heading to Cannes, be bold. Mix it up with the locals in the town, seek out the many film professionals attending from around the globe, and remember you never know what function or party you may be invited to, and who you may be rubbing shoulders with!
