SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2009More thoughts on CannesThe experience in Cannes was a crash course in European travel and learning how to navigate a high profile film festival with a lot of restricted access.  I feel that in a lot of respects I got to do a lot and had access to more than most first time Cannes Festival goers. For this I am grateful. Currently I am in Rome reflecting on my experiences, the festival, and the people I have met. I will be adding to the blog as ideas, memories, and thoughts c...

The Princess of Thailand     Guests clucking over a glass of champagne were bowled over Tuesday night at the Majestic Hotel when to the tune of the national anthemn of Thailand, they caught a glimpse of Her Royal Highness Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya of Thailand gliding into the Salon Croisette in a glamorous fluffy white strapless evening gown and silver pumps, followed by the Ambassador of Thailand in Paris, and dignitaries from the Entertainment sector of ...

It may seem a bit too soon to even start thinking about the Sundance Film Festival, while still in the whirlwind of Cannes, yet plans are already in the making for this independent movie festival held every January in Utah. Celebrating their 26th year, Sundance is on the quest of finding new talent with the goal of coming back "fresher" every year. Held at the American Pavilion, Sundance Film Director, John Cooper and Program Director, Trevor Groth, discussed the ever-changing world o...

Cannes Festival and Marche du Film have announced a deal to partner with Argentina's INCAA film institute on a major new Latin American film market and confab named Ventana Sur (or South Window).  The  partnership is part of a move to export the Cannes brand and expertise abroad.   The Ventana Sur will run Nov. 27-30 in Buenos Aires and will feature 50-60 screenings of new Latin American films as well as a meeting place for producers and a digital library of 200-300 films.    For Argentina,...

                  Among the many people who flock to the festival each year are film students hoping to get their foot a little father into the door.  Each year hundreds of film students apply to internships with various companies represented at the festival and the lucky ones are given an opportunity to expecience some of the magic and chaos of Cannes.  I spoke with a few such students who were excited to share their experience in Cannes thus far with filmfestivals.com. Chr...

I run a comprehensive and personal internet guide for English-speaking residents and visitors to the French Riviera and Provence called AMB Cote d'Azur. This year we would like to cover the Cannes Film Festival on a daily basis with both video and articles for the website. I have already emailed the Pressonline people at festival-cannes.fr and await their response. I also have a fully paid up NUJ member to report for us. Can anyone tell me if there is a better way of contacting the CFF for accre...

 by Sandy Mandelberger, Film New York Editor Friday, July 18-------The winner of this year’s Cannes Film Festival’s most prestigious award, the Palme d’Or, will open the 46th edition of the New York Film Festival (NYFF), one of the most important film showcases in North America.The Class (Entres Les Murs), a gritty but very human story of the dysfunctional French education system, won the top prize at Cannes for its director Laurent Cantet. Three of Cantet's four features have played in ...

 Tuesday, July 1----------With the American economy in the crapper and the dollar at near record lows, a trip to the Cannes Film Festival has become an inexpensive indulgence, even for the media professionals who “must” be there. For the general public, who may be curious about what goes on along the famed shores of the Riviera, the difficulty of being part of the Cannes action is doubly difficult. Well, for the past month, Cannes has been made affordable and surprisingly accessible, with t...

  Monday, May 26--------With major U.S. distribution companies, for the most part, sitting out this year’s Cannes Film Festival, there was some last minute activity as the Festival came to a close this past weekend. Among the winners announced on Sunday (a European clean sweep), only Three Monkeys, the latest film from Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan (who won the Best Director prize), has a U.S. distributor in place. New Yorker Films, a specialty outfit, picked up the rights prior to the ...

 Friday, May 23------The whooshing sound that you hear is the rapid departure of film professionals leaving in droves as the Cannes Film Festival enters its final weekend. In fact, professionals have been leaving en masse since Wednesday, with film sales offices at the Marche du Film and the local hotels virtual ghost towns. The American distribution contingent, which were on the Croisette in great numbers, have left Cannes without many major acquisitions. The tepid Cannes market continued what...

 Wednesday, March 21------Despite soggy weather and a rather unenthusiastic response to most films at the Cannes Film Festival, there are a number of deals to announce for European films that have found homes with U.S. distributors. The films, all screening in either the official sections of the Festival or in the Cannes Film Market, will all be released theatrically in the United States in the next few months.IFC Films has been among the busiest companies on the Croisette. The company has acqu...

Cannes in a Van - The Documentary, documenting the maerick exploits of Cannes in a Van on their maiden voyage to Cannes at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, gets it's first screenings at Cannes in the Van and the Short Film Corner at the 61st Cannes Film Festival. Filmed, Edited & Directed by Sharron Ward.For more clips & trailes - go to www.youtube.com/user/katalystproductionswww.cannesinavandoc.comwww.katalystproductions.co.uk...

 Thursday, May 15-------Don’t bother trying to contact American film professionals in their New York or Los Angeles offices this week…..the bulk of them are cruising the Croisette at the Cannes Film Festival, looking for films that they can add to their theatrical slates. Distribution bigwigs are mixing with smaller specialty companies in a mad search for the next small European gem that could become a major box office champion. With many available titles vying for attention in the Official...

Tuesday, May 29------While the Main Competition Awards at the Cannes Film Festival generally get the lion's share of press (particularly the Palme d'Or, the Festival's highest honor), there are a number of other awards that are equally significant. Each one of the parallel sections of the Festival (Un Certain Regard, Directors Fortnight and the International Critics Week) bestows its own prizes. In addition, film critics and other guilds have their own set of awards. All in all, a pr...

Sunday, May 27-------The Romanian film 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS by director Cristian Mungiu (whose celebrated debut film THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU was cited by US film critics as one of the best of last year) has won the prestigious Palme D'Or at the 60th Cannes Film Festival. The film, which was picked up for US distribution by IFC First Take, is the first film from Romania so honored. The prizes in all categories were presented prior to the Closing Night screening of the Quebec fi...

Interview with Tammy Caplan (co-writer/director) and Joe Gold (co-writer/star) of Fartman: Caught in a Tight Ass (USA) short film - smash hit on Atom Films and available to watch now! plus we bring you an update on the Cannes Film Festival and preview the upcoming Seattle International Film Festival kicks off on the 24 May to 17 June Music If this geek ruled the world by Geoff Smith 99 words for boobs by The FuMP from Robert Lund Competition Don't forget to enter the "Discover Me&quo...

Friday, June 9----Fresh off his tour of the Croisette at the Cannes Film Festival with his film AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, former Vice President (and current media darling) Al Gore will delivery the Keynote Address at the SILVERDOCS Documentary Film Conference on Thursday, June 15. Gore's film, directed by Davis Guggenheim, a wake-up call on the effects of global warming, has been a media sensation since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and reached a fever pitch when Gore walke...