11/05/2010

On the eve of the Film Market opening, Delegate General Jérôme Paillard gave Cineuropa a glimpse of the trends and highlights of this 2010 edition.

Cineuropa: How does this edition look in terms of the participants and countries represented?
Jérôme Paillard: The final figures are not yet available, but it would appear that we’re going to return more or less to the usual 10,000 participants, after a drop in 2009. Optimism has made a comeback. Buyers, who for some time lived off their catalogues, now want to buy new films, and producers still have a significant supply on offer. In total, we have almost 4,000 titles registered for the market, including 1,700 projects and 2,300 completed films. A total of 1,000 titles will be screened, including 800 premieres.

As far as geographical areas are concerned, Latin America, which represents around 3% of all participants, has seen a 12% increase this year. The US remains one of the biggest contingents (around 17%) and has seen a rise of almost 3%. France and the United Kingdom both clock in at around 12%.

You’re expecting 600 producers at the Producers Network. Isn’t this a maximum limit if this gathering is to take place in the best conditions?
We have indeed reached a record number of participants and had to stop registrations. This success shows that Cannes is increasingly important to producers looking for financial partners. It’s a great tool available to professionals.

The meetings organised by the Producers Network will focus on animation and cross-media, two sectors that are very much in vogue at the moment.
The development of 3D has certainly revived interest in animation, even though the genre is far from being dominant in global film production. To respond to the growth in production in this sector, we’ve provided about ten 3D movie theatres that will host around 20 screenings of promo-reels in 3D.

For its part, cross-media is a sector in development which should enable producers to better manage and make use of their rights in the coming years. For the moment, cross-media production remains anecdotal. Nevertheless, a small group of experts (including Michel Reilhac of Arte France Cinéma) are contributing to the discussion and helping producers open up their minds on the subject.

Documentaries will once again be in the spotlight with a special day dedicated to them: Tuesday, May 18.
Documentaries remain very stable and represent between 7-8% of the films registered at Cannes. This year, several Cannes sections have also selected documentaries. The professionals (directors, producers, distributors) are delighted that for the third year in a row we’re organising this brunch that enables them to get together.

What are the other new additions at this 2010 Market?
To continue to make it easier for international film professionals to take part in the Cannes Festival and Film Market, we’ve reached an agreement with hoteliers to change the conditions of reservation for overnight stays – which were previously blocked off for the whole duration of the Festival, i.e. 12 days. The hotels have agreed.

So, despite air traffic disruptions due to the Icelandic volcano, you’re still feeling confident on the eve of the Film Market opening?
We have the lucky star of cinema shining over us….