Between the 19th and 23rd of May this year I attended the Cannes Film Festival in France. I got accreditation by submitting my short 'Old Dogs' to the Short Film Corner, acceptance into which gets you two accreditation passes. Once accepted you must submit your accreditation into into the festival website, your guest must be related to the submitted project i.e. they have a credit in the end credit roll of your film.
The Short Film Corner at Cannes accepts more or less any film submitted, so if you have the money for travel and accommodation (book well in advance), it's quite an easy way to get yourself into the festival. Without an accreditation pass, you cannot participate in anything the festival has to offer. The festival is heavily secured by guards on almost every door including places in the town such as hotel entrances and the sponsored pop up beach bars, none of which you can get into without a Festival pass (or a very long tunnel).
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| Cannes Festival Accreditation Badge |
When you collect your accreditation badge on arrival, you will also receive a festival guide and a screening times leaflet.
The main two theatres are the 'Grand Theatre Lumiere' and the 'Debussy'.
The Lumiere is where all the Evening Galas and Premieres are screened. These events do require tickets but you are given a points allocation with your badge to spend on the Cannes online booking system to get tickets. Check the ticket release times in advance and make sure you are online when they are released because they don't last long. Screenings after 7:30pm in the Lumiere do have a black tie dress code.
The Debussy screenings do not require a ticket and do not have a dress code. Screenings in the Debussy are usually reruns of the Competition and 'Un Certain Regard' films. Be aware that you will need to queue for these screenings and for films with a high demand you may have to get in line around 2 hours before the screening to make sure you get in. The same goes for the smaller theatres too, if you want to make sure you get into the screening you will have to get in line early.
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| Inside the Debussy Theatre |
There's plenty to do around the festival aside from watching films.
Take a walk along 'La Croissette' which is the main road that runs along the seafront the length of Cannes. The beach is on one side of the road and the other side is populated by designer shops and hotels such as the Majestic, the Marriott and the Carlton.
Although the hotels can seem intimidating for a first time festival goer, with their huge poster adorned facades, aformentioned door guards and pack of celeb spotting fans/ photographers out the front, they actually offer a very relaxing, inviting atmosphere to spend a few hours with a drink and a free copy of the Hollywood Reporter. They are also the perfect place to set up meetings and get business done as they provide a cool shelter from the heat or, as is sometimes the case at Cannes, the rain.
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| Carlton Hotel, Cannes |
You may also want to take a look around the marina, which essentially wraps around the right hand side of the Palais du Festival, to check out some of the incredible boats, most of which are sporting banners of production or distribution companies.
Food is not expensive, there are several kiosks dotted along the Croissette that offer baguettes, paninis, pizza, croissants and a variety of hot and cold drinks. There are also a lot of cafes and restaurants that offer food if you are looking for something more substantial.
If spotting well known faces is more your thing, the hotels are a good bet, but to guarantee sightings you will want to get a good spot near the red carpet of the Lumiere theatre for the evening galas. Most of the guests are picked up from their hotels by the festival cars and dropped at the end of the red carpet. Also keep an eye out for photo calls and other publicity events, for which the main actors and the director will usually be in attendance. Finally take a trip down to 'La Gotha' in the evening, a club just outside cannes. During the festival they have headline acts performing every night and you are sure to see some famous faces.
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| Red Carpet at the 'Grand Theatre Lumiere' |
If you do happen to get your accreditation by submitting a film to the Short Film Corner, spend some time around there getting people to watch your film. Its a bit of a free for all with SFC film makers handing cards and flyers to anyone that looks their way, but it's something worth experiencing. You can also book a small screening room to show your film and ask people nearby to come in and take a look. The SFC also does a happy hour at 5pm when they hand out free beer and crisps so the area becomes very busy at this time and can make for a great networking opportunity.
Networking at the festival is relatively easy, everyone is there because they are interested in film and building a career in the industry, so don't be shy about introducing yourself to anyone. You will also bump into the same people again as you are moving around the town and its a good thing to see familiar faces when you walk into the hotel or bar and can lead to more contacts further down the line. The queues for the films are another great place to get chatting, you're stood with these people for several hours and you are hoping to see the same film, an instant ice breaker. Carry lots of business cards as almost everyone you meet will ask for one. Make sure your business card looks professional and includes your email, phone number, website and possibly your twitter handle.
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| Festival de Cannes Banner |
Finally take lots of pictures. Images of you at the Cannes festival add credibility to you as a film maker and your production company, as well as being enviable on social media.
Good luck with your submissions and hopefully I will bump into some of you at the 68th Cannes Film Festival!!!
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| Sam Prudence Going into the Lumiere Theatre |
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| Sam Prudence going into the Debussy Theatre |
