Cannes is not just a red‑carpet show, it’s six festivals in one and the world’s largest film marketplace. It is a fantastic launch ramp for new movies and as streamers invest increasingly in European originals, Cannes is a must stop for them or is it?
Today at a glance:
Streamers & Cannes Warmed Up To Each Other
Streamers Still Camping On Their Positions
Streamers’ Investment In European Cinema
How Streamers Battle With The French Media Chronology
BONUS: Interview with Stéphanie Bro, Founder of L’agence inédite.
She reports back from the festival on the overall industry sentiment, a new kind of brand content, her experience as a marketer of shows like Breaking Bad and Spiral and much more:
Streamers & Cannes Warmed Up To Each Other
In 2017, Netflix shook Cannes when Okja and The Meyerowitz Stories screened without a theatrical window. Distributors and theatre owners rebelled, and in 2018 the festival mandated a planned theatrical release for any selection. Netflix pulled out, auteurs like Scorsese and Cuaron sat the fest out, and for years it was Cannes versus streaming.
Today, Streamers are very much part of the Cannes ecosystem:
At the Marché du Film, the “Streamers’ Forum” is in its 3rd edition, a morning where streamers detailed the making of a local production (Prime Video & Gaumont), pitched their upcoming launch in Germany and their investment in local content (HBO) or shared how theatrical and streaming can go hand in hand (Crunchyroll).
YouTube was on the Croisette for the 6th time and Justine Ryst, MD of YouTube France & Southern Europe, reiterated YouTube’s role in the French movie ecosystem.