For the producers and filmmakers who’ve been to Cannes, we need your wisdom!
This will be my first time attending the Cannes Film Festival and Market, and I know I’m not the only one here getting ready to experience it for the first time.
So I’m calling on the Stage 32 community: What are your best tips for surviving and making the most of Cannes?
Where’s the best food and drinks? What’s on your can’t miss list: events, screenings, networking spots? Any travel tips you wish you knew the first time you went? And maybe most importantly… how do you fight jet lag and stay energized for those marathon days and late-night meetings?
Would love to hear your advice, lessons learned, and any little gems that helped you make the most of your Cannes experience. Let’s help the first-timers head into the Croisette feeling ready to make the most of it!
2 people like this
What’s your goal in attending Cannes? Buying or selling?
I’ve been to AFM, and I have some take-always from that market.
2 people like this
Having a goal or list of goals you'd like to achieve is a good way to bring order to the - lets face it - chaos that is Cannes. Every festival is different, so if you're at your first or second Cannes, its perfectly ok to set one of your goals as "figure out how this festival works". If you have Marche du Film (the market side of the festival) accreditation, it gives you access to talks, screenings, the international pavilions and more, which are all great places to learn more about the industry from different international perspectives.
3 people like this
You'll also do a ton of walking - be ready to spend a lot of your day on your feet!
2 people like this
Hi Ashley! Cannes is my favorite market - I think this will be my 10th one. Here are a few quick tips:
- Line up as many mtgs as you can in advance. Do your research in advance to have a list of additional target companies or people you'd like to meet if possible. If you're doing unscheduled drop-bys at the market as a producer/filmmaker, you'll have a tough time getting mtgs on the fly with companies, especially sales & distribution in the first few days of the market; however, you could try going one of the early days to meet the gatekeeper and try to get something on the books (have something solid to pitch them to get the mtg). And then go back again, perhaps the first Saturday or so to see if you can get lucky with a few unscheduled instant mtgs.
- Food there is A-Maze-ing. :) Rue Saint-Antoine is a beautiful winding road going up the hill with lovely restaurants and setting. Cross street Rue Félix Faure has some fun restaurants and people-watching. See below for more.
- The most social / partying opportunities of any market. First of all, if you aren't staying close to la Croisette, make sure to give yourself extra time to get back down there for the evening - traffic can be horrific, especially if there's a prominent red carpet event (which is often!) Like Ewan said, you will be walking a lot - good shoes are important. Rue Des Freres Pradignac is the most fun street - all bars/restaurants, with everyone spilling out into the street. And you can always split off from there to nearby restaurants, most of which are pretty good. There are many parties and happy hours happening at Cannes, and those can be good for business networking if you can get onto a few lists, but the great thing about Cannes as opposed to other markets, is you can just go out and know where to find lots of people mingling and having fun - you don't have to be on a list for that!
- In terms of networking vs. pitching, if you're in a meeting during the day, pitch away of course. If you're out at night, you can find ways to drop in things you're doing / working on / etc, but you don't want to launch into overt pitching, even if you happen to bump into that exec/financier/EP you had at the top of your list - you just want to make a friend and start a relationship, and then find a subtle way of making you / what you're working on seem cool / important, and get contact info to follow up later. Followups are key!!!!
See you on the Croisette!!! :)
1 person likes this
Thanks so much for asking, Mike Boas! I’ll actually be working while I’m there, supporting our Stage 32 community but I’m sure any advice or takeaways you have from your past film market experiences would be incredibly helpful to other members attending Cannes for the first time.
Markets like AFM and Cannes can feel overwhelming, especially for first-timers, so any insight on strategy, preparation, or lessons learned would be so valuable to share!
1 person likes this
Ewan Dunbar, this is such fantastic advice, thank you for sharing this! I love the reminder that sometimes one of the most valuable goals for your first Cannes experience is simply figuring out how it all works. It really is such a massive event with so many moving parts, and I think giving yourself permission to learn and observe is just as important as making connections.
And yes, I’ve already been warned about the walking! Comfortable shoes are absolutely at the top of my packing list. I really appreciate you sharing your insight. I know this will be so helpful for other first-time attendees here too!
1 person likes this
Robert Deege, this is phenomenal advice. I’m definitely taking notes and saving this for reference. I really appreciate the balance in your advice: having a clear strategy for meetings during the day, but also being mindful of building genuine relationships and networking organically in the evenings.
And I’m so glad you mentioned food. I’ve heard the food in Cannes is incredible, and now I’m absolutely adding your suggestions to my list!
This is exactly the kind of insight that makes the Stage 32 community so special. Thank you again for sharing your experience. I look forward to seeing you on the Croisette!
2 people like this
Ashley Renee SmithI am so happy for you to attend the Cannes Festival, and I am cheering for you. You deserve it so much. Congratulations, my friend. I never went to the Cannes festival, but in Europe it is the number one film festival. I dream of attending, but I believe it will be next year. This year, I will be by your side, offering my heartfelt support. YOu will have a great experience, and welcome to my beautiful Europe :)
2 people like this
My advice would be for selling a film, setting up meetings, doing research. Robert covered everything pretty well, especially since he’s been to Cannes specifically.
4 people like this
Join my class and get the scoop! Access paired with talent will maximize your success. But I would say as a piece of advice is BE WILLING TO LISTEN , BE WiLLING to PIVOT , BE WILLING TO SURRENDER CONTROL and look at it as a marathon not a sprint.
3 people like this
Ashley Renee Smith so happy to see you on the Croisette! You deserve being there!
3 people like this
I'm so excited to get to finally meet you in person, Alexia Melocchi! =)
2 people like this
There is some great advice on this thread. Be sure to have your schedule mapped out, but you also need to surrender to the Cannes magic. There is a beauty with the creative collaborations that come from the festival unprompted. It’s my favorite thing about being partners with Cannes!