14/05/2008

The Cannes Film Market, which runs parallel to the Cannes Film Festival, opens its doors today for 12 days of intense film negotiations, with over 8,000 participants registered – 8% more than 2007 and 40% on 2003. Jérôme Paillard, managing director of the market since 1995, is expecting final attendance figures to rise to 11,000.

In spite of a low dollar against the euro, Paillard told Cineuropa that a 2% rise on US participants had been recorded, although some companies were expected to bring smaller delegations.

To try to accommodate the growing demand for screening facilities (1,600 screenings are booked), three new screening rooms have been added this year, taking the total number to 33. In terms of exhibitors, around 300 companies will display their products in more than 6,000 square metres of space at the Market and around 120 companies will have offices in hotels or flats around the Croisette.

For its fifth edition, the Producers Network will welcome 600 international producers, invited to attend 16 round table conferences and take part in the Producers Network’s Speed Dating, reserved for French-speaking producers on May 15 and 16, and to Ibero-American producers on May 17.

For the first time, to respond to the growing popularity of documentary films, producers, distributors and filmmakers working in this genre will be invited to a Documentary Brunch on May 22.

All information on “who’s where with what” during Cannes is gathered in the very useful Cinando database, supported by the MEDIA Programme.