Cannes just confirmed our scoop that the Marche will hold a virtual ‘pre-screenings’ event for industry this spring. It will be comprised of four days of online screenings at the end of May accompanied by virtual booths for sales, with access reserved for Marche badge holders, at no extra cost to the standard accreditation.
“Due to the unusually long delay between the EFM in Berlin and the Marché du Film in Cannes, many international sales agents have expressed the need for an intermediate event in the spring, which will allow them to do business and to network virtually, while awaiting the big rendezvous in July when the film industry will meet up again in large numbers,” the March said in a statement today.
Organizers clearly remain bullish that a physical event – both a festival and a market – will take place as planned July 6-15. In today’s statement it added that those unable to travel will be able to participate virtually in screenings and events.today that titles from the 2021 Cannes program will not be screened in May, with the fest keeping those back to premiere in July.
Industry remains largely pessimistic about the possibility of an in-person event in the early summer due to ongoing Covid spikes and delays to the vaccine program in Europe. The May event will provide a platform for sales ahead of the summer months – key for both production and cinema releases – even if July cannot go ahead. The fest remains insistent that further industry-focused activity, such as conferences and networking, will take place in July.