UniFrance will be based in Cannes from May 8 through 19 at the Terrasse UniFrance, a brand new site nearby the Palais des Festivals set up to welcome professionals from the export sector, crew members from the French films presented in the various festival sections, and international media representatives, and to host a large number of events.
The Terrasse UniFrance in Cannes, a new space for French cinema in the international arena
Designed once again by Sarah Lavoine, for the first time the Terrasse UniFrance will be set up at 5 rue des Belges, a few steps from the Palais des Festivals, in a space divided into three levels where UniFrance will host meetings with foreign festival directors and programmers, international distributors, sales agents, market directors, film and television attachés, cultural consultants, partner organizations, and the full range of professionals working in the export sector. And of course it will also welcome international journalists who will come to meet the crews of the French films presented in Cannes (notably those of At War, To the Ends of the World, Girls Of The Sun, Climax, The Trouble with You, Amin, and The World is Yours, to mention just a few). It is a unique location aimed at fostering networking opportunities and promoting French films and artists in strategic markets, as well as reaching out to new audiences and new distributors around the world, with a view to consolidating French cinema's status as the world's second biggest film exporter.
Program and Highlights
COCKTAIL RECEPTION FOR SALES AGENTS AND DISTRIBUTORS
UniFrance will bring together French sales agents and international distributors at its customary cocktail reception (invitation only) to celebrate the opening of the Cannes Film Market, held on Tuesday, May 8, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
FRENCH CINEMA MON AMOUR – PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION
A new exhibition will be held at the Terrasse UniFrance throughout the festival, organized in partnership with Madame Figaro and with support from CHANEL and Studio 11:11. Entitled French Cinema Mon Amour, it will present 20 portraits of French film industry artists photographed by Matias Indjic on the sidelines of the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris held by UniFrance in January.
INDIA DAY
UniFrance will celebrate India on Friday, May 11 by hosting a cocktail party (invitation only) on its terrace for the French and Indian coproducers of The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir, actor/director Nandita Das (Manto), as well as the key players of coproductions between these two great filmmaking countries. The party will be followed by press interviews (invitation only) for The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir, the presentation of the film's official Indian poster, and will wrap with a coproductions networking session between France and India, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Reservations for the networking session: indiaday@unifrance.org
"WE LOVE FRENCH VR"
In two years, French VR has conquered the world. UniFrance continues to echo this international renown by presenting demos of the latest productions on its terrace. In collaboration with Atlas V and Diversion cinema, visitors will be able to discover new works (Isle of the Dead VR, Being an Astronaut, etc.).
May 12 will be French VR Day. A partner of the Bourse Orange XR, UniFrance will welcome the 3 grant recipients of the 2018 edition. Work by emerging French creative artists will be put in the spotlight during a special encounter with fifty international professionals. Prestigious festivals (Venice, Berlin, FNC-Montreal, Tribeca), cultural institutions (Maxxi, Centre Phi), buyers (Arte, Orange, Otherset, Within), and producers (Sony, Baobab) will participate in the event. Lastly, at 4:00 p.m. in the NEXT space, UniFrance will organize, in partnership with the Institut Français and FilmFrance, a conference focusing on the distribution and marketing of French virtual reality, as well as the issues it faces.
"FRENCH EXCELLENCE" DINNER
Madame Figaro, Dior, and UniFrance are joining together to celebrate French cinema's influence around the world during an invitation-only dinner to be held on May 12.
VARIETY / UNIFRANCE PANEL DISCUSSION: "NEW FACES OF FRENCH CINEMA"
On Sunday, May 13, from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. the Terrasse UniFrance will host a panel discussion with the international press and film industry professionals with four emerging talents of French cinema. An editorial spotlight will be published in Variety on the same date.
The 4 emerging talents:
- Leïla Bekhti (Sink or Swim)
- Pierre Deladonchamps (Sorry Angel / Little Tickles)
- Romain Gavras (The World is Yours)
- Vanessa Filho (Angel Face)
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AWARD, UNIFRANCE / FRANCE CULTURE
For the third year, UniFrance continues its partnership with France Culture with the International Students Award. This year, 22 international film schools have allowed their students to vote for their favorite French film. The winning film will be announced on Sunday, May 13 at 11:30 a.m. on the Terrasse UniFrance in the presence of Serge Toubiana, president of UniFrance, Isabelle Giordano, general director of UniFrance, Sibyle Veil, CEO of Radio France, and Sandrine Treiner, director of France Culture, who will also announce the Prix France Culture Cinéma Consécration and Prix France Culture Cinéma des Etudiants. The prize-giving will be followed by an invitation-only cocktail party.
FRANCO-GERMAN FILM MEETINGS
At 2:30 p.m. on May 14, the Terrasse Unifrance will host a board meeting of the Franco-German Film Academy. A cocktail reception (invitation only) will gather together the association's members and its guests on Tuesday, May 15 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the upcoming edition of the Franco-German Film Meetings, which will be held in November 2018.
QUEER FILM MARKET
Tuesday, May 15 will also feature the 4th Queer Film Market, to be held from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., in the presence of all the sales agents and buyers of French films in competition for the Queer Palm (Cannes' LGBT Prize), the jury of the Queer Palm (presided over this year by producer Sylvie Pialat), as well as programmers of LBBTQ+ festivals.
SHORT FILM DIARY
On Wednesday, May 16, UniFrance will be dedicating the day to short film on its terrace. It will kick off at 9:30 a.m. with a networking breakfast in partnership with TitraFilm (reservations: benoit.blanchard@unifrance.org), and end at 6:00 p.m. with the presentation of the UniFrance Short Film Prize.
- Thursday, May 17: screenings at 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. of the films awarded the UniFrance Short Film Prize (reservations: courtmetrage@unifrance.org)
- Friday, May 18: the Terrasse UniFrance will play host to a cocktail reception at 1:30 p.m. in honor of the representatives of all the short films in Official Competition.
PRESENTATION OF THE BOOK MY PROFESSION IS NOT "BLACK"
UniFrance joins forces with actress Aïssa Maïga, the coordinator of the book My Profession is Not "Black," in which sixteen actresses share their common experience of being both black and women in the French film industry. A breakfast for the press has been organized for Thursday, May 17 at 9:30 a.m., in the presence of the all the women who contributed to the book.
To refresh your memories, some key figures for French films abroad in 2017:
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82 million admissions
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€477 million in box office revenues generated outside France
- 39.2 million admissions registered by French-language films
- 650 French films shown in theaters abroad
- 7 French films attracted over 1 million admissions outside France
- 468 trips made by French actors and directors to accompany the presentation of their films (shorts and features) in foreign countries.
The décor of the Terrasse UniFrance was designed by Maison Sarah Lavoine, and created with the support of the leboncoin website, a partner of the facility.
In 2018, the Terrasse UniFrance in Cannes benefits from support from Renault, TitraFilm, Douka Paris, Nespresso, S. Pellegrino, and Dammann Frères.
Suppliers: Laurent-Perrier and Clos Saint Michel.
Alcohol abuse is dangerous for health, consume with moderation.
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