Unifrance will be present at the Cannes Film Festival from May 14 through 25 to help promote the works and artists of French cinema.
The organization will take up residence in its two usual venues:
- the Unifrance Terrace, just off the Croisette, will welcome the teams of French films presented at the festival (across all sections), the international press, and numerous events.
- the Unifrance stand, located within the Marché du Film (Riviera L0), which will host several French international sales companies and will be available to its members. It will also host meetings between Unifrance teams and their contacts during the festival.
THE VENUES
The Unifrance Terrace at Cannes, a special place at the service of French cinema on the international scene
The Unifrance Terrace will be set up for the seventh consecutive year at 5 rue des Belges, a stone's throw from the Palais des Festivals, in a space spread over three levels designed to welcome the crews of French productions selected in Cannes for their interviews with the international press.
The venue will also host numerous private events (by invitation only): cocktail receptions (in honor of foreign distributors and French exporters, for animation films, documentaries, etc.), the presentation of the Unifrance Short Film Awards, working breakfasts (in the presence of audiovisual attaché networks, focusing on French-speaking regions and events, OFAJ), lunches (EFP) and dinners, notably (the Critics' Week jury, Unifrance's 10 to Watch, the winners of the Unifrance Short Film Awards, etc.).
The Unifrance Terrace will also serve as a setting for video interviews conducted by Unifrance with the artists, in order to accompany promotion during Cannes and, later, the release of the films. A photo studio (entrusted to photographer Marie Rouge) will allow portraits to be produced that can be made available to the international press and to foreign festivals in which Unifrance is a partner.
A photo exhibition composed of portraits of filmmakers and actors taken by Marie Rouge during the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris and the Cannes Film Festival, will also be presented on the Unifrance Terrace.
The Unifrance stand at the Marché du Film
Unifrance will also be present alongside professionals through its 95-square-meter stand located in the Marché du Film (Riviera-L0), which can host meetings for Unifrance member producers and exporters, and will provide an umbrella for two export companies: MPM Premium and Octopolis.
This space will also be the venue where Unifrance teams will meet with their contacts: directors and selectors of foreign festivals, international distributors, representatives of VOD platforms, exporters, market managers, audiovisual attachés, cultural advisors, partners, and export professionals.
Two happy hours (by invitation only), conceived to encourage – in a convivial way – exchanges between French professionals and their foreign counterparts, are also planned, with a focus on international festivals and producers.
HIGHLIGHTS
Launching the Marché on the Unifrance Terrace with foreign distributors and French exporters
Unifrance's traditional cocktail reception, which honors foreign distributors and French exporters, will be held on Wednesday, May 15 on the Unifrance Terrace (by invitation only). This gathering, which marks the beginning of the Marché du Film, will be followed by numerous professional events that will be held either on the Unifrance Terrace or at the Unifrance stand, such as the working breakfast that will bring together French audiovisual attachés and Unifrance teams (May 17).
French documentaries on the Unifrance Terrace
On Thursday, May 16, Unifrance will join Cannes Docs & EURODOC to host, on the Unifrance Terrace, Cannes Docs' opening cocktail reception (by invitation only).
On the evening of May 16, the jury for the Oeil d'or documentary award will gather on the Terrace for dinner.
Meetings focusing on exports
Unifrance will participate at the lunch devoted to French cinema in the world organized by the CNC on its beach on Thursday, May 16, that will bring together some 100 French and foreign guests: institutions, distributors, festival directors, exporters, etc.
French animation on the Unifrance Terrace
On Sunday, May 19, Unifrance will join the Marché du Film / Animation Day, Annecy Animation Film Festival, and German Films / Animation Germany to host, on the Unifrance Terrace, a cocktail reception celebrating French animation (by invitation only).
French-speaking regions
On Monday, May 20, a working breakfast focusing on the French-speaking world will be organized with a dozen participants on the theme "What tools should be employed to promote French-language films in French-speaking countries?"
Short films on the Unifrance Terrace
- On Thursday, May 23, the 22nd Unifrance Short Film Awards will be announced in the presence of the recipients and the members of the 2024 Jury. The ceremony will be followed by a cocktail reception and diner bringing together the winners (by invitation only).
- In addition, Unifrance will participate in the Short Film Corner breakfasts.
THE 10 TO WATCH IN CANNES
Initiated by Unifrance in 2014, the "10 to Watch" program aims to contribute to the emergence of new French movie talents in the international arena, by raising their profile outside France (through contact with journalists, festival programmers, broadcasters, and foreign audiences) and, in this way, to participate in the constant renewal of French cinema icons.
The artists who make up the "10 to Watch" are selected by a committee of film journalists (Variety, Screen International, Cineuropa, The Hollywood Reporter, France Inter). The list of the 10 to Watch 2024 was revealed by Unifrance in January, during the Unifrance Rendez-vous in Paris.
On Wednesday, May 22 these emerging talents will be put in the spotlight at Cannes through a press lunch with French and international journalists, followed by a red-carpet photo session arranged with the Cannes Film Festival, and a dinner on the Unifrance Terrace. The following participants are already confirmed at this stage: Sofia Alaoui, Suzy Bemba, Céleste Brunnquell, Stéphan Castang, Stefan Crepon, Jean-Baptiste Durand, Iris Kaltenbäck, Raphaël Quenard, Souheila Yacoub, and Sofiane Zermani.
Unifrance will also produce video content (interviews, encounters, etc.) to promote this new generation of artists on social networks to foreign audiences.
For any press enquiries about Unifrance's 10 to Watch, please contact betty.bousquet@unifrance.org
10 to Watch at Cannes benefits from the collaborative participation of the Cannes Film Festival, and the invaluable support of Screen International, L'Oréal Paris, and Davines.
UNIFRANCE ONLINE
Unifrance will be present during the festival on its usual social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, and YouTube) and will deliver several series of daily posts: interviews with French filmmakers and artists, video clips dedicated to the 10 to Watch in Cannes program.
This coverage will be amplified by the presence at Cannes, alongside Unifrance, of Franco-American content creator Cécilia Jourdan (hellofrenchnyc).
Institutional communication will be reserved for LinkedIn.
Unifrance's presence in Cannes benefits from the invaluable support of: Estandon Coopérative en Provence, Davines, TitraFilm, Dammann Frères, Nespresso, Acqua Panna & San Pellegrino.
Unifrance also thanks its institutional partners and patrons: République française, CNC, Institut français, PROCIREP, Accor & Vranken-Pommery Monopole.
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