Many buyers and sellers see Cannes as coming at the end of a long and busy buying season at other major markets. Getting serious business done in the South of France depends on how you look at it. Both Rick Hess, president of Propaganda Films, and David Linde, president of Good Machine International, regard Cannes as a golden opportunity to showcase their finished films and acquaint themselves with new creative talent. Among buyers, Marcus Hu of Strand Releasing is enthusiastic about Cannes because its venerable festival emphasizes art films. Hu locates much of Strand's annual lineup among the offerings in festival competition and at such sidebar events as Un Certain Regard.
Buyers seeking commercial fare often find Cannes less useful.
Talaat Captan, whose Prime Pictures buys films for 22 Middle Eastern countries, dismisses Cannes as more of a vacation than a true film market. It's a festival, a place to get together and schmooze. The publicity generated at Cannes can be vital to a film that is slated to open in international territories, notes Barbara Mudge, president of Worldwide Entertainment. Shire spent an entire day ensconced at the Hotel Majestic, doing interviews and posing for photographs. By the time the AFM rolls around, many buyers and sellers are putting their big deals in place.