While the 2024 edition of the Cannes International Film Festival The Palais des Festivals opened last night and is ready to host the big event of world cinema. With the highlights of the official selection, fetish films and charismatic personalities, but also, in this year of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a surprise guest: the Olympic flame, which will tread, Tuesday, May 21, as the greatest stars of the 7th Art, the red carpet.
A rendezvous which reflects international film production, but also concerns that «work» the world of cinema: artificial intelligence, representation of diversity, immersive cinema, restoration of heritage films and, of course, the fight against sexual violence, with a highlight, the projection of Short film by actress and director Judith Godrèche on sexual violence against women: I too. Concerns, as we can see, are far removed from the glitter, but the urgency and legitimacy of which cannot be denied.
Creation and heritage, the same excitement
Presented at the opening of the festival, The Second Act by Quentin Dupieux, true « declaration of love and humor ” promises to spark interest and excitement. He is not alone. From the Larrieu brothers to Noémie Merlant, via Arnaud Desplechin, Rithy Panh, Laetitia Dosch or Sophie Fillières, films supported by the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC), or twenty-three films under the Advance on Receipts all sections combined, including two in official competition (Emilia Perez by Jacques Audiard and Rough diamond of Agathe Riedinger), are all marked with the seal of creativity. Similarly, fifteen selected films have benefited from the Aid to World Cinemas, which supports cinematographies around the world.
In Cannes, cinematographic creation is not the only one to create excitement. With the selection Cannes Classics , which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, the festival highlights film heritage. This year, we will be able to see or review versions of Gilda, the masterpiece of Charles Vidor, but also of Paris Texas by Wim Wenders, The Seven Samurai of Akira Kurosawa, Click Years by Raymond Depardon or the latest film by Jean-Luc Godard: Scenarios. But the event will undoubtedly be the opening presentation of Cannes Classics on 14 May, Napoleon by Abel Gance, a cult film whose restoration, led by the Cinémathèque française with the support of the CNC, was a 14-year odyssey.
Immersion, a new horizon
Always at the forefront of innovation, the Cannes Film Festival inaugurates this year, with the support of the CNC, a new section dedicated to immersive experiencesa selection of eight competing projects, including collective virtual reality installations, mixed reality experiences and works by video mappingbut also a non-competitive selection of six works. The CNC supports five works in competition and five out of competition.
This event will also be an opportunity for the city of Cannes to announce the launch of the «Cannes Immersive» program, sponsored by artist Jean-Michel Jarre, with the support of the CNC. Dedicated to “ be a global hub dedicated to immersive creations and the new artistic territory of Artificial Intelligence (AI) », Cannes Immersive will integrate an immersive cultural offer with Cannes events and create a permanent immersive venue to showcase the best of immersive and AI-generated creation.
Supporting the talents of tomorrow’s cinema
The Festival Residence, the Fabrique Cinéma, CNC Talent… Through these various initiatives, the new talents of film creation will be very present on the Croisette. Initiatives that confirm the international dimension of the Festival. The device «the Cannes Film Festival Residence» supports young directors every year with the aim of accompanying them in the realization of their first or second film. This new edition brings together twelve filmmakers to whom the CNC will award two residents.
Same international dimension for the «Fabrique Cinéma». Developed by the French Institute with France Médias Monde and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, this scheme aims to promote the emergence of the creation of the countries of the South on the international market and to promote filmmakers and producers. This year, nine feature film projects and one documentary project were selected.
Finally, six web creators are invited to the Croisette on the occasion of the new edition of «CNC Talent», the Cannes residency organized by the CNC, in partnership with YouTube. The ambition of this residency? Develop bridges between different generations of creators and different scripts, the web and cinema.
Support for films on sexual diversity
The ministry is a partner of the Queer Palm the Cannes Film Festival, an award that rewards each year, among the works in competition, a feature and a short film dealing with LGBTQIA+ themes. The awards were presented this year to Emanuel Parvu, for Three kilometers to the end of the world and to Elena López Riera for Southern Brides.
This year, Queer Palm added a mentoring program, supported by the ministry. Queer Palm Lab, sponsored by Belgian director Lukas Dhont, will select five film projects that will be accompanied for a year through different appointments and a 15-day residency in Portugal. The five winners will participate in the Cannes Film Festival 2025, where they will present their projects at the «Queer Market» meeting organized by the Queer Palm Lab and will be able to exchange with producers and distributors.
Finally, still in association with the Queer Palm of Cannes, the ministry participates in Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival where he presents the Best Queer Film Award to one of the films in competition, to highlight the expression of the culture and issues of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Rachida Dati: «The great challenges of the French cinema model»
While the winners of the 77th Cannes International Film Festival are expected on May 25, Rachida Dati, Minister of Culture, presented on Saturday, May 18, on the occasion of her visit to La Croisette, a vibrant plea in favour of the French model, which she stressed: the great vitality "." Among the films selected in Cannes, 27 were helped by the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC) for their artistic quality, the best result since 2018 ” said the Minister.
However, it is necessary to adapt this ecosystem The European Commission has made a major contribution to the European cultural new challenges The first challenge is to make films accessible to all. “PSo that films reach all audiences in all territories, we will implement an ambitious distribution plan: support itinerant circuits (exceptional support of €1 million from the CNC and €0.5 million to finance the creation of sustainable jobs) and local festivals (increase of 60% of the envelope devoted to them), rely on mediators (whose number will increase by 25%) and film ambassadors. This is how we will make more accessible, to all, in all territories, the wonderful richness of your films ” said the Minister.
The second challenge: the sector must be exemplary ” in three key areas: social openness, prevention of sexual and gender-based violence and respect for the environment. Concerning " the opening requirement According to the Minister, integration begins with work, training and access to employment. “ As part of the Grande Fabrique de l'image, a project led by France 2030, we have accentuated the opening of the sector to all social classes through initial and continuing training ", assured the Minister, stating that 34 training projects were supported for an amount of €67.5 million. On the issue of inclusion of persons with disabilities, the Minister recalled that she supported the signing of a partnership between Pathé and the National Institute of Young Blind People in favor of audio description, and indicated that it would increase the allocation of the call for projects «Les Uns et les Autres», intended to promote integration in the film and audiovisual sector, to €300,000.
For the Minister of Culture, the issue of sexual and gender-based violence, but also the protection of children on set, is now unavoidable. To prevent such violence, the Commission has announced a number of major initiatives, including training for producers, broadcasters and cinema operators, which will be extended to all filming teams The Minister will also make mandatory the “ Presence of a child manager on each shoot employing minors ".
The challenge of ecological transition is also eagerly awaited by professionals. The result of a partnership between the General Directorate of Media and Cultural Industries of the Ministry of Culture, the CNC and Afnor, AFNOR SPEC repository for the film, audiovisual and advertising sectors is a turning point. “ As we were the first to build a policy of support for cinema, we will now be the first, with the publication of this document, to establish a standard for eco-responsible production ” said the Minister of Culture.
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