The Cannes Film Festival is known for big stars and big premieres, but you may not realize it is also home to the Marché du Film, the largest film market in the world. Each year thousands of film professionals come to Cannes to buy and sell the films that will appear on theater and television screens around the globe.
"I am personally here to learn," says Lloyd Kaufman, president and co-founder of Troma Entertainment. "But the Troma team is here to sell our movies, to find distributors, and make some money."
Filled with a wide range of genre posters, from horror and soft-core porn to animated family features, it is clear that the films on display in the market are very different from those in contention for the Palme d'Or. "You walk through the market and you are going to see titles that you would never imagine in your life," says press agent Gary Springer.
"I think this is where it becomes apparent that not all movies are destined to have an audience or indeed deserve and audience," explains Charlie Bloye, chief executive at FilmExportUK. "It is important for people out there to realize that there is a winnowing process that goes on where a lot of people are selecting top quality films to present to them and, unfortunately, it means that some people's dreams are dashed at a market like this."
Approx. 2:30 minutes.
Produced by Meredith Bragg and Austin Bragg.
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