The countdown has begun; from May 8- 19, the world’s eyes will be fixed on the French Riviera where the Cannes Film Festival, one of the world’s largest and most important film events, kicks off.

This year, the festival’s official market Le Marché du Film opens its NEXT program for innovation to blockchain technology for the first time. SingularDTV is part of NEXT with a booth and a panel, in addition to industry panels at the pavilions where the American and UK film industry players gather. Since the company’s team is going to be all over the Croisette, here’s a bit of film festival history to place Cannes into a larger context.

The Croisette where industry players, celebrities, tourists and locals mingle during the film festival.

In 1932, the Venice Film Festival launched as the first-ever prestigious festival dedicated to cinema. Called La Mostra (“exhibition” in Italian), it brought together international filmmakers on a European-wide stage.

LA GRANDE ILLUSION by the French director Jean Renoir, won the Best Overall Artistic Contribution Award in 1937 in Venice. This news enraged Adolf Hitler, as he did not understand why German films did not receive any prizes that year. The results lead to a close cooperation between Hitler and Mussolini to maintain control of future award selections, which was the end of independent programming.

On his way back from Venice, after Hitler threatened the jury to change the final results of the competition, French author Philippe Erlanger came up with the idea to have an alternative festival. He imagined a new event based in France where “non-censure” and “freedom of speech” would be the driving engine.

When Erlanger submitted his idea, the French government seemed indecisive. The goal at the time was to avoid any additional tension with the two main supporters of The Venice Film Festival, Italy and Germany.

Cannes: alternative to politicized Venice

Supported by the powerful American film industry and several European countries opposed to fascism, the project became with time, the alternative to the Venice Film Festival.

In May of 1939, La Mostra announced that Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Propaganda for Nazi Germany, would be the central guest of the event. The news was the final push the French government needed to create the Cannes film festival.

The Cannes Film Festival was officially founded in 1939, but the first ceremony saw the light of day seven years later at the end of the World War II. The first ‘Palme d’Or’ award was given to the American director Delbert Mann for his film MARTY, which also received the Oscar for Best Picture.

In 1946, the U.S. Secretary of State James F. Byrnes and representatives of the French government Léon Blum signed the “Blum–Byrnes Agreements”, aiming to eradicate France’s $2.8 billion debt to America. The decree lifted French restrictions on dubbed films, especially on American productions, in exchange for new credit. The U.S. was then allowed to distribute American films in the French film market and to this day has had a large impact on it.

Since the festival’s creation, American filmmakers remain the highest awarded, with eighteen Palme d’Or awards in total for films like MASH by Robert Altman in 1970, THE CONVERSATION by Francis Ford Coppola in 1974, and TAXI DRIVER by Martin Scorsese in 1976.

New tech on the Croisette

Each year American cinema brings not only high-quality productions but also controversy. Last year, the official selection included two films produced by Netflix, Bong Joon-ho’s, OKJA and Noah Baumbach’s, THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES. The films were never intended for theatrical release and were only broadcast on the streaming platform. The decision to officially select them was highly criticized amongst French film professionals.

As the result of last year’s controversy, Thierry Frémaux announced last March in a Film français’ interview, “In order to compete for the Palme d’or, film would have to be have a French theatrical release.”

Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, insisted that the VOD online platform should be on “fair ground” with every other filmmaker. Sarandos also mentioned in Variety that he would be open to Netflix releasing films in theaters, but is not willing to comply with the Cannes stipulation that the film cannot be released on the streaming platform for at least 36 months after theatrical release.

Netflix recently pulled five films that were meant to have their premiere in Cannes: ROMA by Alfonso Cuaron, NORWAY by Paul Greengrass, HOLD THE DARK by Jeremy Saulnier, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND, an unfinished film by Orson Welles, and THEY’LL LOVE ME WHEN I’M DEAD by Morgan Neville.

The American VOD platform mentioned that it was “useless” to present any films if they could not run for the Palme d’Or, adding it was “less interesting” to be in Cannes on those terms.

Two of the five Netflix productions were particularly appealing for The Cannes Film Festival’s team: ROMA and THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND. “[Those films] had their place at Cannes,” explained Thierry Frémaux to Première. “(…) [Netflix’s team] They are people that love cinema, but we do not have the same philosophical point of view.”

Last March, a report was commissioned by the French government to reduce from four to three months the exclusivity period to cinemas, broadcast most of the films, and advance to fifteen months after the theatrical release the availability on VOD. Films would also have to respect a series of strict commitments in terms of financing French creation. Netflix, in particular, is far to respect those conditions. “Last year, when we selected the two Netflix films, I thought I could convince Netflix to release them in cinemas. (…) They refused,” admitted Frémaux to Film Français.

THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE by Terry Gilliam is also making waves in Cannes. Two week ago, The Cannes Film Festival announced the film was selected as the closing film on May 19.

But the film cannot be screened without pre-agreement from Alfama Films Production owned by the producer Paulo Branco who bought the rights from Gilliam in April 2016. The two are since in legal battle over who owns the film.

In May 2017, the French court ruled in favor of Paulo Branco, while rejecting the request of the producer to stop the Cannes’projection. A court hearing related to Cannes screening is due to take place on May 7. The Paris Court of Appeal is due to issue a final ruling on the case on June 15.

A cursed production? Terry Gilliam initially started shooting his film in 2000, eighteen years ago. He had to stop a few time after many disasters as an epic torrential rains that turned the set into a swamp.

The buzz on the Croisette always comes with a bit of controversy — it’s part of the experience, like the ever-flowing rosé and seaside business meetings. If it’s not Netflix or furious filmmakers, it’s something else, like banning selfies and flat shoes for women at the red carpet. One thing is sure: SingularDTV brings blockchain to Cannes and with three panels it will be hard to miss.

SingularDTV in Cannes

Wed May 9

Le Marché du Film NEXT Panel

Time: 11.30–13.00h

Location: NEXT conference room

Title: Blockchain Blockbusters

Freelance journalist Tiffany Pritchard (Filmmaker, Screen International) talks to SingularDTV’s Co-Founder Arie Levy-Cohen and VP of Entertainment, Finance and Development, Daniel Hyman. Can the blockchain revolution really produce blockbusters? Get into the game of trust transparency and financing in a new innovative way.

Fri May 11

American Pavilion Panel

Time: 11.00–12.00h

Location: American Pavilion, 130 Village International

Title: Blockchain Technology: Under the Hood

Blockchain technology brings total transparency to the film industry. With the blockchain buzz starting in Berlin, SXSW and Tribeca, it’s time to take a look under the hood. What’s the added value for filmmakers?

Sunday May 13

UK Film Centre Panel

Time: 12.30–13.30h

Location: UK Film Centre Pavilion, 117 Village International Riviera

Title: Blockchain 101

Electra Media Founder and BBC Arts and Culture contributor Emma Jones talks to SingularDTV’s Dan Hyman (VP of Entertainment, Finance and Development) and Live Tree founder Ashley Turing about blockchain basics.

Social Media: @weareukfilm

May 8–13

Come say hello to us at our booth in Le Film du Marché, NEXT area!