A postage stamp sized version of the official poster for the 63rd Cannes Film Festival turned up a few days ago, but now the Cannes website has the big one…and now so do we. Juliette Binoche is a fine subject for any poster but… hmmm.

Click image to enlarge.

Anyway, we already know (and many don’t much care) that Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood will be opening the festival but a few insiders specaulates on some of the other potential premieres: Oliver Stone’s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Woody Allen’s You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger, and Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life.

As you can see from the poster, Cannes 2010 runs from May 12 to May 23.

credited: Craig Kennedy

Robin Hood, the epic blockbuster by British director Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett (and Max Von Sydow, Lea Seydoux, William Hurt), is to be screened at the Opening of the 63rd Festival de Cannes on Wednesday May 12th 2010. The film will be presented out of competition.

Produced by Universal Studios, the screenplay was penned by Brian Helgeland (L.A Confidential, Mystic River) and portrays the birth of the Robin Hood legend. To star, Ridley Scott chose Russell Crowe for a role previously brought to the screen by Errol Flynn, Sean Connery and Kevin Costner.

Ridley Scott was in the Official selection at the Festival de Cannes with The Duellists, a prize winner in 1977, then with Thelma and Louise, presented out of competition in 1991.

Robin Hood will be released in theatres in France the day of its presentation at Cannes, and released worldwide on May 14th.

The Festival de Cannes is to take place from Wednesday 12th to Sunday 23rd May.

With 93 co-productions out of 230 accredited features in 2009 (compared to 95 the previous year), the French film industry is keeping up a high level of international openness and broad diversity, for these films were co-produced with 34 countries. This is according to the report unveiled yesterday by the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC).

A total of €452.75m (-17.7% compared to 2008) was allocated for financing these works, which include 45 majority (-6 films) and 48 minority (+4 films) French co-productions. These are the figures.

For French initiative films (FIF), Belgium remains France’s main partner with 21 co-productions (22 in 2008), followed by Germany (eight like the previous year), Italy (down sharply from 13 to five), Canada (four), Luxembourg (three) and Switzerland (three). The 45 majority French co-productions obtained 24.2% of French investment in the 182 FIFs accredited in 2009 (i.e. €206.05m), while foreign partners provided €75.5m.

Among the 48 accredited French minority co-productions, which secured €171.2m (€39.89m in French investment and €131.32m in foreign funding), Germany emerges as the number one partner with 14 co-productions (11 in 2008). Next in line are Italy (eight like the previous year), Switzerland (shooting up from one to seven), Belgium (six compared to 13 in 2008), Portugal (from zero to six), Spain (five), Sweden (five compared to one in 2008), Canada (four), Israel (four), Denmark (three compared to one the previous year) and Hungary (three compared to one in 2008).

Five bilateral financial co-productions (without artistic or technical support from a minority co-producing country) were accredited in 2009: four with Italy (compared to ten in 2008) and one with Spain.

Finally, 29 of the 93 French co-productions accredited last year were made as part of the European Co-production Convention, involving at least three signatory countries. Seven were FIFs and 22 minority French co-productions (including 18 in which the French contribution was solely financial).

Fabien Lemercier

http://www.cineuropa.org

Toronto – March 15^th, Film Market Access (FMA) is the recipient of a Quebecor Fund grant to create the Quebecor Cannes Market Fellowship. This financial support will allow FMA to continue assisting Canadian producers, particular those from under-represented cultural communities with strategic consulting and coaching to fully participate in business meetings and networking events at the Festival de Cannes.  

The Quebecor Cannes Market Fellowship is dedicated to advancing experienced media professionals who are Aboriginal or from culturally diverse communities in the GTA.  

Each year in preparation for the Festival de Cannes FMA provides within its program a festival information session to participants who have been accredited by the Festival de Cannes.   This year, with the support of Quebecor Cannes Market Fellowship - FMA will host a seminar entitled Festival, Market and Distribution on March 20^th from, 1 to 4 pm, at Cloud Café, (968 Queen St West). The focus of the seminar is to prepare producers and directors for one of the most highly recognized film festival and market. Guest speakers include Patricia Scarlett who represented “Ataranjuat: The Fast Runner”, in Canada, Michael Paszt acquisition executive of Cinemavault Releasing, and representatives from Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC). The cost of the seminar is $50.00. Members of ImagineNative, WIFT, FILMI, ReelAsian, ReelWorld and LIFT will receive an additional discount of 50%.

“We are delighted to receive this support from the Quebecor Fund and we’re looking forward to engaging information seminar that delivers real value to the participants. FMA’s unique programs continue to deliver amazing experiences with invaluable insight into the highly competitive business of marketing and selling films” said Kirk Cooper founder of Film Market Access.  

Since 2006, Film Market Access has coached and facilitated a meaningful professional and business development experience for a diverse group of Canadian producers, directors and other media professionals to the Festival de Cannes and the world’s largest film market, The Marché du Film.    

Festival de Cannes and the Marché du Film together work in harmony to set the stage for the largest film event in Europe (May 12 to 24). The Festival provides a great industry environment, efficient and well-located structures for the Marché du Film’s participants. Each year the Marché du Film gathers buyers, distributors and producers for ten days dedicated to meetings and negotiations allowing for establishing partnerships and co-productions.                                  

The Quebecor Fund for Professional Development supports the career advancement of culturally diverse and Aboriginal media professionals to create greater opportunity, access and equity in the screen-based media sector. 

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For more information, please contact – Kirk Cooper

 Tel: 416.566.0195

MuchMusic brings Canadians a  video from Young Artists For Haiti. Last month, singer/songwriter K’Naan gathered with more than 50 friends from Canada’s music community to record a new rendition of his beautifully poignant single, Wavin’ Flag. The powerful, four-minute video for this incredible single premieres on MuchMusic  www.muchmusic.com  Thursday, March 11th. at midnight.

“As a proud supporter of the Canadian music industry, MuchMusic is thrilled to showcase K’Naan’s Wavin’ Flag music video for our fans the moment it’s available,” said Brad Schwartz, Senior Vice-President and General Manager, Much MTV Group, CTV Inc. “The message of the song is universal. The collaboration by all these young artists from our musical community shows the true generosity and solidarity of the Canadian spirit.”

Dubbing themselves Young Artists for Haiti, those involved in the single include Drake, Metric’s , Jully Black, Emily Haines, Avril Lavigne, Justin Bieber, Nelly Furtado, Broken Social Scene and many more. The song was also selected as the official song of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

 All proceeds from the sale of the single go to Free The Children, War Child Canada, and World Vision Canada in support of their on-the-ground efforts in Haiti. To donate www.facebook.com/youngartistsforhaiti