2022 Press Releases

The European Audiovisual Observatory will be back in Cannes this year with two new conferences announced and a stand on the Marché du Film. The Observatory team is looking forward to meeting up in person with our networks from the cinema world on the Croisette and in the Palais des festivals!

The first conference to be announced is the Observatory’s traditional Saturday morning slot during the first weekend of the Marché. How can we get bigger audiences for European films? That is our question… We’ll be looking at how to get European films seen by larger audiences and zooming in on how many European films are produced, made available on the various screens (big and small) and… actually watched. The Observatory conference:

Circulation of European films: is availability enough?

will take place on Saturday 21 May from 9.30 – 11.30 (CEST) in the Main Stage (Riviera) conference room. The conference is open to all Marché, Festival and Journalist accreditations. If you have a pass to get into the Palais, you can come!

Free registration here.

The conference is a hybrid event and will also be live streamed on the Marché du Film platform and publicly on YouTube for anyone not taking part in the Marché. Conference language is English only.

Speakers already announced for this first conference are: Sabine Chemaly, Executive Vice-President for International Distribution in TF1 Studio and board member of Europa International, Edith Sepp, Vice-President of EFAD, Mathilde Fiquet, Secretary General, European Audiovisual Production Association (CEPI), Giuseppe Abbamonte, Director of the Media and Data Directorate, European Commission, Marc Smit, Co-CEO of Cinéart and Joan Sala, Head of Programming at Filmin and Festival Manager at Atlàntida Film Fest. The Observatory will provide scene setting context with snapshots by Patrizia Simone (Film Analyst) and Sophie Valais (Senior Legal Analyst). Our moderators are Maja Cappello, Head of the Observatory’s Department for Legal Information and Martin Kanzler, Deputy Head of the Observatory’s Department for Market Information.

A second new Observatory-Marché du Film conference will give a one stop shop focus on the main key trends in the international film sector. This new conference, co-hosted by the Marché de film, is designed as an “all you need to know” event in a short 45-minute format. Gilles Fontaine, Head of the Observatory’s’ Department for Market Information and Deputy Head Martin Kanzler will talk trends with 2 industry representatives and look at the latest tendencies in cinema going, film production and distribution, and streaming. This

FOCUS 2022: Key Trends in the Film Sector session

will take place on Thursday 19 May from 16.30 – 17.15 (CEST) on the Marina Stage (Riviera).

Free registration here.

All participants will receive a free copy of the Observatory’s annual FOCUS – World Film Market Trends report. Conference language is English.

Susanne Nikoltchev, the Observatory’s Executive Director, said she was looking forward to “personal, 3-dimensional contacts with all the film professionals who have remained so faithful onscreen to the Observatory’s work over these past three years”. She added that it would be “absolutely delightful to toast the Observatory’s 30th anniversary and the 25th edition of the FOCUS report at the 2022 Marché du Film”.

The European Audiovisual Observatory team will be present on stand H3 in the Marina/Riviera area of the Palais des festivals from 17 – 24 May. Drop by and say hello in person! Just because you Cannes…