May 14th
Cannes. Hmmmmmm…
What to say? I am exhausted already (I’m beginning to sound more and more like the French every day!)
Yesterday, I sorted out my badge and made the rounds of the Short Film Corner, the Palais and the International Village.
The short film corner is well set up but I am not sure it will be efficient to actually make connections here. There is not the same buzz that there is around the Film Market and Pavilions.
I go to one of the booths and call up one of our films. They look good on the screen. All the booths are taken around me. Probably just watching their own work, like me. – I am thinking. It is too difficult to find films through the computer I feel, the book that goes with it is better. We are under Hong Kong films. The FOF films make up that majority.
My computer is running out of juice.. i have to find a plug. Testing the internet connection i have paid a fortune for i get Billy on the line. We try to work. Funny- being 'live' from Cannes but sitting on the floor in the basement of the Palais. There are two big projects coming up for FOF. And we are understaffed... time to manage. People walking by are curious and peek in through the portal to Hong Kong, Billy peeks back.
On to the International Village. First, the Hong Kong tent. Big wide eyes when I explain that I am here with seven short films by Hong Kong film makers as young as eleven. “Why didn’t you get in touch with us, like, six months ago?” they ask. It is frustrating. It is not as if we are not out there in the community in Hong Kong making our presence known. It is not like we didn’t go to the round table discussions , or filmart, or any number of events where we try get the word out. There are still so many contacts to be made. We need more help on the PR side clearly.
I think the thing is no one realizes the number and the quality of the kid’s films. We really have to start a FOF film festival. Well, I am here now and the goal is to find out if there is anything they can do to support us. After all, we are a Hong Kong company and they are here to support Hong Kong film. Ah, but it is not that easy. Even to get one invitation for the China Night party looks difficult. Today I will go by to work on their beach terrace- I need a place to sit and write where there is internet and a plug. They have graciously let me squat their facility for two hours today.
The American tent wanted hundreds (yes, hundreds) of dollars just to enter. Hmmmmm
The Canadian tent. Well, you know, my parents live in Canada! I chat up FOF and look for an opportunity to introduce my feature film as well. The woman plops down a thick book. There are hundreds of producers in there- she says… good luck.
The Quebec tent. Now here the funky- we-can’t-tell-right-away-what-you-are-all-about air I seem to have seems to work. The woman gives me a meeting and when I have it the man is wonderful. He is going to put me in contact with some producers and some of their film schools… invite to a cocktail… this is how it works.
And so, Cannes is teaching me, slowly but surely.
A quick pass on the internet and I see that a film festival has gotten in touch with us about one of my short works “Memoirs of a Bitch” …. So people ARE watching the films.
In the spirit of getting an extra pass for Joana (my hostess in Cannes) before Robert arrives I try to figure out a way of getting his pass without him being here and without an id with his picture on it. Funny. This, I think, will be the hardest thing to do. I have saved it for last and I am convinced it wont work. But when I get to the counter the people are in love with the idea of trumping the system. They help me with energy and enthusiasm! (“I saw my boss do this the other day” the woman confides.) They take a picture of Robert with a web cam from off my computer. They create his badge from this shot. People crowd around to marvel at the quality of the work.
Ah… La France!
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