You can read part one of Patricia Chica’s personal Cannes diary right here. Today, in Part Two, she lets us in on some tips and tricks to make the most of a Short Film Corner experience.  With her Badazz Films team members Annabella Hart (supporting actress), Richard Duquette (producer/DP), Richard Cardinal (actor/producer) and Jenimay Walker (lead actress), director/producer Patricia Chica showcases the Coup de Coeur  short “Serpent’s Lullabye” at the Short Film Corner.

Day Two: Tips and tricks

Here are some of my essential tips for participating at the short film market of the Festival de Cannes:

1. As soon as you arrive at Cannes, the first thing to do is get your badge. The badge is the passport that grants you access to the Palais des Festivals (convention center), the film market, and all the industry and public screenings. Make sure that you always have your badge with you.

CANNES Day2 Photo2 essentials

2. The second thing that you should do is go to the Short Film Corner headquarters, which are located in the basement of the Palais des Festivals, and reserve your screening room to showcase your film(s). I usually book the largest room that contains 9-12 seats. Last year, for the screening of my short “Ceramic Tango,” my actor/partner in crime Richard Cardinal and I were able to fit 26 people in the tiny venue; some were standing on each side of the aisles and even sitting on the floor in the front. We even closed the doors on people who were still lining-up and trying to get in!  Each registered film is limited to only one free screening at the market. Even though we only had 26 people at ours, we considered our showcase a success! After getting the confirmation of our screening time, we had only 48 hours to promote our film among the delegates attending the market and cocktail parties. Please keep in mind that only people with badges are admitted at these screenings.

Watch the 2013 Cannes showcase for Patricia Chica’s short film “Ceramic Tango”:

3. In the weeks that precede the film festival, you will start receiving correspondence about different workshops, conferences and meeting opportunities. Make sure that you RSVP as quickly as possible to all these emails in order to secure your participation. The places are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This year, I received about five or six invitations to attend events and I replied within hours, if not minutes, to the ones that interested me most. The emails originate from France and are usually sent during European office hours. Luckily, I’m a night owl and I’m usually awaken in the middle of the night (North-American time), and reply as soon as I receive these messages, which allows me to be ahead of the game. I always get accepted at every single one of my targeted conferences. This year, I will attend a lecture about how to pitch a film; a one-on-one mentorship session with a distribution expert on how to sale short films; a meeting with potential French co-producers, and a speed-dating breakfast with international buyers.

CANNES Day2 Photo3-planning press with actors

A team meeting to plan interviews. (L-R) Jenimay Walker, Patricia Chica, Richard Cardinal and Kristian Hodko

4. Get a local French mobile phone with a good text and voice plan (at least 200 text messages for 12 days, and 60 minutes of international calls). You can always get free Wi-Fi access at each pavilion-tent in the international village, which is convenient for checking emails and keeping an eye on the last minute festival news online.

With these basic tips, you should be all set to have a successful Short Film Corner experience!

CANNES Day2-Photo6-Interview actresses+DP

Jenimay Walker, Annabella Hart and Richard Duquette interviewing with Radio-Canada and CBC for “Serpent’s Lullaby”

Photos & video courtesy of Richard Cardinal and Badazz Films.

To know more about award-winning filmmaker Patricia Chica, follow her on social media in real time (or almost) at PatriciaChica.comFacebook, and Twitter. Read her Day One post here and stay tuned for more Cannes Do diaries from Patricia throughout the festival! MM

To subscribe to MovieMaker Magazine, click here.

Share: 

Tags