How Not to Get Your Sh*t Stolen by Gabriel Jenkinson

 This year, the festival issued all the guests a warning about “jewel thefts resembling ‘heist films’” prior to the festival this year. A plot so meta that it belongs in the Un Certain Regard section. And yet, the premise is entirely unoriginal. It seems that every year there’s some form of outlandish caper in Cannes.

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One veteran executive told me that there used to be a station in which a jeweler would loan out high-profile pieces, and one year someone managed to Lupin over a million dollars’ worth of jewelry from the safe they were kept in while the guard was out to lunch. The real robbery was that he probably spent 30 euros on a salad. Apparently, someone also Ocean’s Elevened a million-dollar necklace during a party that same year despite there being almost 100 guards watching the item. The thief just… waltzed… out with it. Sorry, the pun couldn’t be helped—I’ll see myself out now. Just like the burglar, presumably. 

Last year, somebody Rififi’d an actress’s Gucci-loaned necklaces while she was out to breakfast the night after a premiere. She had to spend a half-day out of her trip in the police station. Still a better use of time than repeatedly refreshing the ever-glitchy ticket reservation webpage hoping to get the last open seat for a Palais screening before inevitably trying your luck in the last-minute ticket line, then watching your hopes die in real time as the film start time approaches and passes. If that sounds overly specific, it’s because it’s how I spent a good chunk of my day today. I should’ve gotten a press pass. 

There’s a heist film plot somewhere in this yearly phenomenon. Maybe even a whole TV series’ worth. If it weren’t for the fact that heist films are so overdone that there doesn’t exist a single imaginal thesis of thievery which hasn’t been made already, I’d think that filmmakers and executives were getting robbed on purpose just for the IP. Can’t fault them for trying in this barren creative economy.

Speaking of, the thieves themselves are guilty of plagiarism. The syndicate of roughly 200 master thieves which operate on the riviera are known as the “Pink Panthers.” Where’s Inspector Clouseau when you need him. 

Even us plebians can fall victim to the light-fingered locals. Pickpockets prowl the streets, lifting guests’ wallets as they brave the torrent of traffic along the Croisiette. Cat burglars scale hotel balconies to snag the laptops film companies optimistically think their executives will actually use at the festival. Bartenders charge 5 euros for a glass of water with a lemon wedge in it. Nobody is safe.

My solution? Be poor and unimportant enough that the burglars have nothing to steal anyway. All they’ll find on me are borderline unfashionable clothes and business cards people don’t want anyway. Really, any thieves who’d make the mistake of robbing me would probably be doing me a favor.

And this year, a special consideration for those of a Russian oligarch persuasion; don’t dock your boat in the marina, as it will be requisitioned by the French authorities definitely dock your mega-yacht which cost the equivalent of Sierra Leone’s national GDP in the marina, as it will definitely not be requisitioned by the French authorities.

At the end of the day, however, the most talked-about “robbery,” will be some film winning the Palme D’Or over some other. This will in turn steal headlines and requisition attention from the world-at-large for however many days it is before the next international celebrity Twitter gaff.

Packing Panic by Gabriel Jenkinson

Dear readers; I aim my blog towards the newly emerging filmmakers and thought it would be great to follow one such filmmaker as he makes his way to Cannes for the first time! Meet Gabriel Jenkinson, a Los Angeleno, recent college grad, beginning his career in writing, directing and acting. We will follow him to Cannes, during the second half which is better for him as a first timer as all the dysfunctions of the ticketing and communications have been ironed out and the huge crowds have dispersed. I myself am looking forward to seeing what his impressions are as he goes through this experience, and so I hope you are too!

The only item I’m certain of is the tuxedo. I only have one, so the choice was easy. The French cuff shirt too. It’s my fanciest one – Vera Wang Black Label – the only shirt I have that’s worthy of wearing under my Calvin Klein tux (my brand loyalties are based on what’s on sale). That means the cuff links must come too. And the studs. And a bow tie. But which one? Better take all three—what if I attend more than one event at the Palais? Heaven forbid I should be caught on camera wearing the same exact outfit more than once. But I only have one formal shirt! I’ll have to make do. I’ll just wear one of my regular dress shirts if it comes down to it. Nobody’s going to care. It’s not like I’m one of the mega-celebrities whose every movement is dissected in real time by the tabloids and the trades alike (not that there’s much difference between the two at an event such as this). I’m just a lowly young actor/filmmaker attending his very first Cannes Film Festival. 

And if I don’t get into any Palais screenings (or any screenings in general for that matter) – which is definitely a possibility given that I haven’t built up any “attendance credit” or whatever it is they call their overly complicated points system for ticket priority – I’ll have wasted quite a bit of space in my already overly stuffed bag. If any filmmakers reading this want to spare me this fate by donating me tickets, you’ll have my undying gratitude and a guaranteed standing ovation from at least one person (me).

Better safe than sorry, though, and I can always wear the formal attire to a party! Though even those I’m not too sure about. Are those, too, formal events? Or does it vary by party? I imagine the horror of waddling about overdressed on somebody’s yacht, standing about awkwardly as others clad in vibrant colors dance about around me. Like a penguin lost among a flock of tropical birds—a long, long way from home. Will I even get invited to any parties? What a terrifying thought. I’d better pack the party shirts and dancing shoes—for the sake of my own self-esteem, if nothing else.

Speaking of shoes, the black dress shoes are definitely coming. Elegant, versatile, and surprisingly comfortable; they go nicely with the tux. The catch: they have rubber on the bottom of the soles. I’ve been told that certain events will turn you away for such an offence, presumably alongside a spitting gesture and the phrase “que pathetique!” This has to be an urban legend. No institution, no matter how French, can be this pretentious. I’d rather not find out the hard way, though. Better bring the tough leather shoes, which I still haven’t managed to break in after two years, and throw in some moleskins for the inevitable blisters they’ll give me.

Neither of those options is good for walking up and down the Croisiette all day, so I’ll take a pair of sneakers, too. All-white Air Max 97s, a classic. Good for anything that isn’t formal or professional. So probably not good for meetings, either. But the dress shoes are too formal for those too… I need something in between; my suede loafers should do the trick. I don’t want to seem like I don’t know what I’m doing. But I also don’t want to seem like I’m trying too hard. This is the film industry, after all. The key word being “seem,” as you can probably already tell from this article that I definitely don’t know what I’m doing and even more so am trying too hard. They don’t have to know that, though. It can be our secret.

When I’m not in meetings, seeing films, or attending parties, it’d be nice to hit the beach. I’ll pack some t-shirts. Maybe a pair of swimming trunks or two, in case I want to go for a swim in the sea. But will I even have enough time to hit the beach, let alone twice? And would doing so make it seem like I have nothing better to do? No, that’s a ridiculous thought. Almost as ridiculous as someone being able to recognize me from a distance with a hat and sunglasses on. 

I’ll bring those, too. For unrelated reasons, of course. For… solar protection! My caramel skin can handle quite a bit of sun thanks to the melanin I inherited from my Jamaican father. The green eyes I inherited from my Italian mother, however, can be quite sensitive. Since you now all have an idea what I look like, I have a small favor to ask; if you see me taking a dip in the Mediterranean, no you didn’t. 

This bag looks like it’s going to explode. Maybe I’d better use a bigger one, just in case. It’s going to be a long week. Ideally, I wouldn’t have to worry about any of this, as nobody can see what you’re wearing in a dark theater. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the Cannes Film Festival already, it’s that the emphasis is on “Festival” rather than “Film,” no matter how much cinema buffs such as myself would prefer the opposite. So pack your bags, we’re in for quite the trip.

Cannes KINO! German Films

 

KINO! Film Salon Goes to Cannes!

Each month we choose a German film or series currently available to stream, watch it independently, and come together for a hosted conversation with other fans of German film.

The Salon will be hosted live from Cannes and will feature a special guest from the German film industry. Our film for May is In the Fade, directed by Fatih Akin, which premiered in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017.

The KINO! Film Salon will take place on Sunday, May 22nd at 11am — 12pm PDT, 2pm — 3pm EDT, 8pm — 9pm CET.

To join us, please RSVP at https://bit.ly/kinosaloninthefade, and the Zoom link will be emailed to you 24 hours before the event. Please don’t share this link directly (but do encourage your friends to RSVP!); our capacity is limited and admission will be on a first-come-first-served basis.

Telescope Film Goes to Cannes!Telescope Film promotes international film to American audiences. Our site offers a database of over 500,000 titles and one-click access to nearly 200 streaming services in the US, as well as curation to help users discover new film and video content from around the world.

In addition to helping the American audience find and discover international film, Telescope Film offers marketing opportunities to the global film industry seeking to reach the American audience.

We’ll be on the Croisette May 17–25. Meet us online or in person.

Let’s meet!

Telescope Film is proud to partner with the Palm Springs International Film Festival on a new microsite for submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature featured in PSIFF programming.

Telescope Film and German Films will present the May edition of KINO! Film Salon — a monthly online discussion group on German film — live from the German Pavilion, Sunday, May 22, 2022 8:00 PM French time.

it’s time for cannes!

 

Rays of promotional sunshine will highlight 46 European finished and unfinished films at this year’s Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival (17–28 May 2022).

‘Triangle of Sadness’ by Ruben Östlund (Sweden, France, Germany, UK/ Coproduction Office)

21 international sales agents are drawing on Film Sales Support (FSS) - totalling €78,000 - to bolster and innovate promotion and marketing campaigns of brand-new films to trigger sales to countries outside of Europe at one of the most prestigious markets of the year. Overseas buyers on-site and off-site will have the fortune to catch sight of a number of new films from Europe premiering at the Croisette.

Amongst the many to be discovered at the Marché are Competition titles, Pacifiction by Albert Serra (Spain, Portugal, Germany/Films Boutique,France), Triangle of Sadness by Ruben Östlund (Sweden, France, Germany, UK/Coproduction Office), Boy from Heaven by Tarik Saleh (Sweden, France, Finland, Denmark/Memento International), Un Certain Regard titles, Metronom by Alexandru Belc (Romania, France/Pyramide International) and Rodeo by Lola Quivoron (France/Les Films du Losange) as well as films in Directors’ Fortnight, Will-o'-the-wisp by Joao Pedro Rodrigues (Portugal, France/ Films Boutique,Germany) and The Super 8 Years by Annie Ernaux & David Ernaux-Briot (France/Totem Films).

For the first time, FSS will also be awarded to a Ukrainian film in solidarity with the country. Indie Sales is the happy recpient for its film Pamfir by Ukrainian director, Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, a multi-coproduction between the Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, Chile and Luxembourg. By a lucky twist, 3 of EFP’s Producers on the Move and their films will benefit from the support indirectly: Sick of Myself by Kristoffer Borgli (producer Andrea Berentsen Ottmar from Norway/Memento International), The Woodcutter Story by Mikko Myllylahti (producer Derk-Jan Warrink from the Netherlands) and Tel Aviv Beirut by Michale Boganim (producer Janine Teerling from Cyprus/WT Films).

13 European films in the companies’ line-ups are yet unfinished but ready to be announced and promoted.

**Click here for the full list**

Thanks to Swiss Films, 4 films from Switzerland will similarly receive FSS for the promotion in Cannes: Men Caves by Céline Pernet (Lightdox), Continental Drift by Lionel Baier (Switzerland, France/ Les Films du Losange), 99 Moons by Jan Gassmann (m-appeal world sales) and The Black Spider by Markus Fischer (Switzerland, Hungary/The Playmaker Munich).

FSS is supported by Creative Europe MEDIA and part of EFP’s (European Film Promotion) many activities for the promotion of European films and talent around the world.

get in touch with °efp

EFP European Film Promotion
info@efp-online.com
www.efp-online.com

EFP (European Film Promotion) is an international network of film promotion institutes from 37 countries from throughout Europe, each representing their national films and talent abroad. Under the EFP flag, these organisations team up to jointly promote the diversity and spirit of European films and talent at key film festivals and markets, in particular outside of Europe.

International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA) Presents Film Programs, Panels, Awards & Receptions

 At the 2022 Marché du Film & Cannes Docs Events, Festival De Cannes IEFTA, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and Telling The Real Story present The 5th Edition of REFUGEE VOICES IN FILM

Saturday, 21 May at Noon in Palais lFollowed By Q &A

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Sunday, 22 May at Noon in Palais l Followed By UNHCR Roundtable Discussion

Participate in discussions on how you can getinvolved and contribute to create change.

Please note only people accredited with a Marché du Film or Festival badge can attend

IEFTA In Collaboration With The Marché du Film-Festival De Cannes Announces For The Fourth Year IEFTA’s Sponsorship Of A 10,000€ Prize For Docs-in-Progress At The Marché’s Cannes Docs

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IEFTA, in conjunction with Arab Cinema Centre, and MAD Solutions presents At The Carlton Beach “The Critics Awards for Arab Films Ceremony”

And Special Honor To UNHCR

The International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA) returns to Cannes for the Twelfth Year with film programs, panels, awards, and cocktail receptions. IEFTA promotes cultural diversity and international understanding and engages the art of cinema. Central to the IEFTA mandate is discovering and developing new film talent from emerging regions, globally, and connecting them with established members of the entertainment community and to foster relationships that are, mentoring, inspiring and educational.

IEFTA is proud to say that two of our recent film talent alumni have been selected for the Cannes festival’s mentorship and funding platforms. Ahmed Fawzi-Saleh’s Hamlet from the Slums is among 15 projects chosen for L’Atelier co-production forum, and Morad Mostafa’s Aisha Can’t Fly Away Anymore is one of 10 films selected for La Fabrique Cinema program.

IEFTA is also celebrating its fifth year collaborating with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) presenting films and programs which help bring awareness to the current global humanitarian crisis.

The 5th edition of Refugee Voices in Film, a presentation of the ongoing partnership between the UNHCR’s “Telling The Real Story” program and IEFTA, honours the imaginative and humanitarian efforts of filmmakers as they document the experience of those enduring irregular migration, whether from violence, famine or political oppression. Using Narrative, Documentary and Animation formats, selected filmmakers — many of them refugees themselves — share untold stories of refugees everywhere. Here, refugees speak out about not only loss and desperation, but also resilience and hope. Witness the impact of film in giving a powerful voice to the displaced and dispossessed.

Returning to Cannes Docs, where the original ‘Refugee Voices in Film’ played back in 2016, the 5th edition program has gained traction premiering in El Gouna Film Festival in 2021, and also playing at Berlin’s EFM earlier this year.

This year’s program at the Marché du Film features works from TRS that focus on the experience of women. Screenings and panels are at Noon on 21 & 22 May in Palais 1.

1. The Journey Directed by Pantera Through Anonymous Content

2. ‘Zahra & Nura’s Story’ Directed by Menna Hamdy

3. ‘Haweya’s Story’ Directed by Moges Tafesse

4. ‘Muna’s Story’ Directed by Ragnhild Ek

5. ‘Maymun’s Story’ Directed by Neil Bell

The program can be found here: https://vimeo.com/668581509 — password: TRS2021

Both screenings will allow the audience to participate and engage in real time through QR codes, collectively encouraging involvement, and ultimately translating into action and positive impact for refugees. There is also the option to attend the virtual screenings aired simultaneously. Please visit marchedufilm.online for more information

“In our long-standing partnership with IEFTA, UNHCR is excited to pilot this program with our Innovation team, to see how we can translate reaction into meaningful action. Storytelling has always proven to be a powerful medium to shifts hearts and minds, and we are keen to learn how to harness this immediate emotional response in real time and direct it towards positive change.” — Anadil Hossain, UNHCR Principal Communications Advisor

For the fourth year, IEFTA will sponsor a cash award of 10,000€ given to one of the 32 docs-in-progress from eight presenting partners participating in the Marché’s Docs-in-Progress Showcases at the Cannes Docs program headed by Pierre-Alexis Chevit, Head of Cannes Docs.

We at Cannes Docs — Marché du Film are truly grateful for our ongoing partnership with IEFTA, this year for the 7th in a row. One could point out that not only has our collaboration carried on during the pandemic, but it’s actually been expanding up to this back to May, onsite edition! This year, the collaboration comprises 2 presentations of the 5thedition of Refugee Voices in Film, the €10,000 cash IEFTA Award for one of the competing docs-in-progress, not forgetting an IEFTA-hosted Happy Hour on May 21st, for the sheer pleasure of networking! We’re very happy to be rolling out all of this together once again this year, and looking forward to many more years of cooperation.

Each year, Cannes Docs partners with a number of festivals and organizations from all over the world to showcase curated selections of docs-in-progress in finalization stage, aiming to hit the circuit within a few weeks or months. These showcases of docs-in-progress are primarily designed for decision makers looking for fresh new titles, in particular festival programmers and sales agents. The projects are also generally in search of post-production funding or general gap financing, and sometimes still open to co-production opportunities. All the showcases are composed of four projects, each presented in the form of a pitch and a 10-minute excerpt of the rough cut.

This year the Docs-in-Progress Showcases at the Cannes Docs come from: New Zealand, Canada, Ukraine, Scandinavia, Japan, Chile, and the Circle Women Doc Accelerator

And, lastly, in conjunction with the Arab Cinema Centre, and MAD Solutions (Egypt), IEFTA will be co-hosting a cocktail reception at the Carlton Beach Club to celebrate the work of UNHCR. This event is being held in conjunction with the The Critics Awards for Arab Films Ceremony, an initiative created by the Arab Cinema Center (ACC), that brings together the finest film critics from all over the world to select the best Arab films every year. “IEFTA is one of the key supporters of Arab Cinema and we are proud that they are part of this year’s ceremony of the 6th edition of The Critics Awards for Arab Films,” stated Alaa Karkouti, and Maher Diab co-founders of MAD Solutions & Arab Cinema Center.

“We are honored to collaborate again this year with the UN refugee agency and the Marché Du FIlm’s Cannes Docs on multiple screenings highlighting the plight of refugees. Now more than ever, this program needs to be seen, discussed, shared and brought up in discussions beyond the people it directly impacts,” states IEFTA President Marco Orsini. “This year is especially rewarding from IEFTA’s perspective, from our continued relationship with the ACC and MAD Solutions, to see several of our alumni engaging the film world independently at this year’s festival. They represent the Horn of Africa and the MENA Region in documentary and narrative feature projects. We wish them luck and we hope you take the time to consider their work.”

The American Pavilion Celebrates 25th Anniversary Edition of The Emerging Filmmaker Showcase Highlighting Fresh Global Voices and Promising New Talents

 The 33 Films Selected as Part of the 2022 Showcase Will Be Presented to an In-Person Audience Alongside the 68 Finalist Films from the 2020 and 2021 Editions of the Program

See the complete program here.

Celebrating 33 years at the epicenter of American hospitality and communication at the Cannes Film Festival, The American Pavilion, www.ampav.com, announced today the return of its Emerging Filmmaker Showcase, now in its 25th anniversary edition, on the Croisette.

The 2022 program features 33 films including 24 female-identifying directors and co-directors at the helm of 17 projects, 10 films focused on LGBTQ+ topics, and filmmakers of diverse backgrounds from the U.S. and around the globe, highlighting new voices in six categories – Emerging Filmmaker Documentaries, Emerging Filmmaker Short Films, Emerging Filmmaker LGBTQ+ Films, Student Documentaries, Student Short Films, and High School Films.

Since 1989, The American Pavilion has offered unparalleled experiences in Cannes to film students and emerging filmmakers from around the world. AmPav’s Emerging Filmmaker Showcase, now in its 25th edition, provides an opportunity for young filmmakers to have their works seen by Cannes Festival and Film Market attendees. In addition to the 2022 showcase projects, finalist films from 2020 and 2021 will also be screened at The American Pavilion this year. All screenings with filmmakers in attendance will be followed by a live Q&A.

The films in the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase focus on themes as diverse as the meaning of community, gender identity, the Covid-19 epidemic, self-perceptions and representation, the holocaust, the development and evolution cultural identity, family dynamics, the quest for love, and more. Beloved screen icons featured in the 2022 showcase series films include: Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, The Shape of Water), Phil Lord (The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street), Lee Unkrich, (Coco, Toy Story 3); Ian Buchanan (The Bold and the Beautiful); Lauren Ridloff (The Eternals, Sound of Metal); Danielle Savre (Station 19, Heroes); Vico Ortiz (Our Flag is Death); Melanie Nicholls-King (Billions, Little Fires Everywhere); Greer Grammar (Awkward); Jeremy Sisto (Wrong Turn); Billy Wirth (Shutter the Doors); Kausar Mohammed (4400), Victoria Atkin (Assassins Creed); with many more appearing in the 2020 and 2021 finalist projects.

“The 2022 cohort of student filmmakers and young talents brings us a richly diverse program including 24 female-identifying directors presenting 17 films, and 10 films focused on LGBTQ+ topics as well as many projects exploring the meaning of cultural identity,” said Julie Sisk, Founder and Director of The American Pavilion. “We are also thrilled to back in-person this year bringing the 2022 finalist filmmakers together with the talents from 2020 and 2021 to provide them the opportunity to screen during the 75th landmark edition of the Cannes Film Festival.”

Emerging showcase winners will be chosen by a jury that includes agents, managers, producers, and industry members and will be announced at The American Pavilion during this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Prize packages are sponsored by: Final Draft, Write Brothers Movie Magic Screenwriter, International Documentary Association, Screening Services Group, Simple DCP, Michael Wiese Productions Books, and ESE Film Workshops Online.

The full list of 2022 Finalist projects is available below. For a comprehensive list of all films screening this year as part of the 2020 and 2021 selections, please visit www.ampav.com. Finalist projects from 2020 are accessible here and 2021 finalist films can be found here.

2022 EMERGING FILMMAKERS SHOWCASE

EMERGING FILMMAKER DOCUMENTARIES

STONEHEART: AN UNDYING GIFT
2021, 6:20 min., USA, Documentary
Director: Nicholas Markart
Producer: Stephen Hilfiker, Nicholas Markart
Cast: Stephen Hilfiker
Steve Hilfiker, a heart transplant survivor and father of four, describes his experience facing death, and how his perspective on life has forever changed following the fateful operation.

EMERGING FILMMAKER SHORT FILMS
7 LBS 8 OZ
2021, 7:08 min., USA, Animation/Comedy/Drama
Writer/Director: Yoo Lee
Producer: Xin Li, Evelyn Angelica Martinez
Cast: Frank Thon, Michelle Sohn, Robin Daniels
When a young mother moves into 8th street, Jersey City, NJ, she learns about the value of community and how her own perception determines her own experiences.

CHARLIE AND THE HUNT
2022, 14:31 min., USA, Family/Drama/Coming-of-Age
Writer/Director: Jenn Shaw, Dannielle Dormer, Anita M Cal, YJ Meira, Tema L Staig, Allison Vanore
Cast: Lauren Ridloff, Nifeoluwa Ramroop, Robert Artz
A young girl goes on a whimsical adventure and faces her fears while setting out to recover a sentimental family treasure.

THE ERRAND
2022, 11:23 min., USA, Drama
Director: Amanda Renee Knox
Writer: Mira Olsson
Producer: Lara Aslanian, Amanda Renee Knox
Cast: Naya Johnson, Ezekiel Bridges, Toni Robison-May, Sean Gallagher
When a young girl hitchhiking is picked up by a stranger, who ends up taking whom for a ride?

MY GIFT
2021, 13:25 min., Australia, Drama
Writer/Director: Michael Raso
Producer: Michael Raso, JD Cohen
Cast: Luke Hoogendyk, Ridhi Prasad, Joshua Fisk, Catherine Ross, Jyotsna Sharma, Susan Ling Young
A young boy is admitted to a hospital for lifesaving treatment. He befriends a young Indian girl who hopes a cure is found to save him before it's too late.

IF MY VOICE RANG LOUDER THAN MY SKIN
2021, 4:46 min., USA, Animation
Writer/Director: Kyra Peters
In If My Voice Rang Louder Than My Skin a teenage boy craves a life where his skin no longer affects his daily experiences or how others perceive him. Using 2D animation, the film follows him through the streets of the Bronx, trying to unite his community’s voice through music to rally against the divisive hate against color.

NOISY
2020, 10:04 min., USA, Drama
Writer/Director: Cedric Hill
Producer: Cedric Hill, Pandora Scooter, Daniel Philips
Executive Producer: Dany Bouchedid
DP: Valentina Caniglia
Cast: Max Lamadrid, Gabi Faye
Sam gets on the subway to get home. He catches the eye of April. The two of them discover they have way more in common than where they’re heading. Sometimes you need a noisy place to have a quiet conversation.

SHUTTER THE DOORS
2021, 13:23 min., USA, Drama
Writer/Director: Sheri Sussman
Producer: Antonio Cortese, Adam Rex
Cast: Ian Buchanan, Billy Wirth
Shutter the Doors, starring Ian Buchanan and Billy Wirth, is a short film that captures a moment in time of a man struggling to deal with an unexpected loss in his life.

EMERGING FILMMAKER LGBTQ+ FILMS

CANS CAN’T STAND
2022, 18:42 min., USA, Documentary/Social Justice/LGBTQ+, Yale University
Director: Matt Nadel, Megan Plotka
Producer: Matt Nadel, Wendi Cooper
Cast: Wendi Cooper, Milan Nicole Sherry, CANScan’tSTAND Activists
Since 1982, police have weaponized Louisiana's Crime Against Nature by Solicitation (CANS) law to terrorize queer/trans Louisianians. CANS Can't Stand follows a group of Black trans women in New Orleans who are fighting to repeal that law—and advance trans liberation statewide.

ALL THE YOUNG DUDES
2020, 8:39 min., USA, Drama/Historical/Music/LGBTQ+, Florida State University
Writer/Director: William Stead
Producer: Cameron Greco
Cast: Blake Lafita, Richie Gambardella
Georgia, USA, 1973. Glam rocker Billy rebels against his conservative high school, inspiring admiration from an unlikely ally with a desire to walk on the wild side…

CARINO
2021, 3:46 min., USA, Animation/LGBTQ+, School of Visual Arts
Writer/Director: Carlos Taborda, Roshel Amuruz, Ashley Williams
In the streets of Cartagena, a young boy embarks on an adventure to find a flower for his crush and win his affection.

CUPIDS
2021, 10 min., USA, Comedy/LGBTQ+
Director: Zoey Martinson
Writer: Zoey Martinson, Julie Sharbutt
Producer: Korey Jackson and Devin E. Haqq
Cast: Melanie Nicholls-King, Toryn Isabella Coote, Julius Sampson, Scarlett London Diviney
In this playful comedy, three kids worry that their beloved school bus driver will be lonely this summer without them. They set out to find her a partner and imagine the perfect matches.

DON'T LET GO
2021, 9:33 min., USA, Drama/LGBTQ+, University of Southern California
Writer/Director: Mel Orpen
Producer: Mehmet Gungoren
Cast: Tessa Hope Slovis, Joyce Lee, Lauren Lynn King, Susan Harmon
When Sam and Reggie get engaged, their future seems bright—until a terrible car accident leaves Reggie in a coma. Sam must confront Reggie's homophobic mother to fight for a place at her hospital bedside before it's too late.

DOTTING THE “I”
2022, 11:14 min., USA, Romance/Drama/Comedy/LGBTQ+
Writer/Director: Doug Tompos
Producer: Doug Tompos, Risa Bramon Garcia, Steve Braun
Cast: Jeff Lorch, Miguel Perez
In the shadows of an empty office, the poetry of an unlikely kiss helps two men discover a love lost and a love never found.

IMPERFECTLY COMPLETE
2021, 14:46 min., USA (Subtitles), Drama/Romance/LGBTQ+, University of Southern California
Writer/Director: Bruce Chiu
Producer: Victor Tsao, Chrissy Aung
Cast: Chrissy Aung, Zaw Myo Htet
Lucy has been taking care of Owen, a blind guitarist she has admired for years. When Owen is about to get his vision back, Lucy faces the struggle of whether to reveal her true identity to Owen.

NOAH’S SONG
2021, 2:57 min., USA, Animation/Romance/LGBTQ+, Vassar College
Producer/Writer/Director: Damián Bonito Zapien
Noah's Song is an animation film about a transgender man coming out to his partner.

SECOND TEAM
2020, 10:27 min., USA, Comedy/LGBTQ+
Director: Ria Pavia
Writer: Anni Weisband
Producer: Mayon Denton, Julia Armine, Robert E. Arnold, Anni Weisband
Cast: Francia Raisa, Danielle Savre, Gigi Zumbado, Greer Grammar, Phill Lewis, Chester
Lockhart, Sally Brooks, Akil Jackson, Alexander True Snyder, Catfish Jean, Melissa Greenspan
A scorned stand-in actor for a hit TV show distorts the script to publicly undress her costar.

THE SYED FAMILY XMAS EVE GAME NIGHT
2021, 11 min., USA, Comedy/LGBTQ+
Director: Fawzia Mirza
Writer: Kausar Mohammed
Producer: Amalia Mesa-Gustin, Kausar Mohamed
Cast: Kausar Mohammed, Vico Ortiz, Meera Rohit Kumbhani, Pia Shah, D’Lo Srijaerajah
All cards are on the table when a queer Pakistani Muslim woman brings her Puerto Rican partner home for the first time on the family's annual game night.

STUDENT DOCUMENTARIES

BAD HOMBREWOOD
2021, 23:45 min., USA, Documentary, University of Southern California
Director: Guillermo Casarin
Producer: Marian Cook, Santos Herrera
Cast: Phil Lord, Lee Unkrich, Guillermo del Toro, Melissa Fumero, Ben Lopez, Dr. Laura Isabel Serna, Leslie Arcos, Osiris Pichardo, Jenniffer González Martinez, Anabel Iñigo, Santos Herrera, Guillermo Casarín
For decades, the film industry has confined minorities to stereotypical characters. Now, filmmakers fight to change the Latinx role in Hollywood.

SPOKESPEOPLE
2020, 23:30 min., USA, Documentary, University of Southern California
Director: Ryan Mekenian
Producer: Daniel Sheahan, Stephen Tonti
Cast: Jeremy Sisto (Narration)
For Los Angeles natives living in the early 1900’s, bicycles and streetcars shared the road as our primary modes of transportation. But the arrival of the freeway effectively wiped them out. Today, a collective of cycling communities fight for protected bike lanes and road safety; determined to bring a new era of mobility justice to the city.

STUDENT SHORT FILMS

MESSAGE SENT
2021, 4:13 min., USA, Animation/Comedy, Cal State University Northridge
Producer/Writer/Director: Ryan C. Lopez
Cast: Ryan C. Lopez, Danielle Della Porta
When Steven struggles to make his feelings for Liza clear, his cell phone comes to life and encourages him to make the most important decision of his young adult life, to trust himself, and take a leap of faith.

MOTHER IN THE MIST
2021, 20:51 min., China, Drama, University of Southern California
Writer/Director: Kay Niuyue Zhang
Producer: Robin Zhongyu Wang, Kay Niuyue Zhang
Co-Producer: Eris Zhao, Jiayun Li; Cinematographer: Jiang Du
Cast: Shen Shiyu, Wang Xiwen
Following Wuhan’s Coronavirus lockdown, a rural single mother embarks on a dangerous journey in search of her preemie newborn baby stranded in Wuhan City Hospital. Against a harsh, grim winter night, she trudges through trials and tribulations, fighting a way around checkpoints. Joining her path is a mysterious eight-year-old girl, who shares the same determination to reunite with her mother in the city. When She finally almost gets to Wuhan, we realize things are not as it seems...

OVER MY DEAD BODY
2020, 25 min., USA (subtitles), Drama/Comedy/Family, New York Film Academy
Producer/Writer/Director: Meital Cohen Navarro
Cast: Mary Apick, Nakta Pahlevan, Bahram Vatanparast, Afshin Katanchi, Mahsa Shamsa
When a young Jewish Persian-American woman tells her parents that her fiancé is Muslim, they make her choose between him and them.

THE WAR WITHIN
2021, 25 min., USA (subtitles), Drama, Santa Monica College
Writer/Director: Marta D'Ocon
Producer: Marina Coutinho, Catharine Dada,
Cast: Sabrina Hartmann, Alan Corvaia, Laura Urgelles, Damián Delgado
Somewhere in Latin America, a young woman joins a guerrilla army when her entire family is massacred by government troops. She initially thrives, finding strength and independence as a deadly sniper. But her newfound sense of purpose and self-respect come with a high price.

WUHAN DRIVER
2021, 14:14 min., USA, Drama, New York University
Writer/Director: Tiger Ji
Producer: Alena Svyatova, Jonathan Sanger
Cast: Wayne Chang
At the beginning of the pandemic, a Chinese driver in New York struggles to make ends meet as he picks up passengers on a long and dreary night.

HIGH SCHOOL FILMS

A PRAYER FOR MY MOTHER: THE EVA BRETTLER STORY
2022, 9:58 min., USA, Animation/Documentary, The Righteous Conversations Project
Director: Ruben Barrett, Raisa Effress, Sophia Evans, Lauren Fuchs, Katie Hadsock-Longarzo, Ian Kim, Eve Levy, Timothy Lim, Asher Meron, Marlon Ochoa, Bella Rahi, Hank Schoen, Olivia Uzielli
Producer: C. Lily Ericsson, Carter Beardmore, Sophie Kim
Exec Producer: Cheri Gaulke, Samara Hutman
Cast: Eva Brettler
The extraordinary saga of Holocaust survivor Eva Brettler told through personal testimony and animation. Young Eva survives two concentration camps and the destruction of her family to emerge, with a tender heart and faith intact, crediting the goodness of caretakers she encountered along the way.

DEVIL BEAN
2021, 10:36 min., Australia, Comedy, St. Matthews Catholic School
Director: Jessica Nipperess
Writer: Sam Paine
Cast: Sam Paine, Stella Morgan, Reneé French, Charlie French
After gifting a coffee machine to their father on Christmas, this picture-perfect family is thrown into the jaws of a horror-come-anti-drug flick as their dad’s addiction tears the family apart.

GRETA
2021, 7:49 min., USA, Drama/Coming of Age, Glendale High School
Writer/Director: Sofie Verweyen
Cast: Lilah Hayes, Erinn Hayes, Victoria Atkin, Jack Hayes, Maggie Hayes, Eva Langsdorff
A personal, subjective journey into the mind of Greta Thunberg, before realizing her calling as a climate activist. While struggling with mental health issues and bullying because of Asperger's Syndrome, she also grapples with a sense of impending doom due to the climate crisis. These same struggles and fears drive her to push for change and become the person she is today.

PHO
2021, 11:51 min., USA, Drama, Orange County School of the Arts
Writer/Director: Ethan Chu
Producer: Ava Encinas
Cast: Khoi Le, Julie Tong, Antone Axten
After building a seemingly successful life, a man must come to terms with the melancholic truth that he has detached from his Vietnamese culture and subsequently his grandmother, both of which he once held a close relationship with. His grief pushes him through a journey of reflection which reveals to him the perfect recipe to restore the once lost connection.

HOTLINE
2021, 13:21 min., USA, Drama, Pacifica Christian High School
Writer/Director: Andreas Mickelopoulos, Garrett Seabold
Cast: Isai Palomares, Charlotte Shays, Robert Pitts, Nicolas Kolesnikow
Three high school boys' night of prank calls quickly develops into a matter of life and death when an unsuspecting classmate answers the phone.

SYDNEY 2078
2021, 9:36 min., Australia, Sci-Fi/Drama, Balgowlah Boys Campus
Producer/Writer/Director: Brady O'Sullivan

Cast: Gordon Carroll
A teenage boy from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with a fascination for science fiction movies and novels has a vision during the night, leading him on an inter-dimensional endeavour into the future.

THINK LIKE A FILMMAKER
2021, 6:20 min, USA, Documentary, Saint Ann’s School
Producer/Director: Eli Berliner
Cast: Alan Berliner
Eli Berliner turns the camera on his father, Alan, a personal documentary filmmaker, whose new body of work approaches sculpture through the eyes of a filmmaker.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN PAVILION
The American Pavilion, celebrating its 33rd year as the epicenter of American hospitality and communication at the Cannes International Film Festival, brings together both professional and emerging filmmakers along with industry executives from across the globe. A much sought-after destination for information, orientation, and recreation, it accommodates the needs of its members, guests and sponsors in a dynamic business environment. With its impressive array of amenities and services, AmPav provides an opportunity to relax in very comfortable surroundings.

The American Pavilion boasts the In Conversation and Industry in Focus both which take place in the Roger Ebert Conference Center, which offer insightful and provocative panel discussions and in-conversations with filmmakers, talent and top leaders; a restaurant and bar that provide fast service with a smile throughout the day and is open to all festival badge holders after 6:00pm most evenings; a coffee bar; free WiFi and charging stations; a media terrace with a panoramic view of the Riviera; the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase; the Culinary Program featuring chefs from across the US and Canada; The American Pavilion Worldwide Student Program; and public and private rental for parties and receptions. The American Pavilion is part of Penske Media Corporation.

For more information, visit www.ampav.com
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Twitter: @AmPav
Instagram: @The_American_Pavilion