The Film Market Opens

An important yearly event for film professionals, the Cannes Film Market will be welcoming 10,000 participants from 93 countries from May 14th to 23rd. It is expected to generate an estimated one billion euros in sales. The 140,000-square-foot space (14,000 m&sup2) will serve as a showroom for some 5,500 films, both finished and unfinished, whose producers are searching for distributors. Due to the bumper crop of films, the Market decided to open three extra screening rooms, in addition to the thirty it was already operating.

Twelve auditoriums are digitally-equipped. As a result, some 1,600 screenings have been scheduled. European producers make up the majority of the professionals at the Market. North and South America come next. Due to the tragic earthquake it recently suffered, China made a decision to “reduce the number of people in its official delegation,” according to Film Market chief Jérôme Paillard.