Cannes Marché Sets “Pre-Cannes Screenings” Dates For May 25-28

The Cannes Marché has confirmed dates for its four-day “pre-Cannes screenings”, which will run Tuesday 25 – Friday 28, May.

The festival reiterated today that its main market activity is due to take place alongside the festival in July (6-15).

The four-day May event will run on the Marché’s online platform with virtual booths for sales companies and virtual screening rooms. Access will only be for registered badge holders.

The idea is for sellers to screen completed, non-Cannes Film Festival movies. The event was supposedly conjured to appease impatient industry keen to screen movies before the summer. But it also gives the Marché a fallback should Cannes’ physical market in July be cancelled.

The prospects of an in-person Cannes remain uncertain due to high rates of Covid-19 infection in Europe and slow vaccine rollout. Cannes festival and market heads remain bullish that some version of the festival will go ahead.

Discussions continue among leading U.S. sales agents and packaging agents as to when they will conduct most of their pre-sales business this summer.