“Our DNA remains the cinema, but our ambitions on the XR increase with each edition” - Guillaume Esmiol (Cannes XR)

2022-04-22

On the momentum of the 2021 revival, the Marché du Film (of the Cannes Film Festival, the world’s leading film industry event) is offering a new Cannes XR program including a virtual exhibition “Alexandria”, a selection of its partner VeeR VR and a demo space in collaboration with Positron. Guillaume Esmiol, Co-Director of the Film Market, and his team (including the new Cannes XR Coordinator, Jules Fournier) reaffirm their invitation to the new creative industries, not without concealing a greater ambition for the next editions.

About Cannes XR (official website)

2022: the return of the physical Marche du Film

Guillaume Esmiol – This year we are back with a lot of optimism and very positive market indicators. The most represented countries will probably be the United States, Great Britain and Germany with of course France. Asia will also be well represented despite travel restrictions due to Covid for some countries. We expect a lot of people in May in Cannes, with less than 10% of participants only online for 2022.

Cannes XR 2022, the program

G. E. – After a smaller year in 2021 at Cannes XR, we had more requests from professionals, which reinforces our idea of offering a Marketplace space to immersive industries. We are launching a new virtual world, “Alexandria” (see announcement), on free access, in partnership with NewImages and the company Kreis. And it’s a new feature: everyone with a VR headset will be able to access it at home during the festival without a Market badge. For Film Market participants who do not have a VR headset, there will also be a demo booth on site in the Palais. In this virtual universe, the works of the Veer VR selection will be exhibited, about twenty 3DOF / 6DOF works.

G. E. – We will have a large demonstration area from our partner Positron (already present in previous years), with several chairs in the heart of the Market. This will be an opportunity to offer several amazing immersive experiences, including a world premiere (to be announced soon). Other stands will be proposed on a hundred square meters dedicated to the XR.

G. E. – Finally, during the Market, we will also continue to offer conferences on site and broadcast online for accredited attendees. Virtual production will be at the heart of the discussions, with partners: one focused on European players at the forefront of these technologies, the other in partnership with Unreal, which will also offer a workshop by Jannicke Mikkelsen to train directors and producers on site, see information. There is still a need for education on this subject, and the idea is to accompany the in-depth discussions with demonstrations. It is also a transversal subject with Cannes Next, which impacts the cinema professions. Other partner conferences will take place in person or online around May 19.

The XR, a place in the making at le Marche du Film ?

G. E. – Our program consolidates the presence of the XR within the Market, with caution, even for a sector in the making in which we believe. And in view of its dynamism, of our desires, we hope to offer more things from 2023 to welcome producers and creators. The revival of the metaverse or NFT subjects is not unrelated to this; we are always looking for transversal subjects, but also to be able to open doors to other industries like video games. Why not?

G. E. – On the XR, it must be recognized that the market on the narrative part still does not totally exist. However, it is anchored in the development of new technologies close to the cinema (virtual production), it interests some filmmakers or producers. Last year we announced the next project of Marshmallow Laser Feast and Atlas V, produced by Orange and Terrence Malick, for example. All these synergies can be found at Cannes and at the Market.

G. E. – And this is the DNA of the Cannes Film Festival and the Film Market: always start from the cinema to build our programs. We think that 2023 will be even more favorable, and will encourage us to welcome more professionals, from different horizons, and in particular those who are interested in XR: LBEs, museums, video games, etc. In any case, we want to!