As mentioned in our article addressing the BFI London Film Festival we have highlighted a significant issue: in 2021, 19 films funded by the BFI dominated the lineup, severely limiting opportunities for independent filmmakers. This situation underscores the pervasive concerns about sponsorships and their role in creating conflicts of interest within the industry and in film festivals in particular. This issue is further highlighted in the case of the Cannes Film Festival and its 28 years partner, Canal+
Our analysis of feature films in the festival’s “Official Selection” and “Critics’ Week” from 2017 to 2022 reveals a notable trend involving production and financing entities. Canal+ had a significant presence with 85 films over these years. However, there was a sharp decline to just one film in 2022, coinciding with the end of its sponsorship and the emergence of TikTok as the new sponsor. This shift provides insight into how sponsorship changes can impact the representation of production and financing companies in prestigious festival lineups. Other organizations listed below are, of course, also sponsors of the festival, such as the CNC, the Ile-de-France fund, and Arte.
Additionally, in 2022, three films produced or co-produced by ‘Why Not Productions’ — ‘Deception,’ ‘Beginning,’ and ‘DNA’ — were selected to the festival. Notably, Mélissa Malinbaum, already mentioned here, works for the company as a producer (source), and is a member of the Cannes Short Film committee (source). This relationship spotlights concerns about equity for independent filmmakers who lack such connections, suggesting a potentially uneven playing field within the festival’s selection process.
| Production company or major financing | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Arte | 26 | 23 | 24 | 5 | 39 | 9 |
| Canal+ | 19 | 16 | 21 | 4 | 24 | 1 |
| CINEMAGE GESTION | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| CNC | 9 | 16 | 14 | 5 | 18 | 1 |
| Ile-de-France | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Eurimages | 5 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Film4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| La Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Le Pacte | 0 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Wild Bunch (distribution and/or some financing) | 13 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Why Not Productions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Our organization is dedicated to unveiling the true decision-making processes and power dynamics within the film industry. The chart below provides a comprehensive summary of these elements. Our goal is to democratize access and provide talented, emerging young filmmakers with the opportunities they rightfully deserve to succeed in the industry.
SOURCES:
https://web.archive.org/web/20211028014017/https:/www.festival-cannes.com/en/participer/prepare/partners
https://web.archive.org/web/20220315230007/https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/participer/prepare/partners
https://web.archive.org/web/20211028014017/https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/participer/prepare/partners
https://www.tellerreport.com/life/2021-12-17-cannes-2022–two-media-chosen-to-replace-the-historic-partner-canal-%2B.H1NXbw0KqY.html
https://americanmovies.news/tiktok-and-cannes-official-sponsor-and-short-film-competition/
Why Not Productions:
https://en.unifrance.org/directories/person/384945/melissa-malinbaum
https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt13613056/filmmakers
https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt12444572/companycredits
https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt7600716/filmmakers
https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/cannes-2020-the-short-films-competition/
