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Cannes comments
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When in Cannes

Day Seven: Tuesday 16 May

It's About the Movies…

Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) will produce forthcoming Heaven starring Cate Blanchett (The Talented Mr. Ripley) and directed by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) for Miramax.

First-time Writer/Director Vincent Giarrusso, who has spent most of his professional life as a musician (underground LOVE, Australia), enjoyed the culmination of his seven year labor-of-love film project today when Mallboy screened at the Directors Fortnight. Writing the tough story of a disenfranchised young boy straight from his own experiences as a youth welfare worker, Giarrusso feels influenced by Ken Loach and what he calls 'respectful filmmaking'.

Sony's demonstration yesterday of their new 24 fps digital camera was filled past capacity as everyone jammed the room to see the new wave of filming equipment. The demo will run again tomorrow, no doubt to an ever bigger audience.

Kodak awarded a dozen Emerging Filmmakers from a variety of film schools with filmmaking awards at an awards ceremony today hosted by Indie favorites, Ismail Merchant and Whit Stillman.

It's About the Money…

Miramax is buying the majority of films here at Cannes, but Lions Gate Films finally jumped in the ring when they closed a deal for North American rights to Ken Loach's Bread and Roses.

A comedy pitched by the Blair Witch Project creators Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez to 75 distributors has landed deals in several European territories.

Dream Entertainment's 100 Girls from Director Michael Davis (Eight Days A Week) may be on its way to 100 territories. The story of a young college student who meets the woman of his dreams in an elevator stuck between floors, and must then find her again on a campus of beautiful women, has received commitments for theatrical release in 17 countries.

The Variety pavilion was host today to the Cannes Conference Series with a panel entitled What Do Buyers Want: Art or Commerce? Panellists Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classic), Rainer Kolmel (Kinowelt), Rick Sands (Miramax) and Kayo Yoshida (Asmik Ace) went toe to toe under the moderating of Sydney Levin (FilmFinders). At issue were the very definitions of art film versus commercial film with Barker and Sands in a particularly lively disagreement about the term "arthouse" being an attribute rather than a qualification.

It's About Me…

Irish tap dancer Michael Flatley, set to become a screen star in upcoming The Lord of the Dance, was in Cannes last night to promote his new film.

"I may not become a great actor but I've definitely got the makings of a movie star," said the actor whose feet are insured for $40 million. US director Tony Palmer who has worked with musical greats as diverse as Maria Callas and Leonard Bernstein has signed to direct the film which is scripted by My Left Foot writer Shane Connaughton.

The Girlfight team spent the day on the beach, quite literally, as they suffered through hours of interviews beachside at the American Pavilion. Slamdance alums wandered in and out of frame, as did filmmaker Libby Spears in town to shoot a short for Atom Films with cinematographer Mark van S.

Marcus Hu (Strand) got locked out of a screening today when a truly zealous usher announced the theatre was full. Normally, people can slip in and sit on the sides at overflow screenings, but this particular usher takes his job very seriously-so much so, he usually will disturb screenings with loudly whispered seat directions or even snapping fingers to direct the late-to-be seated.

It's My Party…

It's hard to top setting a (stunt) woman on fire for beach side entertainment, but tonight's In Sync party just might do it. The boys are in Cannes to promote the pseudo release of their fake movie for which they shot a bogus opening night party for last month in LA. Sometimes, it's just hard to keep up...

Cutting Edge Pictures, who have lost points recently among their Indie filmmakers for rumoured stinginess, threw the bash of the night last night for Cutaway, starring Dennis Rodman. In fact, the company spared nothing for the festivities and got themselves a four martini rating (the highest possible) from Hollywood Reporter this morning.

The group of seven Italian Commissions threw an evening cocktail party that had the best view (easy Red Carpet sightings) as well as the best food (Asiago cheese, olives, prosciutto) and wine from nearly every region of the country.

Kathleen McInnis & Kerry Shaw