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Erin Brown Thomas | Screenwriter | Director | Part 2
Erin Brown Thomas
Screenwriter | Director
Part 2
You recently went to Cannes with A Question of Service, the short you made with fellow Epiphany Space member Hans Obma. What was Cannes like? Tell us about that experience.
Yes! Hans Obma and I did attend Cannes with A Question of Service which he wrote and starred in. I directed and edited. We were joined by my husband (and fellow Epiphany Space member) Jake Thomas, Our Producer (and Salute your Shorts Film Festival Director) Elle Shaw, our Post Producer Gabrielle Adrien, and our French language consultant Lucie Souvigne.
We had a lovely screening in the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at AMPAV with an incredibly positive response. We also ate waaaaaaay too much pizza and ice cream. But is that even really a thing?
For those who haven’t been, or are not familiar, I’ll break Cannes Film Festival down into its four parts: Festival du Cannes, Marché du Film, The International Village, and the Parties.
First Festival du Cannes. This is probably what you think of when you think of Cannes. Wes Anderson, for instance, premiered his new film Asteroid City there. We attended the premiere in formal attire and got to take pictures on the red carpet.
A photographer pulled us aside for portraits ahead of the May December screening. Be watching for May December to get a release date because…. Drumroll, please…. Hans is in it! He acts opposite Natalie Portman in his scenes.
In addition to these “In Competition” films competing for the Palme d‘Or, Festival du Cannes also premieres some high-profile content out of competition from big-name creators like Martin Scorsese (The Killers of Flower Moon) and Sam Levinson (The Idol). This year there were eleven short films competing for the highest honor at the festival, only one (Poof) was American and happens to be produced by a Salute Your Shorts Alum, Natalie Metzger. Only films under 15 minutes can compete for this award. Director’s Fortnight and Acid screenings are also part of Festival du Cannes.
Marché du Film refers to the film market at Cannes. You need a Marché pass to go inside. Anyone can purchase one for roughly $500. Inside the market, there were two floors worth of booths where distributors sought new content to purchase. This would be similar to American Film Market which comes to Santa Monica every November. There are parties every day in the Market, which you can get invited to if you RSVP through the proper channels. Some channels are easier to find than others.
The Marché also has screenings. On the short film side, there is the “short film corner”. Thousands of short films participate here. There’s an element of “pay to play” going on here. If you have a film under 15 minutes and you want to go to Cannes, your best bet is to submit it here. It’s not incredibly competitive, but it does give you the ability to say you are attending with a film. The Marché also has special screenings of feature films that are looking for distribution. This is more selective than "short film corner."
The International Village is the other thing you probably think of when someone mentions Cannes. When you see the pictures with all of the white tents lining the Ocean Shore, that’s the International Village. Every participating country has a pavilion. If you want to meet film commissioners and learn about tax incentives and co-production opportunities available in various countries and territories, the International Village is your education. Some of the Pavilions also had their own contests and content. These are more selective and competitive than the Marche screenings. The American Pavilion (AMPAV), where A Question of Service screened is the biggest and most popular Pavilion in the International Village. It’s a networking hotspot. AMPAV hosted all kinds of talkbacks, where talents like Marion Cotillard and filmmakers like Todd Haynes would chat about their films. They even hosted Hans and I after our screening.
Finally, the fourth component of Cannes is the parties. There are parties everywhere. Depending on who you are, you’ll get invited to different ones. I’ll compare Cannes to Sundance since it’s the other high-profile market film festival I’ve attended. Cannes is much larger than Sundance and way more segregated. At Sundance, you go to parties and are surrounded by recognizable actors and producers.
Cannes is a world stage. The American celebrities who are there are (for the most part) at different parties than the filmmakers or Marché pass holders.
That being said, there are still pretty cool events that selected filmmakers such as Hans and myself could get into, provided we get on the right list in time. I really enjoyed the Variety / Stage 32 Formal Beach party.
And Jake and I were ushered unexpectedly one night into an immersive theater bar experience, where we were recruited into smuggling Rum out of Cuba in 1959.
All in all, I think it’s best to go into Cannes with a plan for everyone you want to connect with, but also be in the moment and enjoy your time there. It’s a very exclusive and elitist environment that can be taxing and disappointing from time to time. But it’s important to realize that you always make your best impressions with a smile on your face, and you never know who might be standing shoulder to shoulder with you at any moment.
And finally, what advice would you give to anyone looking to pursue a career in film?
It’s certainly a roller coaster that you need to be prepared for. I think being a likable, driven person who loves meeting new people and works consistently at their craft is anyone’s best bet. Network your ass off. But look to genuinely help everyone you meet.
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