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"I’ll be the contrarian here. Adam Films is right: we are using decks to eliminate projects, not to discover them. Most filmmakers treat a deck like a letter to Santa a list of things they want. A pro deck is a status report of things that are happening. That’s the 'entry point' MICA was...

I think one of the biggest mistakes filmmakers can make right now is still trying to approach the industry as if the old (linear path) still exists. For a long time, the expectation was relatively clear: make a small film, get attention, move into mid-budget territory, then eventually...

Wishing everyone a successful and productive Marché du Film 2026! Personally, I’m really looking forward to the Japanese delegation’s program (especially the pitches on May 14th) and the AI for Talent Summit. Which industry panels are on your 'must-watch' list this year? Have a great market!

The film industry has never produced more content yet it has never been harder to make people genuinely care. Thousands of technically solid films disappear every year without leaving any real impact. Not because they are bad, but because attention has become the most competitive currency in...

This is a great question because I think it touches something people don’t always like to admit. For me, one of those films was Joker. I understand why it had such a strong cultural impact, and Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is undeniably powerful. But beyond that, the film felt more like an...

Every year, the Cannes Film Festival brings together a wide range of participants across the entire industry: major studios like The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Discovery, independent production companies, sales agents, distributors, streaming platforms, investors, and filmmakers at...

@Michael and @MICA, I completely agree with your "fewer but better" approach. To build on that without repeating what’s been said, I’d like to add a few thoughts on the "Invisible Market" of 2026 and some technical survival tips. The ROI of Research (and a Cinando rant): Is it just me, or has...

I think this is very accurate and one of the biggest gaps in the industry is that people are rarely taught how to handle these “silent” decision points. What often makes the difference is not talent, but having some basic structure around decisions. Even simple habits can help avoid long-term...

I think one important layer to this discussion is how packaging is no longer just about who is attached, but about how clearly a project signals its path to market. Buyers today are not only looking for talent, but for projects that already show some level of validation whether that’s partial...

Reading through this thread, it feels like everyone is circling the same issue from different angles, but what’s still missing is something practical that productions can actually apply immediately. From what we’re seeing in real productions, the main challenge isn’t understanding the SAG-AFTRA...

I don’t think this is just about micro-genres emerging it’s that the underlying logic of filmmaking has shifted. You’re no longer developing a story first, you’re developing an audience. Most projects fail at the same point: they still start with (I have a good idea.) That’s no longer enough...

At the end of the day, this is a business decision studios will always move in the direction of scale and profitability. The hesitation from actors and creators is understandable though. As consolidation grows, the number of decision-makers shrinks, and with that, the room for creative risk and...

I think the key shift here is that building an audience early only works if it’s tied to a clear path to action later. A lot of filmmakers are now good at building awareness, even engagement, but that still doesn’t translate unless there’s a defined conversion moment. Interest without a next...

I think what we’re seeing isn’t just increased selectivity, but a shift in responsibility. Sales agents used to help shape the marketability of a project. Now they expect it to be already solved before they come in. If the positioning, audience, and territory logic aren’t clear upfront, they...

I think “fake demand” is a misleading term. Demand hasn’t disappeared, conversion has. The real question today isn’t whether there is interest, but who can and will actually execute. Interest has become cheap, execution is the bottleneck. What matters now is real payment track record, not...

We’ve definitely felt this shift recently. It’s getting much harder to move projects forward unless the commercial angle is already clear. Interest is still there, but converting that into actual deals is taking longer, and many conversations just don’t progress beyond early stages. From what...

This sounds like a well-timed project for Cannes. A completed 98-minute drama/thriller with festival exposure is definitely in a position where it can attract the right kind of attention at the Marché, especially if the materials (trailer, screener, press kit) are already in place. Out of...

I think John’s right about the cycle, but the key difference now is where the risk goes. The industry isn’t suddenly braver about original projects. It’s just better at packaging them to feel safe. That’s what all these unfinished projects are really about. Cannes has become less about finished...

I think what you're getting at with the (product vs soul) question is actually a bit misleading. The system doesn’t kill originality it just exposes weak ideas faster. Most of what people experience as (loss of soul) is really just the removal of ambiguity that doesn’t survive contact with...

I think people are reading too much into the "story over stars" narrative. This isn't an unknown producer landing a huge deal it's Element Pictures. Their reputation removes a lot of the risk. To me, this looks less like buyers suddenly embracing originality and more like buyers backing a...