Insight Cannes 2026: Sales Agents Are Rejecting More Projects Than Ever

[admin]

Sales agents are becoming more selective ahead of Cannes 2026

The market has shifted sales agents are no longer chasing “good films”, they are chasing predictable revenue.
In the lead-up to Cannes, many agents are tightening their slates and focusing only on projects that are clearly sellable across multiple territories. Strong packaging recognizable cast, clear genre, and realistic budgets has become essential, even at early stages.
At the same time, with more completed films still seeking distribution, competition has intensified significantly, leaving less room for projects without a defined commercial angle.
As a result, projects entering Cannes without strong positioning or market clarity are increasingly being overlooked.

Source:
https://elliotgrove.substack.com/p/what-sales-agents-actually-say-yes

Have you felt this shift when approaching sales agents recently?

 

[norwest]

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 we’re seeing, sales agents are looking at how a film will perform territory by territory before even seriously engaging. Without a clear genre, positioning, or some recognizable element, projects tend to fall behind very quickly.
Feels like Cannes is becoming less about discovery and more about execution.
How are you approaching this are you packaging earlier, or still bringing projects more openly to the market?