Microbudgets in Cannes

by Emma_Chappel on 17-May-10 15:57

It was standing room only - and not much of that - at our microbudget filmmaking event this afternoon.

This was our chance to talk about iFeatures and microbudget filmmaking to a wider, international audience, and we'd joined forces with two other Screen Agencies, Film London and Vision+Media, who have also run microbudget initiatives in the shape of Film London Microwave and Digital Departures.

Our panel consisted of Sandy Lieberson, producer and Chair of Film London, Helen Grace from Left Films, Alex Hamilton, a director at E1 Entertainment, Kolton Lee, director of Freestyle (a Film London Microwave Film) and Tobias Morgan, producer for The Auteurs. Volcanic ash had held up Mark Hebert, the producer of Le Donk and Scor-Zay-Zee, so Caroline Cooper Charles, the Head of Creative Development at Warp X, the production company behind the film, stepped in to complete the panel.

Chaired by Damon Wise, contributing editor at Empire magazine, the questions came thick and fast, starting with the first, most obvious one: what is the definition of 'microbudget'? This is a frequently asked question and, whilst you could argue all night about the stage at which a budget becomes 'micro', the best answer came from Sandy Lieberson, who said it's more about a state of mind: taking risks and making innovative new films.

It was an interesting discussion and we're hoping many of the filmmakers present will also come along to our reception on microbudgets later this evening.

Caroline in Cannes

by Caroline_Norbury on 17-May-10 11:19

So here I am in Cannes and only now just getting into my stride.  I'm still recovering from yesterday's early start - I was moderating a panel exploring ways in which the film industry could act in a more environmentally-responsible manner.  As many of you will know the film business with its catering trucks, generators and international travel is hardly the most sensitive and socially responsible industry.  Fergus Rolfe of the Low Carbon Innovation Centre, who was one of my guests on yesterday's panel, calculated that the average feature film created carbon emissions equivalent to driving around the planet 250 times!  Other speakers included Lucy Walker director of Countdown to Zero which screens today, environmental journalist Christine Robert from Bright Green Pictures, distributor Andy Whittaker from Dogwoof, Melanie Dicks whose company Greenshoot provides a complete re-cycling and environmental audit for film production and Laurie Hayward who is here to lauch his 3.2m venture capital fund for low carbon digital production projects.  Over the last couple of years South West Screen has been working on a number of initiatives helping companies reduce their environmental impact and I've taken away many more ideas from the session which I hope will help us up our game in the South West.
 
Today South West Screen are talking in the UK Pavilion about our iFeatures initiative and have Damien Wise from Empire chairing the session for us.  We're expecting a big crowd as many micro-budget movies are increasingly generating some really good films that audiences are keen to see and everyone wants to know the secrets for success. 
 
It's not all work of course - the London Film Festival had their reception last night and so I'm still suffering from rather a lot of champagne on an empty stomach.  Must get a coffee from somewhere soon.......

Cannes Film Festival

by Emma_Chappel on 17-May-10 10:31

I've been getting more and more excited about the prospect of attending my first Cannes International Film Festival (my first year, but it's in its 63rd). And now I'm finally here.

Having left a drizzling Bristol, it's great to be in the sun and next to the sea. Despite seeing depictions of the Festival on TV and in print every year, I wasn't quite sure what to expect and am pleased to see the town of Cannes has not been entirely taken over by the Festival and retains its old heart and maze of streets. The Palais and all along the Croisette, however, are dominated by film and film-makers of all nationalities, flogging their wares.

The Festival is quieter than I was expecting, though, which may be down to the current financial climate and lack of real blockbuster films/and celebs in town.

A meeting with Nick Mason Pearson, Director of Press and Public Affairs at British Film, ensured an invitation to the London Film Festival party at the Palais Stephanie, where I got to meet Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian and the Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye and picked their brains about the film I was about to see at the Grand Theatre Lumiere screening, Bertrand Tavernier, The Princess of Montpensier. Baz loved it, Peter was less impressed. Being on the red carpet, was an unforgettable experience, but, sadly, I was to side with Peter on this one.

(Image: Kate Kinninmont, the Chief Executive of Women in Film and TV, interviewing Alison Owen, the producer of Chatroom and Tamara Drewe.)

The highlight of this morning has been Kate Kinninmont, the Chief Executive of Women in Film and TV, interviewing Alison Owen, the producer of Chatroom and Tamara Drewe, both of which are films in official selection at Cannes this year. Tamara Drewe was shot in the South West with guidance from Fiona and Joe from our Locations Department, so it was gratifying to hear Alison (who is Lily Allen's mother, fact fans!) saying how she'd loved finding locations that exactly fit the original comic strip and that Tamara Drewe was shaping up to being one of her favourite films of the 24 she's produced.

(Image: Kate Kinninmont & Alison Owen watch clip from Tamara Drewe which was shot in the South West.)

Later today, I'll be back at the UK Film Centre for the panel discussion South West Screen is co-hosting with Film London and Vision+Media on what next for microbudget filmmaking. Off first to see if I can track down some more journos to introduce myself to. I am reliably informed they all hang around at the Grand Hotel after 10pm - as it's the only place that'll have them!