Documentaries Get Showcase and Support From Cannes Festival’s Marche

Tim Gray
·2 min read

Cannes Docs will showcase 32 in-progress documentaries at this month’s Cannes Marché du Film-Festival and will present a cash award to one of them.

The Marché runs July 6-15, concurrent with the broader Cannes film festival (which wraps July 17). This is the third year of these presentations. The winner receives a prize worth about $11,865, or 10,000€.

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Each year, Cannes Docs partners with various festivals and organizations from around the world to showcase documentaries that are aiming to hit the fest circuit within a few weeks or months. These docs-in-progress showcases are designed to help filmmakers as well as anyone looking for new titles, such as festival programmers and sales agents. The projects are often in search of post-production funding or general gap financing, and sometimes still open to co-production opportunities.

There will be eight showcases, each consisting of four projects; all 32 will offer a pitch and a 10-minute excerpt. All showcases will be presented in a Marché du Film screening room in the Riviera (July 9-12) and online (July 6-9).

The six prizes given will include the Docs-in-Progress Award, in partnership with Monaco-based International Emerging Film Talent Association, that includes the cash award and professional long-term follow-up by IEFTA.

Pierre-Alexis Chevit, head of Cannes Docs, said, “After going online last year, we are very excited to offer our first hybrid series of showcases of docs-in-progress this year. The hybrid format will allow the decision makers, whether on site or online, to discover these wonderful curated projects that are about to hit the market and begin their careers on the festival circuit.”

IEFTA president Marco Orsini added, “IEFTA is proud to support documentary filmmakers through this cash prize and Spotlighted Projects presentations through our partnership with the Marché du Film and Cannes Docs. Especially during these times, we hope this award will encourage others in the industry to support documentary filmmakers in their own regions.”

The awards will be announced July 13, which is designated Doc Day.

IEFTA is a non-governmental organization founded to discover and develop global film talent from emerging regions. The org connects filmmakers to established industry professionals; it also aims at cultural diversity and fostering industry relationships that are inspiring and educational. This year marks the 15th anniversary of IEFTA-supported initiatives.

(Pictured: Cannes Docs’ chief Pierre-Alexis Chevit at the 2019 event)

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