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Thursday 18 May
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Cannes comments
from around the world

When in Cannes

Day Ten: Friday 19 May

And the Winners Are…

The Critics' Week Award, the first of the Cannes prizes to be awarded, was announced last night as well as the winner of the Youth Critics Prize. Director Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu won the Critics Week with his film Amores Perros, which was bought for distribution by Lions Gate last April. Inarritu will share the 100,000 franc prize purse with the French distributor.

Swedish Director Linus Tunstrom won the Critics' Week Award for Best Short with his film, To Be Continued. The Youth Critics Award for Best Short went to Faux Contact from Director Eric Jameux.

The usual handicapping fervour surrounding the big Cannes prize (aka the Palme D'Or) is a bit subdued this year as no film has pulled out of the pack as a top contender. Von Trier's Dancer in the Dark has been the biggest draw (once again this morning its Market screening had to turn away a huge crowd waiting for the standing room only screening-many of whom had already been in the stifling line for over an hour) but the lukewarm critic response may hurt its chances.

Still unknown as of press time is the answer to the lingering question of who will actually present the Palme D'Or since famous actresses are turning the job down right and left.

Deal Making 101…

The Shooting Gallery bought Good Housekeeping from Director Frank Novak today for distribution in the coming year. Rumours put the deal at six figures.

The Sundance Channel bought the short film Five Feet High And Rising from Directors Peter Sollet and Eva Vives. The two had won the student award at Sundance 2000 prior to being accepted in competition at Cannes.

The ever-acquisitive Miramax bought Purple Storm from Director Teddy Chen, as well picked up the remake rights to The Colditz Story based on John Patrick Reid's book. They also acquired Colditz: The Latter Days and Colditz: The Full Story, both by Reid.

Madstone Films have announced a most unusual director deal. They will choose 3-5 directors every six months to make a digital feature. Under the program, directors will receive a 50K yearly salary; benefits, enrollment in a 401K plan and funds to make a 500K-1 million dollar digital feature film as the company strives to remove everyday distractions (like paying bills) from a directors reality.

An original TV production, "Murder at the Cannes Film Festival" starring French Stewart ("3rd Rock from the Sun"), Karina Lombard (The Firm) and Bo Derek, is being filmed on location in Cannes. Although most of the film will be shot in Vancouver, the crews are getting "glamour shots" of the festival today. The show will air on E! later this year.

The Big Wind Down…

The hot invite tonight is the "Disco Charm of the Bourgeoisie Party"-this year's annual Moving Picture bash. It will be held in the Chateau le Napoule, high on a hill overlooking Cannes. The event is by invitation only although tickets can be bought for 250 francs, the money raised going to UNICEF. It is co-sponsored by Skyy Vodka, Dos Equis, Vittel, Perrier and Campari.

The Market is closing down their stands today as companies prepare to go home and get back to the daily grind of "real" work. The big question asked today of everyone upon greeting is "when are you heading back?" but what they really want to know is "are you taking a holiday first?"

Jeff Sharp and John Hart (Boys Don't Cry, You Can Count on Me) left Cannes early to accept the New York MIX Innovators Award for Production. The producers have been honoured for their extraordinary work in both queer and independent filmmaking.

The Women In Film E-Bay auction, sponsored by FilmFestivals.com, is nearing its end as the days count down and dollars add up in this bidding war to supply WIF with resources and funds to help women filmmakers complete their films and submit to film festivals. The auction, which runs May 8-24, has been instrumental in raising monies-the total of which, along with other funding projects, is nearing 2 million dollars for Women In Film International.

For some, the wind down is more literal than not: the ever-effective rumour mill reports DEN.com has declared bankruptcy and Indie producers Next Generation (Preston Tylk, at the Cannes Market) have closed their doors for undisclosed reasons.

Films Today…

The edgy film work of German Director Michael Haneke is evident in his new film, Code Inconnu, screening today in competition. Known as a risk-taking storyteller, Haneke has pushed his cinematic boundaries once again as he uses stark one shots and abrupt editing to telegraph the beats of his storyline.

The film stars Juliette Binoche as a young actress who is about to become a star in the cinema. According to Haneke, the film began when Binoche "called one day and asked if we could work together."

Also in competition is Esher Kahn from French director Arnaud Desplechin. The movie is the story of Kahn (Summer Phoenix) who grows up in the garment district of East End of London. Her life is changed when she discovers theatre.

Certain Regard screens A La Verticale de l'Ete, the French/Indonesian production from director Tran Anh Hung. Set in modern Hanoi, the film tells the story of Lien, a 23-year old waitress in the café run by her older sister, Suong, who shares an apartment with her older brother who is an actor. On the anniversary of their mother's death, the siblings dine together and uncover long-hidden family secrets.

Also in Certain Regard today is Djomeh, a French/Iranian film from director from Hassan Yektapahah. It is the story of three lonely people who share their conversations on ideas, ideals, society, world views, and philosophy as they work on a dairy farm in the remote Iranian countryside.

Directors' Fortnight screens Werckmeister Harmoniak from Hungary's leading avant-garde director Bela Tarr. The film is a two and a half hour tour de force based on Krasznahorkai's 1989 novel "The Melancholy of Resistance."

Also in Directors' Fortnight is Dancer from British director Stephen Daly. Set in the north east of England, it stars 13-year old newcomer Jamie Bell as Billy, a young miner's son growing up in a working-class area in 1984. Peer pressure sends him to a boxing club, but at the village hall he stumbles on a local ballet class and becomes fascinated instead by the dance.

Kathleen McInnis & Kerry Shaw