We recently explained how it was possible to present or see short films at the Cannes film Festival. Today, we will focus on one of the other essential issues before you go to the most famous film festival in the world : Obtain accreditation or a badge !
Unlike many other festivals such as the Venice Biennale or the Festival of Busan, The festival de Cannes is not, in theory, open to the public. It is an event aimed at professionals of the film industry. While the journalists of the international press can interview the stars and discover the movies, presented through the different competitions (official Selection, un certain regard, Quinzaine des director…), professionals are found at the marché du film, in hotels and in the evenings for negotiating contracts and assembling new projects.
So far, the Cannes film Festival is not completely closed to the public at large and there are many ways to participate. Let’s start with the accreditations “classic”.
The Press accreditation
Each year, more than 4000 journalists and bloggers, representing more than 2000 French media and international gather in Cannes to celebrate the film and discover new movies of the greatest filmmakers of the time.
It is a lot of people, and the organization of the festival declines each year several requests whose profile does not meet the criteria for obtaining a Pass for :
Lee Press-Service grants accreditation to journalists, editors, photographers, etc., mandated by a media, print or web, depending on its size (circulation, audience), the expected media coverage during the festival and the specialization of the media.
All these criteria will help determine if the media has the right to one or several credentials, but also the category of the badge. In fact, the colors on the cards access to give priority to certain accredited compared to others.
price : free
Deadline : march 31,
To request a press accreditation
Professional accreditation
The Cannes film Festival is addressed to all professionals of the cinema and not only for journalists. Here are the categories professional authorized to apply for accreditation to the marché du film, which also gives access to the different projections of the festival :
- Authorities, Embassies, Ministries, State Institutions
- The Administrations of the cinema and professional associations
- Talent agencies
- Sales Agents
- Press officers
- Broadcast TV
- Buyers’ Rep
- Film libraries, Archives, and Restores films
- Comedian(ne)s
- Commissions of films
- Communication and Marketing of Cinema
- Consulting
- Distribution
- Right cinema
- Schools of Cinema and their students
- Editions Of Literary
- Operators
- Film Festivals
- Financial Cinema
- Cultural Institutions
- Interactive & New Media
- Music
- Agencies of promotion and event specialist in the cinema
- VOD platforms
- Press-Media : non journalists
- Production
- Film directors, Authors and screenwriters
- Companies of the Technical Industry
- Technicians of the Cinema
- Training / Coaching
price : Between $ 275 and€ 375€ depending on the date of application
Deadline : you can register at the last moment, including during the festival, but it will be more expensive !
Ask a professional accreditation
The accreditation Cinephile
It is the last option as “official” to receive accreditation. ATTENTION, it does not give you access to all of the projections and does not circulate in the professional spaces : Palais des festivals, marché du film…
This accreditation allows you to discover films from the official selection via the event Cannes film buffs, set up in a network of town halls in cannes partners.
To attend make an application for accreditation Moviegoers, you must be a teacher, film student, or justify your passion to cinema via a membership card of an association cinephile or a subscription card to a movie theater. With this accreditation, you will be priority to the meetings concerned, in the limit of seats available.
price : free
Deadline : until the 1st of march
Apply for accreditation cinephile
The alternative “bravitude”
Go, as we have seen, there are still a lot of options to obtain a pass for the festival. However, if you don’t tuck in “no box”, no worries, there’s always a way to see many films at the Festival without being accredited !
The sessions of the meeting, Cannes film buffs are in effect accessible to everyone (except minors), via the queue last minute. It is not a priority, but it allows you to watch movies free of charge, subject to places being available, once all those registered have accessed the room.
You say that all the projections are going to be taken over by the festival-goers and that you have no chance of return ? This will probably be the case for some sessions, but be aware that no fewer than 4000 entries are via the file last-minute to every edition of the Cannes film Festival. The event during 10 days of 400 entries per day possible without having a pass.
The projections of the Fortnight
The Directors ‘ fortnight is a parallel section, which, contrary to the official selection, is open to the general public in the form of ticketing. Two options are available to you : buy tickets to each screening you’re interested in, or take out a subscription. This ticket allows you access to all the rooms of the Fortnight, but to those of the room Theatre Croisette at the JW Marriott as well as movie Arcades.
The subscription, which gives you access to all sessions, within the limits of available places, of course, is available for 72€. If you’d rather buy tickets to each screening, they are on sale during the festival : 8€ for the full price and £ 5 for concessions (students, unemployed, SNCF)
The projections of the Critic’s Week
The Critics ‘ Week is another great selection that is parallel to the official competition. The people who would not have had the chance to get accreditation can get invitations, which allow access to a queue is not a priority, for the official screenings that take place at the Espace Miramar. To remove these invitations, go directly to the espace Miramar during the day, during the festival.
For the more courageous, bold, and patients, there is a last option. Each year, several people, often young men in suits and young women with beautiful dresses of the evening, camped out in front of the palace of congress with placards, in the hope of being offered to walk the red carpet by people with invitations… and hopefully, this works rather well !