Lumière Film Festival’s International Classic Film Market (MIFC) returns for the 12th time with a wide-ranging program that examines the latest restorations from NBCUniversal and France’s leading distributor and addresses some of the traditional film sector’s most pressing issues. Masu.
This year’s MIFC, which will be held from October 15th to 18th, will focus on opportunities for the DVD and Blu-ray market and cinemas, the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI), and Jean-Jacques Annaud’s 1986 classic “La Rose”. Explore the influence of ‘Name’. ” and this year’s Honored Country, Lithuanian Heritage Category.
talk to varietyGerard Duchaussois, who oversees programming and coordination at MIFC, said it was particularly important to focus on the US market to identify trends in this area, both on streaming platforms and in movie theaters.
Duchaussoy will moderate a discussion with Cassandra Moore, vice president of mastering and archiving at NBCUniversal.
“It was very important for us to have Cassandra on board. Cassandra was very passionate about her work and preserving all of the masterpieces at Universal.”
Among the films guaranteed to be talked about is Steven Spielberg’s Sugarland Express, which celebrated its 50th anniversary with a 4K restoration and was re-selected to the Cannes Film Festival this year. The film, starring Goldie Hawn and William Atherton, won the screenplay award at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival, but director Steven Spielberg was forced to attend the festival because he was filming Jaws. Duchaussoy pointed out.
Representatives from Park Circus will also be in attendance. Park Circus recently released a new 4K restoration of Charles Vidor’s Gilda, starring Rita Hayworth, which also premiered at Cannes this year.
In addition, MIFC displays the latest releases from its French distributor in two separate showcases.
The catalog holder’s premiere presentation includes titles from Gaumont, Cinématographique Lyre, Studiocanal, TF1 Studio, Les Films du Jeudi, Pathé Films and Minerva Pictures, while the distributor’s premium showcase for exhibitors includes ADRC, Carlotta Films’ latest restorations are available. , Les Acacias, Malavida, Solaris Distribution, and Tamasa Distribution.
The 4K restoration of The Name of the Rose, starring Sean Connery, will serve as a case study for catalogers and distributors. The film, which closed last year’s Lumière Festival, attracted about 42,000 viewers when it was re-screened in France.
“It’s still very impressive that there is such a strong desire to go to the movies,” Duchaussois said.
The case study ‘The Name of the Rose’ brings together Les Acacias Managing Director Jean-Fabrice Janaudy, L’atelier d’images Head Hugues Peysson and TF1 Studio Catalog and Video Director Pierre Olivier to discuss strategy. Masu. And I helped re-release the movie.
A roundtable discussion examining opportunities for heritage programs in the exhibition sector, including strategies and means to increase exposure, will feature Christian Breuer, President of the International Cinema of Art and Cinema (CICAE). Laure Houlgate, CEO of the International Cinema Union (UNIC). Guillaume Bassy, President of the French Art House Film Association (AFCAE). Nadège Lausana, Director of the Agency for Cinema and Regional Development (ADRC); Richard Patry, President of the French Film Federation (FNCF).
There is also a focus on the growing use of AI in the restoration of film and television productions. Representatives from the French National Audiovisual Institute (INA) will be present to discuss the tools developed by INA to promote audiovisual heritage. The second roundtable will consider the legal and regulatory framework surrounding the use of AI in this field, both in France and internationally.
“That is something that is on the minds of all the experts that we are in constant contact with,” Duchaussois said. He added that laboratories are increasingly using AI to accelerate and expedite remediation efforts at lower costs.
The discussion will focus specifically on the increasing use of this technology across Europe and its legal implications, as well as the different licensing agreements and how it is handled between rights holders in different countries.
As part of its focus on Lithuania, MIFC will screen Algirdas Alaminas’ 1980 fantasy children’s film “Andrius” and Algirdas Dausa and Armantas Grikevicius’ 1968 World War II drama “Feeling” .
The market is not only concentrated in the industry, but also open to the general public and the younger generation of film fans.
MIFC officially opens on October 15th, but the annual DVD Publishers Fair is held every Sunday, October 13th. The open-to-all DVD and Blu-ray fair has become an audience favorite at the Lumière Film Festival. Therefore, the number of companies participating is increasing.
At the conference during the fair will be Manuel Chiche, chairman of Jokers Films, and Vincent, director and co-founder of Carlotta Films, two of the leading video publishers announcing their latest releases at the event. – Includes discussion with Paul Boncourt. .
This year, organizers are also reaching out to a younger generation of film enthusiasts by offering students special certifications to further engage with the community.
“In the same spirit as the companies that are working on our niche business, we see that for all these young students, they need to go and follow the news of the classic film market,” Duchaussois said. . “We found that some students wanted to go to market and we wanted to welcome them.”
He added that students “energize the market.”
The initiative has been so successful that MIFC plans to accept students from other European countries, such as Romania and Greece.
Overall, MIFC has increased the number of accredited participants from 490 companies in 2023 to 575 this year, and doubled the number of exhibitors from 40 to 80 companies.
“We put a lot of effort into bringing our exhibitors to market,” says Duchaussoy. “There was a strong demand because we have a very dynamic exhibition system almost everywhere in France. That was always at the core of what we were doing.”
A total of 70 companies listed as buyers will also participate in the market.