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NEWS Tuesday 8 May 2018
DAY 1

SINO- CANNES Q&A:
INTERNATIONAL
COMPANY
MEETINGS STEVE LEE JONES
RETURNS TO
CANNES EMMY NOMINATED PRODUCER

FOR THE third year running, the Marché What was your first Cannes expect, since it deals with the launch of
du Film, and the Sino-European producers and what were you doing then? the fitness industry that has become an
association, Bridging the Dragon, My first connection to Cannes was when obsession the world over. The brothers
will be organising the Sino-International my wonderful director George Gallo had who launched this industry many decades
Company Meetings, in collaboration a film launching in the market called ago hobbled together eight Canadian
with the French audiovisual body, CNC. Middle Men. It was a huge hit for dollars and then spent every waking hour
The meetings will take place on Friday, Paramount and a lot of fun. I think that fighting against conventional wisdom to
May 11, from 22:00 to 00:30 at the CNC was 2010. I was busy producing You prove, what we all know today… that
space at the Gray d’Albion beach. Don’t Know Jack that wonderfully was working out is in fact good for the mind
The idea is to introduce key players nominated for a few awards including and body. It contains very contemporary
from the Chinese industry to select 13 Emmys and two Golden Globes. themes infused within it, as Joe and Ben
international production companies, Al Pacino won the Golden Globe Weider were so ahead of their time;
in order to encourage cross-fertilisation. and the Emmy for his performance. equality, inclusion and fairness to all no Steve Lee Jones
Included are: The Coproduction Office, That was a great year. matter their race, creed or sexual
RAI Cinema, Globalgate Entertainment, orientation were the cornerstones of their international interest, so the buyers
Cine Asia, Filmax, Alcatraz Films, Norway’s What is your focus this year? corporate mantra. We are also going to that come to Cannes are in for a unique
Maipo and the German visual effects This year, we are focused on our project announce two important new films, and experience, as Bigger is the first
studio Rise Pictures. Bigger, which is near and dear to us. another that will be my directorial debut. mainstream scripted film about
From Asia, Jeffrey Chan (Bona Film Group, Directed by George Gallo the film stars A dream of mine will be actualised! the world of fitness ever.
Just Creative Studio) will participate, Julianne Hough(Footloose, Dirty Tannaz Anisi at 13 Films is our sales
alongside exhibitor Dadi Film — one Grandpa), Tyler Hoechlin (Fifty Shades How does Cannes help your agent on the film and we think they
of the largest Chinese cinema chains. Freed, Road to Perdition), Tom Arnold, business? are doing a great job.
Dadi operates over 4,000 screens and is DJ Qualls (Amazon’s The Man in the As the international frontrunner of
a growing distributor and content High Castle, Hustle & Flow), Robert quality filmmaking, Cannes provides What other markets/festivals
producer. Other players include WD Forster (London Has Fallen, Showtime’s a wonderful venue for us to showcase do you attend?
Pictures, from the team behind Jackie Twin Peaks), Victoria Justice our film. The film will screen for buyers Sundance, Toronto, SXSW — but
Chan’s Skiptrace. Spire Media from (Nickelodeon’s Victorious). for the very first time and that is super Cannes is something truly special.
veteran producers Chen Lizhi and Claudia Andy Weiss (upcoming White Boy Rick), exciting. The Weider brothers founded
Jiang, who recently co-produced the George Gallo, Brad Furman (The Lincoln The International Federation of Best and worst Festival memories?
Zhang Yimou drama Shadow, and Beijing- Lawyer) and Ellen Brown Furman (The Bodybuilding which has more than 191 Worst are the ones that end up in the
based post house Base (Monster Hunt). Infiltrator) wrote the film that I produced member countries today. In the last five tabloid press, that depict industry folks
A Sino-European Networking Party, with Scott LaStaiti (The Infiltrator, years it has grown exponentially in leaps acting poorly. Rare but memorable.
hosted by the Netherlands and Catalunya Love in the Time of Cholera). and bounds. Social media is full of Best are when a film that has the heart
Film Commissions, will follow on May 12 It’s an elegant looking period piece, pictures of proud physical specimens. and soul of its filmmakers written all
at the Dutch Pavilion.✦ Liza Foreman that is so much more than anyone would It’s in the zeitgeist and it has a VERY over it, wins, and wins big! ✦ LF

Why the film industry needs to know about blockchain

BLOCKCHAIN is the gate to understand SMTP blockchain, I welcome them,” Hyman “I think this question is tough to answer,
a digitised, (Simple Mail Transfer said. “But alas, there’s no easy way because it depends on the ultimate goal
decentralised, Protocol), but one did to truly understand how the internet of our users,” Hyman said. “For some,
public ledger see an entire world rejoice protocol now known as blockchain our technology appeals to investors who
A of transactions in the notion of works, without bringing up words such want to monitor spend and reduce costs
made in cryptocurrencies, transmitting one message as ‘nodes’, ’hashing’ or ‘cryptographic and receive immediate payments.
allowing people to keep to another algorithms’. The best takeaway is that For creatives, IP protection and piracy are
track of digital currency instantaneously,” blockchains enable the immediate primary concerns. At its core, we are
transactions without central said Daniel Hyman, sharing of data and information across providing a framework of technology
record keeping. Vice-President, Entertainment all aspects of a supply chain, and for the that will bring an unprecedented level
originally developed as the SingularDTV’s Finance and Development at industry, that would be the entire chain of efficiency and transparency in
accounting method for Bitcoin, Dan Hyman SingularDTV, a Swiss company of digital distribution of film.” He added: a historically convoluted workflow.
the use of blockchains has since spread that helps filmmakers fundraise, develop “The benefits range from transparency We want filmmakers, producers and
to a number of commercial applications. and distribute using blockchain in accounting, to targeted marketing investors alike to be able, if they so
So WHY is the film industry so keen technology. “We do, however, now live spend, to efficiency for payments and choose, to have confidence and visibility
to understand this very recent in an age of transparency, visibility royalties to settle as quickly as content in every step of the distribution process.
application of digital technology?
is streamed.”
We believe that when that happens,
and communication and with that
©JILL WACHTER FOR SINGULARDTV / DR Blockbuster video chain turned down intricacies of new technology.” the film business and filmmakers in a SingularDTV has joined the Marché du Film’s
Julian Newby
Well, think back 20 years when the
everyone benefits.” ✦
Blockchain technology can help
comes an urge to understand the
number of areas, including IP protection,
In CANNES this year, SingularDTV aims
the chance to acquire Netflix for $50m.
Nobody wants to make mistakes
to go “beyond the hype” by showing
DRM, contracting, micropayments
NEXT programme, which focuses on
technological developments in the industry.
and distribution. But is there one
like that again.
how blockchain can bring added value
The company has scheduled a series of panels
“I find this particular question fascinating
to the film industry, by sharing best
principal role it can play in the industry
and a networking session, starting with
practices in a series of panels.
or does it go across all elements
because when email was first invented,
Blockchain Blockbusters on Wednesday,
one never saw thousands banging at
4 NEWS “For those who want to understand with equal importance? May 9 at 11.30 in the NEXT conference room.