Powerful Storytelling Transcends the Glamour of Cannes

• Technicolor teams worked on eleven diverse films screening at Cannes across major festival categories.
• Five films are Official Selections in Competition for the Palme d'or, the highest prize awarded at Cannes.
• Marcie Jastrow, SVP of Immersive Media, Technicolor and Head of the Technicolor Experience Center, presents on several speaking slots.

Now celebrating 70 years, the Cannes Film Festival remains one of the most esteemed film festivals in the world. It has long been a showcase for many of the industry’s leading independent filmmakers, honoring them with global premieres, prestigious awards, and official selections.

Technicolor and its VFX studio Mikros worked on a number of the selections in this year’s festival, a combined total of 11 films in and out of competition. Though their work covers a wide variety of projects, it’s always focused on letting the diverse and provocative subject matter and storytelling shine through.

“This year’s selection of films,” noted Gilles Gaillard, Managing Director at Mikros, “is a very rich representation of Technicolor and Mikros’ commitment to serving many of the great globally-based independent filmmakers. With representative films in all the major festival categories, including the Opening Night presentation of Arnaud Desplechin’s Ismaël’s Ghosts (Les Fantômes d'Ismaël), it is our honor to be a part of Cannes’ 70th edition.”

Here’s a quick look at the films worked on by Technicolor and/or Mikros, a Technicolor company, across the major categories at Cannes, in addition to the aforementioned Opening Night film.

There are five films in Competition for the Palme d'or, the highest prize awarded on the last day of the festival to the best film among the 2017 Official Selections:

• Happy End, directed by Michael Haneke; Technicolor collaborated with the director previously on his 2012 Palme d'or winning film, Amour (Love).
• Rodin, directed by Jacques Doillon; this biopic tells the story of the master sculptor who gave us The Thinker.
• 120 Battements Par Minute (120 Beats Per Minute), chronicles the birth of the AIDS activist ACT UP movement in France; Technicolor’s work continues a long-term relationship with the director Robin Campillo.
• Hikari (Radiance), continues Technicolor’s close relationship with the Japanese director Naomi Kawase and producers at Comme des Cinémas.
• Le Redoutable (Redoubtable), from the Academy Award-winning director of The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius; here he pays tribute to the leading French filmmaker of an earlier generation, Jean-Luc Godard.

Un Certain Regard, the second most prestigious category at Cannes, finds two more films Technicolor teams collaborated on selected to be screened:

• L’Atélier (The Workshop), directed by Laurent Cantet, whom Technicolor worked with previously on his 2008 Palme d’or winning film The Class (Entre les murs).

• Las Hijas de Abril (April’s Daughter), directed by Michel Franco, one of Mexico’s most prominent independent directors, who won best screenplay for Chronic at Cannes in 2015.

Rounding out the list are three additional films Technicolor teams worked on in these other categories:

• Premieres: D'après Une Histoire Vraie (Based on a True Story), directed by Roman Polanski.

• Director’s Fortnight (49^th edition selection): Mobile Homes, directed by Vladimir de Fortenay.

• La Semaine de la Critique (56^th edition selection): Une Vie Violente (A Violent Life), directed by Thierry de Peretti (special screening).

The event also casts light on the future of entertainment, such as this year’s Immersive Summit, which features Technicolor’s Marcie Jastrow, Senior VP of Immersive Media & Head of the Technicolor Experience Center (TEC). Additionally, Marcie will contribute to HP’s presence at the festival by presenting a keynote and involvement on panels.

Friday, May 19, 2017, 9:40am
The Technology Revolution: Monetizing on Innovation in the Film Business
InterContinental Carlton Hotel

Tuesday, May 23, 2017, 9:00am
HP Keynote Presentation / Future of Film Panel
HP Studio @ the Majestic Hotel

For a look at the full program and to download a screenings guide, visit the Cannes Film Festival official site.