About

It all began with just a tent on a roof!

The very first Marché du Film took place in 1959 in a tiny canvas screening room perched on the roof of the old Palais Croisette.

It was the 13th edition of the Festival de Cannes, the very first international cultural event to launch in the post-war period that soon became an unmissable event for film industry professionals.

In that little canvas screening room, a few dozen Festival attendees saw the growing influence of the Festival and wanted to help film industry professionals meet and do business against the backdrop of the buzzing atmosphere of the Festival.

The Marché du Film was born.

An Event Ahead of Its Time

When it first launched, the Marché du Film was an entirely new step for the film industry, creating an inspirational environment that encouraged professionals to up their business game. The conditions for working, screening films and meeting other professionals were much like the Festival itself: flexible and easy-going. People swapped business cards and projects took off.

Over the years, the Marché du Film and the Festival de Cannes formed two sides of a single coin to become a key global event for the world of cinema.

The Marché du Film Today

Over 14,000 film industry professionals head to Cannes each year to present and discover almost 4,000 films and projects in development at 33 screening venues.

Fueled by this success, the Marché has expanded since the turn of the century. The Riviera and Lérins exhibition halls form a hub around the world-famous Palais des Festivals and the Village International has become the top venue for promoting films from all over the world.

What’s Next?

As a leading global film industry organization, the Marché du Film takes a rigorous approach in adapting to the expectations of industry professionals worldwide and to emerging economic, technological and creative film trends.

Its overall aim remains unchanged since its early days: to help guarantee the flourishing growth of film.

The Marché du Film at Large: Ventana Sur

The Marché du Film and the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts  (INCAA) launched in 2008 Ventana Sur, which became the most important market of audiovisual content in Latin America.

This market brings together all the different players from the audiovisual industry to promote international co-production, financing and distribution of Latin American content.

A key market place

At the heart of the world's most prestigious film festival, the Marché du Film welcomes participants from all over the world every year. To date, it represents the largest international gathering of professionals in the film industry.

4,000 Films & Projects

14,000 Participants

140 Countries

33 Venues

1 unique SETTING AT FESTIVAL DE CANNES