The 2026 film market highlights its expanded innovation programming, showcasing generative AI, virtual production, immersive works, and the “creator economy” with enhanced features for hands-on experiences and more efficient business opportunities.
Ahead of its upcoming edition from 12 to 20 May 2026, the Marché du Film reaffirms its position as the premier hub where creativity, technology and the film industry converge.
Building on its established initiatives and expanding them for 2026, the Marché will continue to showcase how emerging technologies and bold storytelling approaches are reshaping creation, production, and distribution practices. This year, participants will have even greater opportunities to connect with the most advanced innovations driving the film industry, through Cannes Next and its Village Innovation, the Immersive Competition and Market, the “AI for Talent” and “Creator Economy” summits, and a new online experience by Cinando.
The Village Innovation returns with XL virtual production demo stage
Following last year’s successful debut, the Village Innovation returns to the Pantiero side of the Village International, serving again as the main hub for Cannes Next, the Marché du Film’s innovation-focused program. Spanning over 1,000 m² with a panoramic view of the Port of Cannes, the venue will offer a richer experience, including hand-on virtual production demonstrations on the largest VP stage ever presented at a film market. It will also feature office spaces for tech companies and startups, a curated program of top-tier conferences, and a dedicated terrace designed for networking.
The second edition of the “AI for Talent Summit”
The AI for Talent Summit returns for an enhanced edition. Now held over two mornings (Friday 15 and Saturday 16 May) and by invitation only for top executives from the film and tech sectors, the summit will bring together leading tech companies and creative talent to explore the latest real-world applications of AI in creative and business processes. This year, the event will focus on three key themes: integrating AI into production workflows, the ethical & responsible use of AI, and education. Featuring concrete examples, participants will leave with actionable insights to apply AI in their own projects. A lineup of high-level speakers will be announced soon.
The Immersive Market expands to the Carlton Hotel and introduces new demo space
The Immersive Market will be hosted at the Carlton Hotel alongside the Festival de Cannes’ Immersive Competition, which takes a new turn this year. It will introduce the first competition of its kind at a major international festival, designed specifically for shared audience experiences, in a newly reconfigured space able to host 80 to 225 participants simultaneously. All selected works will be presented in rotation within this versatile 450m² venue, designed to showcase a wide range of formats from cutting-edge VR experiences to large-scale video mapping.
The Immersive Market will also use this new space to provide the 150 selected immersive producers and catalog holders an optimal environment to project live demos of their works to 90 leading distributors and curators. Running alongside the 11-day Immersive Competition, the Market aims to be the most efficient platform for location-based immersive distribution, featuring high-impact pitching sessions, curated networking events, and concrete business opportunities.
Introducing the market’s first Creator Economy Summit
For the first time in Cannes, the Marché will host its Creator Economy Summit, exploring opportunities at the intersection of traditional cinema and the “creator economy.” As digital content creators expand into long-form storytelling and film production, this summit will present a comprehensive overview of how the two worlds connect – from adapting digital IP into cinematic projects and scouting emerging talent, to engaging audiences that drive communities to theaters and exploring innovative marketing strategies.
The Marché du Film’s new online platform by Cinando
Cinando, the industry’s essential database and networking platform created by the Marché du Film, relaunched earlier this year with smarter tools and enhanced features. The Marché du Film Online platform, created in 2020 for remote participants, will now fully migrate to Cinando’s rebuilt system. Now operating as Marché du Film by Cinando, the evolved platform will bring together online screenings, live and catch-up conference videos, and networking tools within a single, unified “market environment” – offering a seamless and intuitive experience for sales agents, buyers and professionals worldwide.
We advocate innovation that serves both artistic creativity and the growth of the industry as a whole.” says Executive Director Guillaume Esmiol. “At the Marché, we are dedicated to supporting and driving innovation, from technological advances that have continuously reshaped how films are conceived, produced, and distributed, to a broader mindset that reimagines business models, partnerships, and relationships.”
The Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes opens its doors on 12 May 2026, with the film market running until 20 May and the Festival concluding its activities on 23 May.