Cannes Remix: New Buyers, Mubi Mystery & Indie Film's Math Reset

Ashley Cullins scooped the eye-popping price Casey Wasserman wants for his company and who might be buying. International correspondent Manori Ravindran wrote about the collapse of NATPE and Realscreen and the Iran war’s impact on Mideast deals and production.

Bonjour! If there’s one thing that can excite even the most pessimistic execs and agents in the movie business, it’s Cannes. The French Riviera fest’s Marché du Film begins today, kicking off the year’s most important season of indie film pacts and packages, which you’ll hear about from both me and my colleague Manori Ravindran today and in our Cannes Daily newsletters starting later this week. We’re on the ground with Prestige Junkie’s Katey Rich at the Croisette’s Armani Caffè, where we’re hosting a series of Croisette Conversations with top names in partnership with Brand Innovators, May 15-17. RSVP here.

Without further adieu — sorry, ado… let’s dive into what dealmakers across the globe have been telling us about why they’re especially optimistic for this Cannes market. Despite no studio tentpole premiere to speak of, they still see it as a must-attend.

“So many people are going — including people that I thought would absolutely not be going because of the current situation,” one corporate dealmaker tells me, nodding to the overlapping geopolitical issues of the moment. As always, there will be side eye not only on which executives show up but also how. Are they focused on business and supporting moviemaking — or yacht parties and step-and-repeats? “I’m really curious to see who goes and who’s very visible,” the dealmaker says.

Meanwhile, the market is expected to be business as usual.

“One thing independent film has always been good at is operating through disruptive times,” UTA independent film agent Alex Brunner says. “We’ll navigate this year like we do every other.”

When it comes to general industry sentiment, the timing couldn’t be better. Thanks to the global success of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Project Hail Mary, Michael and The Devil Wears Prada 2, there’s a renewed sense of optimism that dealmakers say is creating confidence and excitement that will boost Cannes business — even manifest it.

“People are so desperate for good news,” the corporate dealmaker says. “It will be a good Cannes market because people have decided it’s going to be.”

We spoke with global dealmakers including Brunner, Sheppard Mullin’s Bob Darwell, Highland Film Group’s Todd Olsson, Signature Entertainment’s Marc Goldberg, Altitude Film Sales’ Mike Runagall and many others about what to expect this time around.

From our market preview, you’ll learn:

The current view of Neon, A24 and Mubi and what to expect on the ground
Which U.S. distributors are fighting to become the splashy new players
12 of the buzziest market films, from OpenAI’s animated project Critterz to — naturally — a Jason Statham thriller
Why European distributors find themselves “twisting in the wind” as dealmaking gets more ruthless
The Streaming Wars wound still festering with many international buyers
Why cheap, clever genre plays will always sell
The blessing and curse of big star power for indies
The indie budget price that hits the “sweet spot”