5 Co-Productions Represent Luxembourg at Cannes Film Festival

Film Fund Luxembourg has reported that the Minister for Culture, Eric Thill, travelled to Cannes from Saturday 18 to Sunday 19 May 2024 to meet professionals in the audiovisual production sector and to participate in the traditional Luxembourg Day.

Five co-productions are representing Luxembourg at this year's Cannes Film Festival, which is taking place from 14 to 25 May 2024. These are: Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light, co-produced by Les Films Fauves (Gilles Chanial) and selected in competition (Palme d'or) at Cannes; Jean-François Lagionie's Slocum et Moi, produced by Melusine Productions (Stéphan Roelants) and selected out of competition (Cinéma de la Plage); Vincent Parronaud and Alexis Ducord's Angelo dans la Forêt Mystérieuse, produced by Zeilt Productions (Laurent Witz) and selected out of competition (Special screening); two virtual reality works produced by Wild Fang Films and featured in the immersive works selection, namely: The Roaming by Mathieu Pradat, co-produced by Hélène Walland, which is selected for competition, and Missing Pictures by Clément Deneux, co-produced by Christian Neuman, which is out of competition.

According to Film Fund Luxembourg, Minister Thill began his recent visit at the Marché du Film where he spoke with those responsible for the pavilions with which Luxembourg maintains close ties, particularly those of Switzerland (country of honour this year), Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Portugal and Quebec. He also visited the Ukraine stand where he reiterated Luxembourg's support for Ukrainian cinema through the European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films of which Film Fund Luxembourg is a part. Minister Thill was then welcomed at the Luxembourg pavilion by about 60 professionals present at the market and representatives of the press.

The minister expressed his "strong support" for all Luxembourg cinema professionals, emphasising the importance of their work for the culture, economy and brand image of the country. He listened to representatives of the sector and reaffirmed his desire for it to continue to evolve. He also highlighted initiatives aimed at developing local talents and promoting diversity in film productions.

Film Fund Luxembourg added that Minister Thill praised this year's Cannes selection with a fiction film in official competition, two animated films in out-of-competition selection and 2 XR works, one of which is in competition: "These films reflect Luxembourg's continued commitment to international film production and co-production, showcasing diverse talents and fruitful collaborations."

The minister announced that an audiovisual conference will take place on 20 September 2024, aimed at developing a strategy and a vision for the development of the sector for the coming years.

Moreover, Minister Thill visited the space dedicated to creative industries where he met with Mathieu Pradat, creator of The Roaming, and Luxembourg producer Hélène Walland. The minister had the opportunity to experience this XR work which is representing Luxembourg in competition at Cannes in the immersive works selection.

On Sunday 19 May 2024, the minister attended a meeting between Belgian and Luxembourg producers aimed at strengthening their links and offering new co-production opportunities at the Luxembourg pavilion. Tina Trapp, representative of EAVE, the continuing education, networking and project development programme for audiovisual producers, also presented the various workshops organised by EAVE to the minister.

Film Fund Luxembourg also noted that Katarzyna Ozga from Iris Productions (Luxembourg) was selected to participate in the 25th edition of the Producers on the Move programme. This tailor-made programme aims to highlight young producers, encourage international co-productions, intensify the exchange of experiences and contribute to the creation of new professional networks.

In collaboration with the LARS (directors and screenwriters) and ACTORS.lu (actors and actresses) associations, Film Fund Luxembourg had awarded a grant to the actresses Clara Hertz, Sarah Boleslava, Valérie Bodson and Anne Brionne, as well as to directors Lukas Grevis, Simon Farmakas, Eric Lamhène and Julien Becker to allow them to participate in the film market and meet the professionals present.