Cannes Festival
Created in 1939, the Cannes Film Festival is held annually over twelve days in May. In addition to the festival's official selection, which includes films in and out of competition, various sections have emerged over the years, such as the Quinzaine des Cinéastes, Cinéfondation, Semaine de la critique and Un certain regard.
Initially designed to reward the best film (Grand Prix), the best director (Prix de la mise en scène) and the best actor and actress (Prix d'interprétation masculine and feminine) in the international competition, the festival later saw the introduction of other distinctions awarded by a jury made up of professionals, artists and intellectuals. These include the Jury Prize and, above all, the prestigious Palme d'Or.
Born in 1959 during the 13th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, the Marché du Film emerged in a small projection room on the roof of the old Palais Croisette. This event was the first post-war international cultural event, rapidly becoming the essential meeting point for cinema professionals. It was in this vibrant, festive atmosphere that the Marché du Film was born.
Le Cannes Film Market is one of the biggest film markets in the world, with over 30,000 professionals accredited each year. The Luxembourg film industry is represented with a Pavilion organised by the Film Fund Luxembourg.
The Marché du Film is an innovation for the film industry: it creates an inspiring environment that encourages emulation between professionals. The conditions for working, screening and exchanging ideas are in the image of the Cannes Festival, both flexible and free. Business cards are exchanged and projects come to life. Forming two sides of the same coin, the Marché du Film and the Cannes Festival have established themselves over the years as the key meeting place for all cinemas. Today, the Marché du Film attracts more than 12,500 film professionals from 121 countries to present and discover nearly 4,000 films and projects in 33 screening rooms. Building on this success, the Market expanded in the 2000s with the opening of the Riviera and Lérins, forming a hub structured around the famous Palais des Festivals and the International Village, a showcase for all the world's cinema.
The Film Fund Luxembourg is present at the Film Market - first with a stand in 1999 - and, since 2003, with a pavilion located in the International Village which welcomes under its umbrella a large number of representatives of the Luxembourg audiovisual sector from associations of producers, directors, actors and technicians. The Film Fund Luxembourg manages the pavilion and promotes Luxembourg cinema while meeting the needs of Luxembourg producers and talent taking part in the festival. It also organises its "Luxembourg Day" in the presence of one of its supervisory ministers and the press, which traditionally ends with a meeting between Luxembourg professionals and international partners.
The Cannes Market, where films are bought, sold and financed, is one of the world's leading film markets and is reserved for film industry professionals. Access to the market requires accreditation. Information about applying for accreditation under the Luxembourg pavilion umbrella can be sent to promotion@filmfund.etat.lu.
Luxembourg to attend the Cannes Festival in 2025
