Report Cannes 2000
Report Cannes 2001
Report On Portobello Film & Video Festival @ Cannes 2001


Thanks to Kensington & Chelsea Community Education and Cannes Twinning Department the Portobello Film Festival were lucky to put in a second consecutive appearance in the British Pavilion at this years Cannes Film Festival.


Programme


Once again between 2pm and 5pm we showed a different programme every day selected from our archive of over 1500 films from the past six years of the festival. At 5pm we offered an open screen for British film makers to show their new wok on. Please find a programme attached.


Contacts

Among the movie industry people at the Festival cheking out our screenings included the Film Council, the British Council, the Welsh Film Authority, Film Four and Steven Speilberg ! Our biggest crowd was for the FA Cup Final. . .not as whimsical as it sounds because we had a huge banner beside the screen promoting the festival, the twinning of Kensington & Chelsea, Community Education and our sponsors Time Out, JVC and Smile Megascreens.


Event Management


Again this was an unparralled practical experience in event management for Jonathan Barnett, Ray Myndiuk, Alison McCoubrey and Festival Prizewinners who paid their on way Saloum N'je and Cassius Rayner learning how the industry works at the sharp end.


European Connections

We made contacts with other film Festivals in America and Europe and will be applying for Eurofunding for collaboration with other European Festivals.

London Links

Many films were handed in for this years Portobello Film Festival. We made good contacts with other London film organisations like Peeping Toms and the Film Exchange.


Un Bon Jumelage

We had excellent dialogues with the Hotel De Ville and Cannes Cinema Le Forum (who got us tickets for many films in the competition including Jean Luc Godards «Eloge D1Amour» which especially impressed programmer Ray Myndiuk). Laurence Fournier and Agnes Popon from the Cannes Town Hall came to visit us and we discussed the Megascreen project which we hope to see some progress on now.


The Way Forward


Cannes Market News magazine carried a story on us highlighting distribution possiblities. New multi media is a hungry beast constantly demandind fodder. With our unique and respected position and our ever growing archive in the independent, mostly „youth“ film world several people suggested distribution to terrestrial, satellite, cable and internet distribution as a way forward for us.

Many thanks to the Royal Borough of Kensingon and Chelsea for continuing to support us and to Sister Anne-Pierre of Lochabair for looking after us at The Order Of The Assumption during our stay.


Jonathan Barnett
( 23 May 2001)