Over the past three years (2008 coverage and 2009 coverage and 2010 coverage) DT has given you an insider's look at the films and politics of the Cannes Film festival from the perspective of our Penn in Cannes program correspondents.

This year DT correspondent Jonah Stern (C'13) recently returned from the 2011 Cannes film festival with coverage of this year's winner and loser films plus more! A local Philadelphian, Jonah aspires to one day enter the film industry and, hopefully, become a very successful filmmaker.

After the jump check out Jonah's coverage on:

• difficulty getting into movie screenings
• the good films
• some (highly marketed) big films to avoid
• hobnobbing with celebrities and what Faye Dunaway said to Jonah(!)
• advice from 4 Penn Hollywood alumni about the business

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All last week, I posted about Brian Tran's (W'10) inside scoop of his time at the Penn in Cannes Program.

 As our final "Cannes" post, Julie Blanc (W'12), another one of my great DT correspondents fills us in on advice given this year from Penn alumni:

-Rick Hess (C'84, Head of Creative Artist Agency’s Film Finance Group)
-Geoffrey Gilmore (C'74, Director of Tribeca Film Festival)
-and Penn parent Jeff Berg (Chairman, CEO of ICM)

Click HERE to read on about their advice including:

• what the key is to succeeding in this business
• what the entertainment industry is looking for in its next generation of employees
• why now is a great time to break into the film business

"Imagine a workday where meetings start at 8 a.m. Within a few hours, you have spoken with representatives from just about every continent. Every evening dressed in black tie attire, you attend two to three film screenings, and finish negotiations at 4 a.m. Wake up in four hours and be ready to do it again-for two weeks straight, all the while being in the beautiful South of France. That is what the Cannes Film Festival is like for those involved on the business side, like Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of International Creative Management Jeff Berg. On the surface, this international gathering at the Côte d'Azur offers a chance to bask in the sun, relax on yachts, see beautiful people, and watch groundbreaking films. The serenity of this beach city is just a mirage-for those on the inside of the industry it is non-stop hustle and bustle. The schedule is grueling for these twelve days because Cannes is at the epicenter of the entertainment world. This is one of the only times annually that everyone congregates in one spot, so all of the companies need to maximize each day to meet their goals.

One of the personal highlights of the Penn-in-Cannes program for me was the opportunity to meet with prominent figures of the entertainment industry connected to Penn. All self made success stories Jeff Berg, Geoff Gilmore (C'74), and Rick Hess (C'84) offered advice on the current state of the industry as reflected by the film festival, opportunities for change, and how we as Penn students can get our foot into the door of this exciting industry.

Our first meeting was with Jeff Berg; his expertise in his field was immediately evident for he had such a prevailing presence. He emphasized how the Cannes Film Festival is unique- it is truly the most important international film gathering for marketing, financial, business, and creative people. His description of his jam-packed schedule said it all-I was out of breath just after hearing it! Unfortunately, the global financial crisis has also hit the entertainment industry hard as fewer companies sent representatives to Cannes this year and several top banks have closed their doors to media lending. The world of film is interconnected, and he showed how important it is to “make money for your partners”-relationships are fundamental to this business. We were so fortunate to get the chance to speak with Mr. Berg during two of the busiest weeks of his profession. Eyes of the students lit up when he mentioned what the industry is looking for in the next generation of employees: individuals with an understanding of old media with new media skills. Media aficionados-take notes.

Our second meeting was with Penn alum Mr. Geoff Gilmore (C'74), former director of the Sundance Film Festival and current director of the Tribeca Film Festival. He discussed the effect of film festivals on the independent film industry from a creative and economic standpoint. The film market place is officially saturated as too many films have been produced in the past few years-everyone wants their shot at becoming a recognized filmmaker. This only makes it harder for films to succeed and make a splash. However, recently, another factor has come into the equation: the changing nature of media. Mr. Gilmore pointed out that the new generation watches film or television mostly on computers. Youtube and Google are becoming platforms for anyone in the world to publish a film. Mr. Gilmore asked the question facing everyone in broadcasting today, how do we capitalize on the Internet, the so-called “promised land”?  Mr. Gilmore was very blunt and honest about the business. It was important to hear his realistic perspective, because even though things may be broken right now, it is actually a great time to break into the business and make a change.

Penn alum Rick Hess (C'84) confirmed that this truly is a business of passion. His enthusiasm and love of movies shined through his upbeat voice and demeanor. There is no one set formula to getting an “in” to entertainment- every path is distinctive. His entrepreneurial spirit was evident, as he has had his hand in producing and is now the new head of Creative Artist Agency’s Film Finance Group. While at Penn, he read all of the materials Van Pelt had to offer on the history of the movie business and encouraged us to do the same. Our excitement for the industry needs to be consistent with our desire to learn about it. He told us to never accept “no” and to persevere. Meeting these three men with multifaceted careers and impressive resumes in entertainment demonstrated the diversity of opportunities this industry has to offer. Jeff Berg, Geoff Gilmore, and Rick Hess have successfully mastered the balance between extensive knowledge in art and culture with business savvy. These Penn alum made it happen-now go out and make your mark."

+ Read what advice these 3 above gave to Penn undergrads LAST YEAR!
+ All DT 2009 Penn in Cannes posts
+ All DT 2008 Penn in Cannes posts
+ More advice from Penn alumni in the biz from the 2008 Penn in Pictures (VIDEOS!)

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Earlier this week, we saw videos from Laura Mac (C'89) who will be celebrating her 20th reunion this weekend.

Two more alumni of note (authors!) will be back on campus respectively celebrating their 25th and 10th reunions.

• Penn Alum and author Marie (Busterna) Lamba (C'84) will be back on campus this weekend celebrating her 25th reunion, as well as doing a book signing for her young adult novel WHAT I MEANT... this Saturday May 16th from 2-:4:30 pm at the Penn Bookstore (3601 Walnut Street)
  

WHAT I MEANT, which Publisher’s Weekly has called “an impressive debut,” is set in Doylestown and Philadelphia and is about a 15 year old girl, her mysterious guy, her Indian dad, her American mom, her evil aunt, and tons of drama and laughs.

Marie says she owes much of who she is today to her time at Penn. “I took tons of writing courses in college, and that, combined with my experiences as a student there, really helped shape me as a writer, and it influenced my novel as well.” The Philadelphia scenes in What I Meant… are drawn from her freshman year at Penn. “My teen character winds up stuck in Philly at night, completely lost and shook up. Kind of like me in my first year of college. I, too, was a small town girl who had a lot to learn about cities and about myself.”

Find out HERE how Marie got her start, got published and her advice to you on becoming an author!

Marie's website HERE

• 
  Rachel Skerritt (C'99, GSE '99) will also be doing a signing and discusion of her book WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN at the Penn Bookstore on Saturday 5/1 at 3:30 pm.
  
  Read my post I did about Rachel HERE and learn how she leads a double life as a high school principal and novelist!
  
  What inspired Rachel to start writing? ...Which famous Penn alumni have been mentors to her? ...And what are her tips to YOU? The answers got me chuckling... Find out more here!
  
  

Other Penn authors HERE




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So far this week Felisha Liu (W'09) shared some of the good, bad and disappointing films she saw at Cannes, and how she managed to score tickets to films through the art of begging.

Today, she tells us about the 2 Penn alumni and 1 Penn parent Hollywood power players she met in Cannes!

Click here to find out who they are and the inside advice they dished out!

Check back to find out from Felisha what it's like to get caught up in the frenzy of Cannes.


Read Part 1: Penn in Cannes: The Good, The Bad, and The Disappointing
Read Part 2: Penn in Cannes: Begging and Tips For Scoring You Tickets & Access


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Per Felisha:

"Penn Alumni are everywhere, including in all facets of the entertainment industry.

Through the Penn in Cannes program we had the privilege of meeting 2 successful Hollywood Penn alumni and 1 accomplished Penn parent in Cannes.

---

Rick Hess (C'84): Head of Creative Artists Agency Film Finance Group

Rick Hess (C'84) visited the class at the College International dormitory, and was happily surprised to remember that he had stayed in the same dorm decades earlier.

Despite his role as the head of Creative Artists Agency Film Finance Group, Rick Hess has never lost his charming personality and developed quick rapport with the class. The names he dropped during the lecture were A-listers such as Will Smith and George Clooney. It was exciting to hear insider stories about the celebrities at the Festival and made the experience more personal.

Rick explained Jada Pinkett Smith’s directorial debut in The Human Contract and the promotion that went behind promoting the movie. Will Smith flew in from the States to host the premiere party and shake hands with every distribution contact he could find. According to Rick, most stars do not work as hard and aren’t as passionate to their projects. But Will Smith has the magic touch and everything he is associated with turns into success. His recent film, The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), grossed over $300 million in worldwide sales. Much of the success is due to Will’s charisma and the public’s willingness to support his career.

---

Geoffrey Gilmore (C'74) Director of the Sundance Film Festival

Geoffrey Gilmore (C'74, Penn in Pictures 2002 panelist), Director of the Sundance Film Festival, also came to the College International to talk about his role in shaping the second most important film festival in the world.

More so than in Cannes, the Sundance Film Festival is all about the acquisition of films. The international community convenes at the festival to conduct business on distribution rights. Oftentimes a film is parceled off into different regions and distribution rights can be held by various countries in different regions. The United States is the hardest region to enter because of the monopolization of Hollywood offerings. It is very hard for international cinema to infiltrate U.S. theaters, other than at Indie theaters.

The production of independent and mainstream films is handled very differently. Great writing drives independent films and the content is of utmost importance for a movie’s success. As a result, the product is often more creative and groundbreaking. In contrast, mainstream films are driven by market demands. There tends to be a template for blockbusters that Hollywood follows which can seem repetitive and overdone. But since the formula works at the box office, Hollywood is hesitant to stray from the tested model.

Without a doubt, Indie films are more creative. But oftentimes, they expect too much out of the audience. Movies are a great way to relax and forget about the stresses of the week. For the American public, it is much more pleasing to shut out stresses and just enjoy the movie. The film may not be amazing, but the common moviegoer isn’t looking for the next new thing. They like familiarity and comfort, as opposed to leaving the theater confused.

I agree that Indie films have stronger character and better messages, but perhaps only the true film enthusiasts can appreciate the work. Perhaps expecting the common audience to figure out gaps in plot and to wade through artistic license is too much to ask. International films face detachment from the American audience. Subtitles and dubbing are a huge deterrent to wide American distribution. People say Americans are lazy, and when it comes to wading through 2 hours of subtitles, I wholeheartedly agree. Unless English is spoken on screen, international films face huge hurdles in American theaters.

---

Jeff Berg (Penn Parent): Chairman, CEO of ICM

While waiting in the hallway outside of Jeff Berg’s (Penn parent) hotel suite at the illustrious Carlton Hotel, I began to realize how important this man was. His staff greeted us inside of the classy suite and we piled around the living room with its huge bay-window view of the Mediterranean Sea. Jeff, Chairman & CEO of International Creative Management agency (ICM), explained the dichotomy of the Festival de Cannes...

The more visible parts of the event are the red carpet premieres, movie stars, and hundreds of screenings. But the important people in the industry are working feverishly in meeting rooms throughout the French Riviera, broking multi-million dollar deals. They take advantage of Cannes as an international gathering place, using the Festival as a platform for everyone in the global industry to assemble together and conduct meetings on distribution rights.


...As I am learning more about the business of film, I am considering career opportunities making use of my business background. There is no business like show business, and I would surely like to be a part of it in the future."

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