Cannes’ Marché du Film is set to run alongside the Cannes Film Festival from July 6-15, and will open registrations on March 15.
Last year, the Cannes film market was held online in June while the festival had to cancel its edition due to the pandemic.
“After a 2020 online edition as challenging as it was successful, we’re thrilled to welcome you back onsite this July in Cannes … so we can all celebrate global cinema together again” said the Cannes Marché in a release.
Cannes’ Directors Fortnight also announced earlier today (Jan. 28) that it would be moving the sidebar to July to run parallel to the festival, which is when it traditionally takes place.
Cannes Film Festival was initially scheduled to run May 11-22, but those dates didn’t seem feasible as France is on the verge of a new lockdown in order to cope with the second wave of COVID-19.
The Cannes Marché du Film ranks as the world’s biggest film market and is a crucial component of the festival as it brings together film industry players, including distributors, filmmakers, producers from across the globe.
The Marché du Film will likely be announcing some hybrid initiatives to accommodate professionals who won’t be able to attend due to travel or health restrictions.
Last year’s edition, which was fully virtual, attracted more than 10,002 participants over the course of five days. The U.S. had the largest delegations, with 1,500 participants. As many as 3,500 films and projects were presented or pitched at the market, and more than 200 virtual networking events and conferences were organized.
