In May of 2024 in France, New Zealand showcased export products, and promoted inbound investment into New Zealand at the largest industry market event of its kind in the world for this particular sector.
The trade mission was attended by industry partners, global conglomerates, foreign government entities and individual businesses looking to partner with New Zealand.
The event is called the Marché du Film or Cannes Film Market. The NZ trade mission was hosted by the New Zealand Film Commission. They do it every year.
Now a lot of people, NZ film industry people included, have a very uninformed view of what goes on at the Cannes Film Market, thinking it’s a rosé-drinking soirée where people swan about at a beachside town on the French Riviera having fun.
Even worse, outfits like the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union are more than uninformed.
The New Zealand Film Commission got slammed by the Taxpapers’ Union for sending four staff to the most important film business market in the world and spending $145,354.81 for the whole thing. Read about it here.
I have been fortunate to attend the Cannes Film Market multiple times, and I can tell you that nobody works harder of all the New Zealanders who attend than the NZFC staff who go there.
They work their butts off helping NZ filmmakers and companies connect with the right people, while promoting our films, locations and industry, and developing and building networks within the international film arena that will benefit us all, both culturally and economically. And a good part of this work is done through the events they host—which are in competition with many other such events going on each day during the market. I believe the funding NZFC puts into the Cannes Film Market is money well spent.
Yes, there is lots of rosé drinking done, and there are lots of parties during the Cannes Film Market as well as all the specific business-focused events. But it is the entertainment industry and it is show business. Nearly all the events in Cannes—and there are hundreds—are mostly done with a purpose: to do film business.
Everybody is on the hussle, 24 hours a day, trying to get deals done across breakfast in the morning, lunch during the day, dinner in the evening, in the meetings and events that are happening all day and night, as well as on the dance floor at 2AM with a glass of champagne in hand at some swanky multi-millionaire’s residence in the hills, or on a luxury yacht in the harbour that you’ve been fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to get invited to. You never know who you are going to meet, when and where, to help get that next project going.
We Create (former Copyright Council), of which DEGANZ is a member, has done a stellar job reframing the NZ creative sector by talking up its economic value as well, so that those in government without a creative bent and understanding can more easily get our industry.
Perhaps as I did at the beginning of this piece, NZFC should rename its festival and market attendances as trade missions for the same reason.
Tui Ruwhiu
Executive Director
Last updated on 29 October 2024
