By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
CANNES, France (AP) --The party, stocked with pretty people and schmoozing filmmakers, looked like any other at the Cannes Film Festival except for the neon lights on the wall that glowed "Amazon Studios."
Cannes has been a coming-out party for the upstart digital distributor, which feted its big year at a soiree Sunday night. Amazon Studios has five films at the festival, including the opener Woody Allen's 1930s Hollywood romance "Cafe Society" and three films in competition for the Palme d'Or: Jim Jarmusch's well-received blue-collar poet drama "Paterson," Park Chan-wook's sumptuous gothic thriller "The Handmaiden" and Nicolas Winding Refn's fashion-world horror film "The Neon Demon," which premieres Friday.
Though the increasingly ubiquitous Amazon has been a growing player at other film festivals, it's robust presence at Cannes – the most hallowed celebration of cinema – has the feel of a baptism.
It hasn't been without hiccups, though. The premiere of "Cafe Society" might have been a crowning moment for Amazon, which paid $15 million for the film's rights. But opening day headlines were largely overshadowed by Ronan Farrow's renewal of accusations against his father for sexually abusing his sister, Dylan, when she was 7.
Allen has maintained his innocence. But the resurrected uproar poses potential problems for Amazon, which has warmly embraced the 80-year-old filmmaker. Later this year it will debut a six-episode series from Allen.
Farrow's recent column caused many film reporters to declare that they wouldn't see or write about any more projects from Allen. In Cannes, the actress Susan Sarandon said frankly Sunday in Cannes: "I think he sexually assaulted a child and I don't think that's right."
Amazon Studios declined to comment.
Last year in Cannes, the new digital heavyweight on the Croisette was Netflix. It found turbulence of a different kind on its touchdown in Cannes. At a talk by Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content office, a French reporter cried out that Netflix will "destroy the film ecosystem in Europe."
But whereas Netflix has sought to disrupt the traditional theatrical window with day-and-date releases like Cary Fukunaga's "Beasts of No Nation" and Adam Sandler comedies, Amazon has charted a different course that hasn't roused the same anxieties for cinephiles in France and elsewhere.
Amazon has instead sought to pair with independent theatrical distributors, content to have movies hit its streaming service three months later – the traditional rollout, just with Amazon taking the first window in home release.
Such an approach not only has benefit for Amazon (theatrical release is still easily the biggest marketing splash for a movie) but it appeals to the kinds of filmmakers Amazon has pursued and landed: directors who want their films on the big screen, too.
Amazon's top executives – chief Roy Price, a former Walt Disney Co. executive; production head Ted Hope, a veteran producer; and distribution head Bob Berney, former chief of Picturehouse – are all well-known and respected names in the business.
They have thus far targeted auteur directors and films without huge commercial upside, including Spike Lee's "Chi-raq" (which debuted in December as the studio's first release), Todd Solondz's upcoming "Wiener Dog" and Whit Stillmans' "Love & Friendship," a movie acquired in Cannes last year. The Jane Austen adaptation opened on four screens in New York and Los Angeles last weekend, grossing $132,750.
By pairing with such filmmakers, Amazon Studios is signaling – to moviegoers as well as to other filmmaking talent – that they're serious about cinema. The studio plans somewhere in the neighborhood of 12-15 films annually that will bolster Amazon's subscription service. Amazon Prime, also home to a growing stable of TV series including Jill Soloway's "Transparent," was recently made available as a stand-alone service.
And Amazon's pockets are deep. It plunked down $10 million for Kenneth Lonergan's Sundance hit "Manchester by the Sea," which has been slated for this fall. In Cannes, it's been a busy buyer, acquired Lynne Ramsay's Joaquin Phoenix thriller "You Were Never Really Here" and Mike Leigh's period drama "Peterloo."
Other young distributors like STX Entertainment and A24 have also been active in the market at Cannes. But several directors who have signed up with Amazon have praised Amazon as a savior to independent film. Refn has said theirs was the best offer he's ever received. Jarmusch reminded reporters of the wider climate for indie filmmakers.
"Financing our film was quite difficult and complicated," said Jarmusch, who cobbled together financing from Amazon, Germany's K5 and France's Le Pacte. "But in the end … we were able to make this film in the way we wanted to. But, yeah, it's rough out there."
SCHROM x Yacht Club and Be Electric Studios Launch Electric XR for Virtual Production
SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More