Cannes Docs, Marché du Film – Festival de #Cannes offers multiple opportunities to all professionals working with creative documentary, with particular focus on sales agents and top international festival programmers.

With its 2020 edition occurring 12-21 May 2020, Modern Times Review spoke with the head of Cannes Docs, Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes, #Pierre-Alexis Chevit#.

Can you give us some insight into Cannes Docs history? How does it place into the wider scope of the Cannes Film Festival?

Cannes Docs is an initiative of Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes. It is one of its thematic programs, alongside Cannes XR, Producers Network, Animation Day, and many more. First, there was #Doc Brunch#, which was launched back in 2010, then in 2012 the #Doc Corner# was created. It started out modest in size and scope, but the whole program expanded continuously, offering more opportunities and gathering an ever-growing number of decision-makers from the documentary scene. This year, Doc Corner becomes Cannes Docs, expressing our desire to deghettoize the craft of documentary filmmaking and its entire community, making sure they are fully embraced by Cannes’ fundamental raison d’être: cinema.

Ultimately, what is your ambition with the Cannes Docs event? How do you see its evolution and future?

I see it continuing to expand qualitatively, little by little, working on refining the content we have to offer to documentary film professionals, and basically trying to be better and better at meeting their needs. Beyond that, Cannes Docs’ substantive challenge will probably be to really make the most of its first and foremost characteristic: taking place at the very core of the world’s number one festival and market dedicated to the art of filmmaking.

Can you discuss some «highlights» of the 2020 Cannes Docs program?

Cannes Docs offers a mix of exhibitors, workshops, panels, presentations, speed-meetings, and consultations with decision-makers, experts or potential co-producers, and an extensive series of showcases of docs-in-progress from #Chile, #Norway, #Italy, #Canada, #Argentina, New Zealand, and more. The program also includes #Doc Day#, our main event – this year on Tuesday, May 19th –, a full day of keynotes, panel discussions, and masterclasses, featuring inspiring doc filmmakers in selection at Cannes and high-level industry executives, plus the not-to-be-missed Doc Lovers Mixer and a closing screening.

What was your first introduction to the documentary genre? Do you have a seminal documentary film?

I’d say my love for docs has been – and will keep on being – an ongoing, gradual construction. So no seminal documentary film per se, but I do remember having been quite touched by Ivens and Marker’s À Valparaíso. Loved it even more after having been to Valparaíso myself, a few years later! Actually, I saw and loved a lot of short docs around the time I was finishing my studies, as a programmer for a great open-air short film festival in Paris, Silhouette. Then came along two key moments/places in my understanding of the power of docs: the «documentary village» of Lussas, France – truly a one of a kind place on the doc-lovers planet –, and #Cinéma du réel#, in Paris. I vividly recall the first time I programmed and hosted Q&As for Cinéma du réel, in 2011, how exciting and fulfilling it all was, getting to discover beautiful films (lots of first or second features) and meet great young filmmakers, like The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye by Marie Losier, Li Ké Terra by Filipa Reis, João Miller Guerra and Nuno Baptista, Voir ce que devient l’ombre by Matthieu Chatellier…

How do you see the genre of documentary trending in the next decade, or so?

I see the genre’s remarkable momentum going on for some time, fueled by the streamers’ interest for documentaries and by the audience’s craving, as well as by the impact docs wave – surely a purposeful and sustainable way to foster production and creativity while crucially raising awareness on numerous urgent challenges of our time. That being said, I think we absolutely must remain attentive to defending, preserving, and strengthening everything which allows a secure and long-lasting diversity of forms, aesthetics, and narratives. It’s vital, and it means advocating to sanctuarize public funding, among other stances. Just like we need to support independent distributors and exhibitors, and treasure the cinema-going experience!