Companies attending Lyon’s International Classic Film Market include Paramount, Park Circus, Studiocanal and Warner Bros., which will walk an audience through the re-release of Ken’s Russell’s 'The Devils' LYON, France — Classic film markets are ever more international and so is the International Classic Film Market (MIFC), part of Lyon’s Lumière Festival and one of the world’s very rare business meets and marts for the heritage film business. Equally, classic films are commanding ever larger audiences, especially among younger cinema goers. Both trends look set to play out at this year’s MIFC, which unspools in Lyon over Oct.13-16.
In highlights at this year’s Classic Film market, Paramount’s Charlotte Barker will join Park Circus CEO Douglas Davis for a panel on the “Anglo-Saxon” model for classic-film distribution and rights. Wearing multiple hats, Paolo Moretti, head of ECAL university’s cinema department, Geneva’s Grütli Cinemas and Fondazione Prada’s Film Fund, will take part in a special conversation. Spencer Collantes, VP of Clockwork, Warner Bros.’ specialty film division, will present a case study on re-releasing Ken Russell’s controversial 1971 film “The Devils.” As part of its regular work connecting national film industries with buyers, distributors and programmers, the MIFC is spotlighting Greece as its country of honor and Taiwanese cinema in a dedicated Focus.
As Greece takes center stage at the MIFC, its government is rolling out a €750 million ($840 million) Greece On Screen plan that supports production and distribution while also putting money into preserving, digitizing and restoring the country’s film heritage. The Taiwan Focus builds on years of restoration and international circulation through cinemas, television and DVD/Blu-ray, as local rights holders, the government and international distributors work to bring more of the country’s film heritage back into circulation. Now heading into its 14th edition alongside the Lumière Film Festival, run by Cannes chief Thierry Frémaux, the MIFC remains relatively small but occupies a unique position as a marketplace devoted entirely to classic and heritage film.
One of its key achievements has been to give key players a permanent meeting point each October in Lyon, says MIFC co-head Anaïs Desrieux. One sign of the importance of film libraries is demand for the MIFC’s catalogue holders session, which was the first event to fill up this year, according to Gérald Duchaussoy, who co-heads the MIFC. Major groups such as Studiocanal and Warner Bros. have created dedicated catalogue labels, he notes, reflecting “growing recognition that these films represent genuine added value rather than a burden.” “It reveals a strategy in the way companies expose and exploit their films, at festivals, through theatrical releases, on DVD and Blu-ray, and through international sales.
It is a fairly fast-moving niche sector, and you can feel things accelerating,” he adds. Multiple challenges remain, however. One is how films reach audiences.
The Paramount-Park Circus panel will examine the central role played by specialist intermediaries such as Park Circus, which often act as the point of contact for rights, DCPs, prints and subtitled materials across territories. Wider access, however, can create problems of its own for rights holders. Warnings are coming from industry professionals about what they call “hyper-distribution,” says Desrieux.
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