Mother Daughter Entertainment at Cannes. Treat it like you’re making a movie.

By Elizabeth Blake-Thomas

Director | Author | Creativity Coach | Podcast Host

Elizabeth & Isabella at their Masked Ball Event

This is the fourth year since Covid that MDE has attended the Cannes Film Festival. As always, it is a couple of weeks of connecting, reconnecting and making new friends and colleagues, a mixture of social and professional engagements to attend, press and announcement opportunities utilized as best as possible. This year, however ,was very unique and special because we were both there, mother and daughter. We planned a specific strategy in order to make the most of us being two people instead of one. We could tag team and make double the meetings happen. One of us focusing on connecting with companies and distributors, and the other on individuals and relationships. However, when it came to events, we attended those together. 

Attending the Yes She Cannes: She Starts Strong Workshop by Ash from She Speaks Sense.

Cannes can seem like a lot, and especially if you’re on your own it might appear like an impossible task to take on and do well. But that’s the question, what is “well”? Maybe your goal was to simply get a feel for the festival or maybe it was to sell your movie. It really doesn’t matter, it’s all down to the individual. One thing that is a consistent need for everyone is self care. Without question, everyone is working from 9am until sometimes 3am. So how is this sustainable, especially for maybe 10-14 days solid and having to be mentally “on” at all times? 

We have realized the following things are paramount to working out how you can effectively function at Cannes:

TRAVEL

How are you arriving in Cannes and getting around? Are you coming with a huge time difference? 

CLOTHES AND LUGGAGE

What do you need for meetings or events? For rain or sun?

ACCOMODATION

Do you need a kitchen, will you be cooking for yourself or ordering out every day? Will you be eating in restaurants?

FINANCES

It costs a lot of money to attend Cannes, are you trying to do Cannes on a budget?

SELF CARE

Do you need to have your own pillow, how about sleep? When and how often? Do you want your own tea or coffee to take with you wherever you go? What food do you require? Is it available in Cannes?

Treat the festival like you’re making a movie ,and you’re the star of it. You need to do pre-production, production, and post, all rolled into one. If you plan ahead then you can pivot if need be. You are basically your own heads of department for this two week film set. 

Pre-production consists of breaking down the script and budgeting. Putting everything in place so that you can run your “set” effectively and with no stress. Production consists of looking after yourself whilst working your butt off. Post production is when the real work begins, follow ups and seeing what is going to come to fruition from all your hard work. 

The festival is about longevity and staying in this for the long game. Offering your help and assistance to everyone you met. I still connect with people I met 15 years ago and only now have begun working together. This is your community and it’s how you build your industry. 

So take a breath and work through how you want to do the festival “well”. What do you want to achieve? You can’t lose, you’re already going, so the rest is just a bonus.

The She Squad attending the Masked Ball

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