A new vocation: screen education initiative 

Although the vocation of the Directors’ Fortnight remains the discovery of tomorrow’s filmmakers, we feel it is important to make their work available to the widest possible audience: Cannes screenings open to the public, repeat screenings in Paris, elsewhere in France, and abroad, a mission that should be accompanied by events to educate tomorrow’s audience. Thus we have begun a series of initiatives relating to high-school students, by having them attend screenings of films in the Fortnight. These activities have been developed in collaboration with several other partners (Conseil Régional Ile de France, Conseil Régional PACA, DRAC PACA, Rectorat de Nice) and include a program of prior induction (meetings before the festival, student induction) and one during the festival (meetings with filmmakers, and the organizers). An evaluation report, with contributions from students and teachers involved, is written at the end of the festival. 

With the Région Ile de France, a competition in the form of a Quiz is organized involving all  high-school students in the region. Before Cannes, the Artistic Director and the General Secretary give a presentation to the class that wins the Quiz, covering the vocation of the Directors’ Fortnight, its particular place within the Cannes Festival, what purpose it serves, its role, presentation of the year’s selection … The students view films selected for the Fortnight in previous years. At Cannes, the students view the program of short films from the selection as well as a feature film at Studio 13. The two screenings are followed by a Q&A session with the film’s directors. This arrangement was developed to ensure that the students get the most out of their short time at the Cannes Festival and gain a thorough understanding of the Directors’ Fortnight.

With the Région PACA, the Fortnight hosts students throughout the duration of the festival, in collaboration with the Cinémas du Sud association. Each class spends 48h in Cannes, and very strict timetabling enables forty students a day to participate. Our objective is to go beyond a mere offering of screenings, but to set up meetings between groups of students, a member of the selection committee and the director of the film seen by the group.

With the Direction Régionale de l’Action Culturelle PACA and the Rectorat de Nice, two preparatory meetings are held to organize arrangements: once again, the goal is to foreground the quality of an educational project that has been well thought out and designed. In order to ensure this project is delivered to the highest standards, we feel it is necessary to keep it to a relatively limited number of students. So we decided to work with two classes from high schools in Cannes. In March, the students are invited to see a film from the previous year’s Fortnight, to coincide with its theatrical release.A week before the Festival, members of the Fortnight team meet the students and their teachers in Cannes, to make a presentation about the Cannes Festival and the Directors’ Fortnight, show a film from the previous edition’s selection, announce the program, and discuss the films the students will see during the Festival. At Cannes, the students attend several screenings, including a program of shorts and one feature, followed by discussion with the film’s filmmaking team.