Dominican Republic, present at the Cannes Film Festival

Dominican Republic, present at the Cannes Film Festival
Santo Domingo, May 30, 2014

The Cannes Film Festival is the number one dream of every filmmaker, both Dominican and foreign. It is the perfect place to showcase their film production at the pinnacle of the worldwide cinema.

To gain entry to the official selection of the festival ensures the red carpet, a gala where celebrities from around the world parade alongside the films creators and share the glamour and the festivities that this festival offers the lovers of cinema and fashion, since its inception in 1939.

However, behind the famous celebrations and distinguished catwalks for which the Cannes Film Festival is famous, is the heart of the film industry, the “Marché du Film”, home to the film world market, created in 1959 by the festival authorities, to offer a platform to the movie industry. There, all countries that have a film production have a key meeting place to showcase their facilities for film productions.

At the “Marché du Film” over 108 countries and 5,049 companies meet for a period of nearly two weeks of hard work to compete before the more than 11,700 participants who attend the market. 

The Dominican Republic is represented annually at the “Marché du Film” through the Dominican pavilion of the Directorate General of Cinema (DGCINE – Dirección General de Cine), an organization that clearly understands and knows that it must be present at the most important event of the film market in the world.

This year the Dominican delegation was made of: Yvette Marichal, Film Commissioner, as her post is known throughout the various film markets around the world. She came to this event having previous experience in the world of film festivals, thanks to the work she carried out for several years in the Dominican Republic Global Film Festival, and to her previous experience at the Cannes Film Festival; Nicole Brugal, who serves as liaison with the industry; and, Alexandra Bonetti, Head of the International Department. This team was responsible for presenting and explaining to the hundreds of visitors who came to the pavilion the incentives offered by Law 108-10, as well as the facilities that the country possesses as a film destination. 

In addition, Dominican filmmakers, actors and journalists took advantage of the DGCINE space in Cannes to network with producers and festivals seeking new talent for their projects. Luis Arambilet, Iván Herrera, Tabaré Blanchard, Juan Basanta, Juan Fernández, Yanillys Pérez and Omar de la Cruz were among those who took advantage of the market every day, with constant meetings and possible arrangements to project even further the Dominican Republic as a film destination.