Approximately 4,000 films are on sale at this year’s Cannes Marché du Film. The bazaar is one of the world’s largest film bazaars, held at the back of the Palais des Festivals, with exhibitors from 140 countries decorating the market’s approximately 300 stands and promoting their wares using colorful and often whimsical flyers and posters.
A stroll through the halls offers numerous snapshots of the current state of the global film industry, which may be struggling against the onslaught of streamers and TikTok, but is finding new ways to make outlandish films, from big-budget to no-budget, high-concept to outrageously crazy.
Below are five randomly selected projects at various stages. That poster and logline have to be seen to be believed.
“Paint You on My Bed Sheets” – Described as horror, boy love, drama and romance, distributed by Bibbidii Entertainment in Bangkok. It doesn’t have a director yet. Logline: A story of desire, obsession, and the precarious line between love and destruction. Every emotion leaves a stain that cannot be erased. It seems like they cover basically every genre.
NOFX: 40 Years of Funkin’ Up, directed by James Buddy Day and sold by VMI Worldwide – A biopic of veteran LA punk rock band NOFX, chronicling their “40-year journey from drug-addled teenage punks to the world’s most successful independent band,” the synopsis says. The film “follows their final tour in 2024, exploring their chaotic and often self-defeating history with heartfelt reminiscences, backstage drama, and the band’s impending bittersweet end.” The poster seems to capture the group’s anarchic spirit, proving that age hasn’t dulled their rebellious cry.
“Blood Wine” – Eric Ivey, directed by Jared N. Wright, distributed by The Coven AS Sales. Logline: Three 30-something couples vacation in remote wine country and accidentally awaken an evil that has been dormant for decades. Poster Art has come up with a scary new use for the corkscrew.
Gunfish – Directed by Wataru Uno. Sold by Colorbird. Summary: “The highly poisonous pufferfish is often dismissed as something strange and dangerous in other parts of the world. In fact, its import is banned in the EU. However, the Japanese have been eating pufferfish for centuries, making it one of the world’s rarest traditional dishes. Known as the ‘king of winter flavours,’ pufferfish is a proud symbol of Japanese food culture.” At the same time, its poison has claimed countless lives around the world. Even today, dozens of cases of poisoning are reported every year, various regulations and laws have been enacted due to this danger, and people have pursued the ultimate fugu cuisine with passion and tenacity, creating many compelling stories in the process. ” Basically, unless it’s your last meal, it’s a memorable meal.
Nick Vivarelli
Deathgasm II Goremageddon – Directed by Jason Howden and distributed by Raven Banner Entertainment.
In this sequel to the 2015 New Zealand cult horror-comedy film Deathgasm, metal enthusiast Brody resurrects his bandmates to win the battle of the bands. However, things don’t go as planned and “Brody must stop the zombie horde before it ruins his musical dreams and love life,” the logline reads. The tagline is “Evil will rise again.”
