The Indies Are Dying. Long Live the Indies The 2023 Cannes Film Market was marked by an eerie quiet, a stark departure from the frenetic pace of previous years.
Gone were the bidding wars and lucrative presales that once dominated the Palais des Festivals. In their place, a new reality has emerged: independent film distributors struggling to adapt.
The traditional model, which allowed distributors to take risks on projects at the presale stage, has largely collapsed under the weight of streaming platforms negotiating direct deals with filmmakers.