Cannes has long stood as an ivory tower in the film world — glamorous, prestigious, and often impenetrable. Filmmakers arrive full of dreams and pitches, only to be met with the harsh realities of the business, balanced by just enough hope to keep going.
Despite this ominous elevator pitch of Cannes and the film business, genre films have always traded well on the market, between sales agents, distributors, producers and financiers. But now, they affirm themselves more as a force in the industry. Genre filmmakers are mad scientists who innovate and adapt quickly, sometimes in chaotic conditions. Even in the face of existential challenges like the pandemic, strikes, and economic downturns, we make movies. The driving force behind this stubborn determination is and has always been our dedicated audience.
Cannes is embracing this, spawning hits such as Palme d’Or winning titles like Parasite, Titane, and The Substance, proving horror films can make festival headlines and not just haunt the buzz of the film market.
However, horror making an appearance in the prestigious festival is not new, as The Evil Dead premiered there in 1981, alongside Andrzej Żuławski's Possession. Cannes hosted the premiere of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me in 1992, Funny Games (1997), Antichrist (2009), The Skin I Live In (2011) and Train to Busan (2016). In 2002, Irreversible by Gaspar Noé caused an uproar and remains one of the most controversial films shown on the Croisette. Having such titles was perhaps part of French cinema's rebellious soul. But now, they also compete with more mainstream or auteur titles.
This year, the festival welcomed Ari Aster, whose horror movies Hereditary and Midsommar established him as an A-list filmmaker. His Thriller comedy, Eddington, joined the official selection and received a standing ovation following its premiere. Julia Ducournau brought a third horror fare to the festival with Alpha after showcasing Raw in 2016, and earning a Palme d’Or with Titane in 2021. Genre films are now a key component of the selection every year.
And that brings us to what this year’s Cannes market and festival revealed. As the ambassador and producer of the Fantastic Pavilion, I’m proud to be part of a vibrant hub that connects genre filmmakers, sales companies, and distributors to give us a clear pulse on the industry. This is what motivated the pavilion’s founder, Pablo Guisa Koestinger and myself to deliver over the last three years.
That’s why we launched our digital show, The Séance, to bridge the gap between Cannes and the many filmmakers who can’t attend, as well as the audiences eager to hear which titles are generating buzz. We hope the interviews and coverage resonated with you all.
Below you'll find the key takeaways from our haunting of the market. Horror movies remain a significant trade in the market, and buyers continue to seek out innovative and twisted titles, while filmmakers continue to create movies. A few of this year's buzz titles included:
- Sean Byrne’s Dangerous Animals, an Australian shark movie about to be released in theaters before a later release on Shudder.
- Yeon Sang-Ho’s (Train To Busan) Colony, which, according to Variety, is in production, while its sales kicked off.
- Locarno Golden Leopard Winner Edwin brought his Indonesian, Japanese, Singaporean and German co-production Sleep No More to get green-lit on the market.
- Carlota Pereda’s The Edge of Normal, starring Chloe Grace Moretz and Rupert Friend, is about to start production. Her first English-speaking movie since her acclaimed movie Piggy, which premiered at Sundance in 2022.
- Adrian Garcia Bogliano’s Talking to a Stranger, (starring The Séance’s very own Gigi Saul Guerrero in her first lead role), played a work in progress cut of this exciting Mexican film at the Fantastic Pavilion’s galas and was featured at the Blood Window showcase.
- The Fantastic Pavilion’s golden key recipient, Eli Roth’s The Ice Cream Man, was scooped up by numerous buyers on the market to kick off the slate of his new horror label, The Horror Section.
A prevailing sentiment on the market is that international genre films are increasingly loved by broad audiences these days. Perhaps domestic audiences have overcome what Parasite’s Bong Joon Ho once described as the “one-inch-tall barrier” of subtitles, but essentially, it’s because fear is a universal language and horror fans are keen to experience it all.
In the US, the momentum is perhaps a little more with blockbuster horror, which has brought us awesome titles and franchises. However, international markets have offered a renewed opportunity for indie horror. In fact, a movie’s success abroad can help its popularity with domestic audiences. Several distributors indeed feel confident that international audiences are more receptive than ever and will turn out to theaters to watch horror movies.
A large part of this resurgence stems from the invaluable work of festivals worldwide. Their programs embrace international horror and bring it to hungry audiences, eager to be introduced to nightmarish visions from all horizons.
There is no doubt that while buyers are seeking and acquiring films, making movies is a very risky endeavor. Sales rarely hit the highs that make investors whole. However, with any platform willing to celebrate horror the way festivals do, there is always a chance to find an audience. The challenge is indeed what platforms are available. Shudder is a great supporter of indie horror, and Tubi also opens the door to reaching a wider audience. But many streamers still shy away from genre fare lacking significant festival buzz.
How can we challenge the algorithms? This is where the power of horror fans advocating and supporting can help. It is up to all of us, as fans, to continue to show up, support and talk about movies that enthrall us, regardless of budget and marketing clout.
As a horror filmmaker, I am grateful for all the love Sound of Violence got, despite being released in the latter part of the pandemic. I know firsthand how many of you can celebrate and help independent films get the recognition they deserve.
So, horror fans and filmmakers, the world is indeed yours.
