From May 17 to 28, the who’s who of the movie industry came together at the 75th Festival de Cannes. As a global technology leader in the cinematography and broadcast business, ARRI was widely present at the Croisette and behind the scenes, including the long-standing partnership with the Directors’ Fortnight section. For the first time, ARRI equipped two photo call locations with LED fixtures. The company also hosted the “ARRI Happy Hour” on Quinzaine beach and sponsored two CST awards in Cannes. Working directly with industry professionals on a daily basis, ARRI’s focus in Cannes lies on building and maintaining close relationships with filmmakers, directors, and cinematographers.
In 2022, more than 90 percent of films competing for Best Picture in the Main Competition utilized ARRI equipment—including Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness” or Jury Prize winners “EO” and “Le otto montagne.” In fact, the vast majority of all feature films shown in Cannes were captured or illuminated with ARRI cameras, lenses, or lights—not only in the Main Competition, but also in Un Certain Regard, Directors‘ Fortnight, and Critic’s Week. Many of the participating productions were serviced and equipped by ARRI Rental.
DP Fredrik Wenzel shooting Palm d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness” with the ALEXA LF
In 2022, Natasza Chroscicki, Managing Director ARRI France & Business Development Director ARRI Mediterranean, joined one of the most prestigious selection committees in Cannes. “I’m extremely honored and excited to be a member of the jury of Camera d’Or,” said Chroscicki. During the festival, the Camera d’Or jury chooses the best first feature film presented in the various sections. This year, they awarded “War Pony” by directors Riley Keough and Gina Gammell. It was shot by DP David Gallego with the ALEXA XT: “This is an incredible story that we wanted to capture in the most natural way. I always feel that the ALEXA and Panavision lenses are a good combination that allows me to feel the proximity between the characters in their own spaces,” Gallego says.
Natasza Chroscicki (ARRI) was part of the Camera d’Or jury in Cannes
On set of “War Pony,” shot by cinematographer David Gallego
The top prize at Cannes, the Palme d’Or, went to director Ruben Östlund for his black comedy “Triangle of Sadness.” DP Fredrik Wenzel comments on using ARRI equipment for the feature: “I chose to shoot ‘Triangle of Sadness’ on the ALEXA LF because I know how much manipulation Ruben is doing on the images afterwards. There are close to zero images in the final film that haven’t been manipulated in any way. Ruben stitches different takes together. Or he adds a detail, like a piece of cloth hanging over a chair. Or he extends the image and makes it wider. The list is endless.”
The Grand Prize was jointly awarded to “Close” (Director: Lukas Dhont, DP: Frank van den Eeden) and “Stars at Noon” (Director: Claire Denis, DP: Eric Gautier,) both shot with the ALEXA Mini. ARRI cameras were also behind the joint Jury Prize winners “EO” (directed by Jerzy Skolimowski, cinematography by Michal Dymek) and “Le otto montagne” by Charlotte Vandermeersch and Felix Van Groeningen. DP on this project was Ruben Impens. The Grand Prize in the Un Certain Regard section was given to “Les pires” (“The Worst Ones”), directed by Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret and captured by DP Eric Dumont with the ALEXA Mini. Also shot with the ALEXA Mini was “Joyland” by director Saim Sadiq and cinematographer Joe Saade, which was awarded the Jury Prize of Un Certain regard.
DP Ruben Impens shooting “Le otto montagne,” Jury Prize winner in the Main Competition
Cinematographer Joe Saade (left) on set of “Joyland”, Jury Prize winner in the Un Certain Regard section
Following a longstanding tradition, ARRI and ARRI Rental welcomed several hundred guests to an inspiring evening of conversations and networking on the Plage Quinzaine in collaboration with Directors‘ Fortnight. Customers, partners, and friends from all over the world celebrated the artistry of cinema at the “ARRI Happy Hour,” including numerous cinematographers from Cannes competition films. For more pictures of the event, visit ARRI’s social media channels such as Facebook.
Cinematographers, directors, and industry professionals enjoyed ARRI’s invitation for cocktails and networking on Plage Quinzaine
Photo call at the “ARRI Happy Hour” (left to right): Nicolas Wong (DP & Producer), Melissa Nocetti (DP), Mandy Rahn (ARRI), Virginie Surdej (DP), and Jakub Kijowski (DP)
Camera talk (from left): Johan Meunier (ARRI), Abinash Bikram Shah (director), and Ujjal Bastakoti (DP)
Nikita Kuzmenko (left to right, DP), Riccarda Caiati (ARRI Rental), Michal Dymek (DP), and Christopher Blauvelt (DP)
During the festival, ARRI equipment, including AMIRA and ALEXA Mini LF cameras with Alura Zoom lenses were on hand to livestream interviews and Q&A sessions after each screening in the 54th Directors‘ Fortnight edition. To learn more, watch a short video shown at the Directors’ Fortnight closing ceremony, highlighting snippets from filmmakers and shot on ARRI equipment. Orbiter, SkyPanels, and L7-C also provided excellent lighting for photo calls in two different locations at Plage Quinzaine and the JW Marriott Hotel. “When we set-up the material, it was like Christmas day. The photographers are thrilled by this professional light. They love it,” said Xavier Meyer, Technical Manager Quinzaine des Réalisateurs.
ARRI equipped two photo locations, including Plage Quinzaine in Cannes (see photo), with professional lighting
ARRI also took the opportunity to interview cinematographers and gaffers on their projects, including DP Giuseppe Truppi on ARRI equipment on set of “El Agua,” which had its premiere in the Directors‘ Fortnight section. DP Douglas Koch spoke on “Crimes of the Future” (Main Competition), cinematographer Virginie Surdej talked about capturing “Le bleu du caftan” (“The Blue Caftan,” Un Certain Regard) with the ALEXA Mini. Stay tuned for exciting insights from these interviews on www.arri.com in the upcoming days and weeks.
DP Giuseppe Truppi doing a video interview on Quinzaine beach, captured by ARRI cameras, Orbiter, and SkyPanel lighting
Other collaborations included ARRI’s support of a WIFTI (Women in Television & Film International) networking event in Cannes, as the company is interested in raising and promoting female voices in the film industry. Another important field of engagement is to support and encourage young talents: ARRI is a sponsor of two CST Awards prizes awarded in Cannes. The awards get their name from the first ever association of film and audiovisual technicians in France and recognize quality in technique and the restitution of cinematographic work. In 2022, the CST Award for Technical Artistry went to the entire sound crew headed up by Andréas Franck, Bent Holm, Jacob Ilgner and Jonas Rudels for the Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness.” The CST Young Film Technician Award was given to Marion Burger, head set designer for the film “Un petit frère” (“Mother and Son”) by Léonor Serraille, shot by cinematographer Hélène Louvart with the ALEXA Mini and ARRI lighting equipment.
DP Hélène Louvart capturing “Un petit frère” with the ALEXA Mini
For all winners at a glance, please visit the official festival website www.festival-cannes.com. ARRI congratulates all the participants and well-deserved prize recipients of Cannes 2022.
Photos: see credits, otherwise ARRI
