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Hollywood heavyweights and top players in content and exhibition from around the world will gather in Saint-Paul-de-Vence on Sept. 7 for the landmark Lumiere Summit that aims to explore the future of film at a time
of profound change that is transforming media and entertainment.
The daylong event, to be held at the renowned art foundation complex Fondation Maeght, has been organized by France’s CNC, the state unit that oversees policy for film, TV, video games and digital content. The Lumiere Summit is co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron Lee Jae Myung, president of South Korea. It’s designed to generate dialogue to address the many vexing issues that have upended the business models of film and other forms as content, as well as the wide swings in consumer tastes and media consumption habits that are challenging the traditional industry in the U.S. and beyond.
Gaëtan Bruel, president of CNC, cited Macron’s dictum that the situation calls for nothing less than “multilateralism for the moving image” to preserve the art and the commerce of movies and other forms of entertainment.
“The response must address the entire ecosystem: image literacy, access to works, film heritage, the future of art-house cinemas, piracy, sustainability or the transformations driven by technology and artificial intelligence. But it also needs a method, what President Macron calls ‘multilateralism for the moving image’: bringing sectors and continents together to forge a shared vision and turn it into action,” Bruel said. “We are advancing this ambition alongside South Korea, another great film nation, one that has combined a vibrant domestic cinema with a confident global audiovisual ambition. Above all, we are doing so with 220 participants from five continents, representing 65 countries and every part of the industry.”
The summit offers a rare opportunity for senior executives, exhibitors, producers, distributors, talent representatives, financiers and other key constituencies to gather for deep conversations about where market forces are driving consumers and commerce.
“President Macron wanted to put cinema and the moving image where they belong: at the heart of the defining debates of our time,” Bruel said. “Because what is at stake extends far beyond the screen industries. Our entire image-based civilization is at a turning point. How we create, produce, distribute, watch and pass on stories is changing profoundly, with consequences for individuals and societies alike.”
Summit organizers are emphasizing the urgency of the world community to gather to address budding opportunities and structural challenges that need to be addressed through policy, contracts and trade agreements.
The CNC has recruited Variety to serve as the Lumiere Summit’s official media partner. Variety will offer extensive coverage of the summit’s sessions, key speakers and in-depth analysis of the substance of what is discussed throughout the week.
Notable attendees from the U.S. making the trek to Saint-Paul-de-Vence are Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, Disney’s Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley, HBO’s Casey Bloys, Sony Pictures’ Tom Rothman, Paramount Skydance’s Andy Gordon, Regal Cinemas’ Eduardo Acuna, Sony Pictures Classics co-chief Michael Barker; Lynette Howell Taylor, producer and Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences president; CAA chief Bryan Lourd and Directors Guild of America leader Russ Hollander, as well as boldface names such as George Clooney and producer-director Anthony Russo.
The event has also drawn a who’s who of industry leaders from across Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, including Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of TF1, EbonyLife Group’s Mo Adubu, Mubi’s Efe Çakarel, Mediawan’s Pierre-Antoine Capton, CJ ENM’s Miky Lee, Canal+’s Maxime Saade and Studiocanal’s Anna Marsh, Vue’s Tim Richards and Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Frémaux.
The guest list was carefully curated to encourage debate and the dissection of difficult issues ranging from the transformative effects of AI to combating piracy to assuring the veracity of artistic vision on the screen.
“The summit is deliberately small, but it is not closed,” Bruel said. “The full program is public, every session will be recorded and made available online, and we are especially proud to partner with Variety, one of the world’s most trusted and influential voices on cinema and entertainment, to ensure that the conversations sparked in Saint-Paul-de-Vence resonate throughout the global screen community.”
(Pictured: Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, HBO’s Casey Bloys, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley, Sony Pictures’ Tom Rothman and Disney’s Dana Walden)
