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Cannes 2020 – Marché du Film

Industry Report: Series

HBO Max and Quibi to be the special guests at Meet the Streamers

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The second edition of the Cannes Marché du Film’s special section is inviting the two American companies to deliver keynote speeches, and will host VoD-focused panels and discussions

HBO Max and Quibi to be the special guests at Meet the Streamers

The second edition of Meet the Streamers, the dedicated event for streaming platforms, will follow the lead of the online version of the Cannes Marché du Film that is set to run from 22-26 June this year. The digital Meet the Streamers is inviting HBO Max and Quibi to deliver exclusive keynote speeches, while the programme will also feature specialised VoD panels and conversations.

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Jérôme Paillard, executive director of the Marché du Film, underlined: “The previous edition’s takeaways showed us the need to connect various parts of the industry, tied together by constantly emerging streaming models across the studios and the independent world, through new meeting and keynote events. Today, more than ever before, we need to offer film-industry professionals platforms to connect, bond and learn from one another. This is what we will offer with Meet the Streamers.”

HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s new streaming platform, will get its first international presentation during Meet the Streamers, just days after its official launch on 27 May. The platform will offer 10,000 hours of content, including HBO originals, new series, and third-party licensed programmes and films. Sandra Dewey, president of productions and business operations for WarnerMedia Entertainment, is being invited along for a keynote conversation where she will focus on the launch of HBO Max during the current situation, the ever-changing streaming-platform landscape, and the significance of exploring and nurturing underrepresented talent.

Regarding this presentation, Dewey mentioned: “I am looking forward to discussing my insight into launching HBO Max, which I am tremendously proud of and so excited to share, during this unique time. Our industry is facing never-before-experienced challenges, but also the tremendous opportunity that springs from the well of change.”

The other exclusive guest is Quibi, the mobile-focused independent streaming platform, which was launched last month in the USA and Canada, and will soon be available in additional international territories. Aiming to blend technology with creativity, the platform led by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman offers new, original stories in a new format. The participants from Quibi and the topic of the keynote speech will be announced soon.

Furthermore, a series of panels and discussions have been scheduled for Meet the Streamers. Jaume Ripoll, the co-founder and editorial director of Filmin, Richard Lorber, president and CEO of Kino Marquee and Kino Lorber, and Olle Agebro, head of acquisitions for Draken Film, will host a panel to discuss and explore independent streaming platforms across the world. Also, the evolution of streaming platforms and the future that lies ahead for them will be discussed by Adam Lewinson, chief content officer at Tubi, and Richard Cooper, research director at Ampere Analysis. The methods of bridging the gap between traditional and new streams in the field of global distribution will be the topic of the chat between Jean-Christophe J Lamontagne, president of Montreal-based h264, and Kyle Greenberg, president of Brooklyn-based Circle Collective.

Aleksandra Zakharchenko, head of programmes and training, and Quentin Carbonell, digital strategy consultant, both heading up Meet the Streamers, commented: “We feel the urgent desire from all parties in the film universe to synchronise, and streaming platforms are at the very heart of this wish. There is a burning curiosity for the new platforms and digital talents coming from the studio and independent worlds, but also a need for a better understanding of how the relationships with the streamers, and the way each model works, can be apprehended to ensure diverse and exciting growth in the film industry.”

Meet the Streamers will be accessible to industry professionals registered with the Marché du Film Online.

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