The Cannes Film Festival is not only one of the biggest festivals in the world, but also one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1946, this invitation-only festival is held in Cannes, France, and is the place to be to find the best of the best when it comes to films. So, it comes as no surprise that Dodge College students won not one, but TWO awards during it!

Monica Petruzzelli (BFA/NWD ‘17), Riani Astuti (BFA/Film Production ’19), and Gabe Schimmel (BFA/Film Production ’18) had the opportunity to go to Cannes and screen their film Alzheimer’s: A Love Story as part of the American Pavilion’s Emerging Filmmaker Showcase.

speaking at cannes

When the trio arrived at Cannes, they met Monika Skerbelis, who is the director of the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase. Along with the other filmmakers featured, Skerbelis took the students on a tour of the festival, where they were able to speak with some of the other filmmakers.

They also had the opportunity to attend a few of the panel discussions put on by the American Pavilion. Astuti spoke of how she attended the Virtual Reality panel and the Producer’s Panel as well.

“I was able to get some advice from the filmmakers who have experience in Cinematic Virtual Reality, such as how to direct the audience to focus on the right image for the storyline,” said Astuti, who is actually working on a VR film this summer.

The film screened at two of the screenings, including the LGBT Showcase and the Student Showcase. For both screenings, it took home the top awards: Best LGBTQ Short Film and Best Student Documentary!

enjoying cannes

All of the students agreed that is was a fantastic experience for them.

“From meeting countless talented filmmakers to being inspired by dozens of films of all kinds, this was truly the trip of a lifetime and I will take the experiences I’ve gained with me into the future,” said Petruzzelli.

“I realized how important it is to actually attend the film festival in where our film screens, not only will we be able to promote our film better but the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and potential distributors is quite essential,” said Astuti.

 

Congrats to the filmmakers on their great win AND their wonderful trip to Cannes!