Announces most international year to date and new Cannes Lions Initiative
(April 22, 2014) – Entering its second quarter century, The American Pavilion’s student programs at the will have a record-breaking Festival, with more than 200 students confirmed to participate in the highly-respected program, and more international students than ever before. In addition, Director of Student Programming Michael Bremer announced today the addition of a Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity Intensive. Bremer will launch a pilot program with a group of students at this year’s festival in June.
Year after year, since 1989, The Pavilion’s student presence has increased in attendance and expanded in scope. Originally intended to give Film and Media students a window into the Festival, the Student Programs have evolved to now include Culinary, Hospitality and Event Management students, as well as MBA Business graduate students who work assignments with companies doing business in the Marché.
Under the direction of indie veteran Michael Bremer, The American Pavilion’s Business, Event, and Culinary programs have increased an average of 50% since 2012.
Bremer attributes the uptick to two key factors: “We announced our first-ever international outreach initiative during last year’s Festival, and I’m thrilled to report that our student body this year is more international than it’s ever been, with participants hailing from Canada, Hong Kong, Brazil, Panama, El Salvador, Dubai, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan. These students will witness in our Pavilion a microcosm of a much bigger dance going on just outside our doors, where film lovers from all corners of the globe come together to do business.”
More than 700 students from all over the world applied to this year’s various Cannes programs, with only about 30% of the applicants accepted. An additional 300 applicants are under consideration for The American Pavilion’s three smaller programs, the L.A. Intensive in August, the Venice Intensive at the , and AmPav’s newest program, the Cannes Lions Intensive in June.
“Additionally, we’ve made a conscious effort to increase enrollment in our Hospitality, Culinary, and Business programs to bring those student numbers more in line with the larger Film contingent that joins us every year,” Bremer added. “In fact, one of our culinary students from 15 years ago is now an educator at the University of Central Florida’s prestigious Rosen School of Hospitality, and returns this year in a faculty-mentor capacity with 16 students from Rosen.”
A group of 16 students are participating in the Cannes Hospitality & Event Management Program through The American Pavilion, a 5,000-square-foot facility for the American film community at the Cannes International Film Festival. This is the first time that Rosen College students will participate in this program and as a result, UCF will be the most represented institution in Cannes with the largest group of students.
“I’m excited about the Cannes Lions Intensive,” Bremer continued. “About six months ago we approached the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, often regarded as the world’s largest ad festival, proposing to develop for them what we’ve done for the Film Festival. With so many new attendees like Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Netflix, Amazon, and even Xbox upending traditional advertising paradigms, it’s vital that we in the entertainment sector sit up and take note. I will bring a pilot program of students this first year, and hope to increase the scope of our presence there in the coming years.”
The American Pavilion has been committed to giving opportunities to students and young filmmakers since its inception and their numbers have grown exponentially over the years. As a result of the Student Programs, past alumni are now gainfully employed throughout the industry at companies such as The Weinstein Company, DreamWorks, Paramount, The William Morris Agency, Sony, Industry Entertainment, ICM, 20 Century Fox, Universal and The Walt Disney Company.
Specific alumni of the internship program include: Morgan J. Freeman, (whose film “Hurricane Streets” became the first narrative film to win three awards at ), Jeff Nichols, (director, writer, producer, “Take Shelter” and “Mud”), Alexa Alemanni, (SAG Award-winning actress), Hope Hall (White House Videographer), and Ron Najor, who recently produced award-winning SXSW film “Short Term 12” and last year’s “I Am Not a Hipster.”
THE AMERICAN PAVILION
Recently celebrating its 26th year as the center of American hospitality for the film industry in Cannes, The Pavilion brings professional and emerging filmmakers together. The American Pavilion is the center of activity at the Cannes International Film Festival for the American film community, offering membership for professionals, provocative and insightful programming, immersive student programs, the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase, and more.
Serving as a communication and hospitality center for the thousands of Americans in Cannes during the Cannes Film Festival, The American Pavilion provides an impressive array of facilities and services to the international film community. Since its debut at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival, The Pavilion has become a permanent fixture on the Cannes landscape.
For the corporate sponsors of The American Pavilion, the dozens of exhibitors and office holders, and the thousands of American participants, The American Pavilion accommodates the need for information, orientation, and recreation. For the duration of the Festival, The American Pavilion provides both a dynamic business environment and an opportunity to relax in comfortable surroundings.
For more information, visit www.ampav.com.
