CAA, Finch Expand Film Symposium to Venice, Doha
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- CAA teamed with Finch & Partners to launch the inaugural Future of Film Symposium in Cannes.
- Finch & Partners and CAA are eyeing expansions to Venice and Doha, with additional locations under discussion and a return to Cannes next year.
- Johnny Pigozzi's Antibes home hosted the off‑the‑record gathering of about 80 industry leaders, including filmmakers Darren Aronofsky, James Gray, Nadine Labaki, Whit Stillman, and Juan Antonio Bayona.
- AI‑enabled financing was discussed as a pro‑futurist method to scale independent film ambition without compromising artistic integrity.
- Charles Finch, CEO of Finch & Partners and son of Peter Finch, is a regular at Cannes and often hosts celebrity‑filled parties.
Why it matters: Independent filmmakers and financiers gain a new platform for AI‑enabled financing and global exposure, while traditional distribution models may face pressure to adapt to the symposium’s pro‑futurist agenda. The expansion to Venice and Doha also opens new regional markets for indie content, offering producers broader audience reach and investors fresh opportunities, while potentially challenging existing festival hierarchies and distribution pipelines.
