Formerly known as The American Pavilion and newly renamed, AmPav:  The Pavilion at Cannes is gearing up for its 19th year providing students with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the fast-paced motion picture industry at the world’s most prestigious film festival.The work study program at the Cannes Film Festival, which boasts 147 participants from 60 colleges and eight countries, provides students with first-hand experience working with entertainment companies represented in the Pavilion.  Students arrive ahead of the Festival’s opening for a pre-festival orientation, which includes a tour of Cannes.

During the Festival, through lectures, group discussions, and first-hand observation, film students are exposed to various aspects of the film industry including marketing, publicity, distribution, sales, and exhibition. With official Festival accreditation badges, students have the opportunity to visit the thousand-plus film production and distribution offices and to see films in official competition as well as market screenings and other special screenings, none of which are open to the general public.

“We are proud to provide students with exposure to the inner workings of the film industry,” said Walter Harris, AmPav Student Program Director.  “This is a unique learning experience—we balance the students’ time between work experience and enjoying and benefiting from the biggest and best-known film festival in the world.  They go home with great memories and a stack of business cards and potential business contacts for the future!”

From the group of Student Program participants, Adobe, a sponsor of AmPav, hand-picks 40 students to create short documentaries and news broadcasts during the Festival. The program, Adobe Reel Ideas Studio, teaches students to work in the fast-paced industry, giving tight deadlines to create short news broadcasts related to Cannes as well as short documentaries.  Through the program the selected students also learn to master Adobe’s software, which is provided for the creation of the Reel Ideas broadcasts and documentaries.  At the end of the program, the projects are viewed and judged by industry luminaries and a winner in each category is selected.

SAGIndie, also an AmPav sponsor, gives students another dose of the real world with pitch sessions and roundtable discussions.  During pitch sessions, students have 10 minutes to pitch an idea to a director, producer, or another industry representative who is looking for fresh ideas.  If the idea is of interest, the student has a new contact—and a foot in the door.  Roundtable discussions are a chance to ask questions and share ideas with other students and those knowledgeable about the business of filmmaking.  Previous participants have included directors Stephen Frears, Spike Lee, and Michael Moore.

In addition to all of the activities AmPav offers Student Program participants, they work with entertainment companies within the Pavilion in six hour shifts each day of the Festival, gaining both experience and coveted exposure to the industry.  Students are also invited to participate in AmPav’s “Student ‘INS,’” Student Industry Networking Series, dinners that take place throughout the Festival and bring students together with various filmmakers and other film industry insiders.

AmPav: The Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival is celebrating its 19th year as the communications and hospitality center for industry professionals at the Cannes Film Festival.  AmPav is open to members from 8 am to 7 pm daily, with private hire and special event availability from 8 pm to 1 am. Pre-registration, which runs through May 11, offers a 50% discount on the membership fee.  Those who choose to register in-person in Cannes can do so for the full-price membership fee of $100 beginning May 16.  A limited number of Red Carpet memberships are available, which includes nightly cocktail parties in the AmPav/LA Times corporate apartment overlooking the coveted red-carpeted steps of the Palais, gift basket, and a designated private area within the Pavilion, all for a one-time fee of $650 through May 11 or $750 when registering in Cannes.  For information log onto www.AmPav.com.