Cannes in a Van Film Festival 2013: blog 5

Blog 5

As made apparent in previous blog posts the recent weather forecasts were not on our side. The early morning was filled with the crashing boom of thunder leaving a pessimistic feeling in our stomachs. But for the first time since we arrived, the weather actually highlighted the south of Frances’ beautiful climate.

As the evening drew in we headed into Cannes to not only screening some more amazing short films but to also shoot and interview with writer/director A.D. Cooper about the film she penned ‘The View from the Window’. As it was Sunday night (one of Cannes busiest nights) we were once again unsure whether we would be able to find a spot to park.

With time running out (our window to shoot A.D. Cooper was small) and the van coming to a stand still in think traffic, Ross and Oliver hopped out to track her down – which was easier said than done. Frantically running up and down the Croisette, with no way of contacting her, they resorted to manically asking everyone if they were the person they were looking for. Unfortunately time had run out, but as luck would have it Andy and Alice encountered each other, Van and street based respectively – so planned an interview on our return.

After a 9-point turn on the Croisette Andy managed to creep into our usual spot with a little help from the local parking police. We rolled out the carpet and poured the wine in anticipation. It didn’t take long until a large crowd descended. Filmmakers, locals, and occasionally the homeless, gathered to sample the cinematic work on offer.

We had a chat to UK director Michael Middleton-Downer and his co-star Marc Hendrey about some of their projects from recent years, then played a selection of Mike’s shorts – one of which was part of the London 48 Hour Sci-Fi competition.

Oliver bumped into Empire magazine Editor Chris Hewitt, who expressed an interest in the van. With Oliver being a big fan of the Empire podcast, he was a little over-whelmed when they mentioned the possibility of filming some coverage for their vlogs.

Later, as the crowds began to thin and the ice cream parlour closed its doors, we packed up and headed home for another 3 o’clock night-cap.