About Us

A little potted history of how, when, where and more importantly, why CiaV undertakes the punishing journey back to the southern coast of France every year. If you wanna know anything about us or we’re up to, then read on. If the concept and idea is enough, don’t worry – we’re not that interesting anyway!

We love the guerilla spirit of independent filmmaking. It drives so many peoples’ passions to say important things about what they believe in, their infatuation with film, their comments on what’s going on in the world, their creative frustrations, visions and innovations.
Every film has a creator who is undeniably committed to what they are doing, committed to their obsession.

Maybe their goal is to make a personal film about something close to their heart, maybe they have a bigger picture, maybe their profession is film. One thing’s for sure – some of them you will know about in 10 years… some will win Oscars, Baftas, international awards. Some will change the publics’ consciousness.

Our aim is to give films exposure. Where that exposure takes them is an unknown quantity, but it may just help them on their way.

CANNES in a VAN – A history in 1 minute
May 2006 – A drunken conversation between two friends leads to an idea to take independent short films that they screen in London… to Cannes… in a… Van!

May 2007 – The dream becomes reality as Andy, Si & Jamie make the long, cramped drive down to the South of France.
The trip sees international media coverage, a documentary film crew follows them… and they taxi home 9 Dutch school band members whose bus breaks down in the early hours of the morning just outside of Cannes.

May 2008 – Once the van had it’s top taken off and was fitted to run green… on vegetable oil and after doubt was cast on whether they would make it another year, Andy picks up 3 new crew members in the shape of Cath, Stuart and Janus. They set the town alive with flickering images and meet a great many characters along the way. Anyone remember Pop Your Panties?! No, me neither. Coverage was again broad, with Newsnight choosing to stay at the same campsite so they could feature the van in their film.
On their return they are tasked with curating the first Cannes in a Van Film Festival of independent film at the Movieum of London… in a week! The Van screens in Soho to promote the event.
In June, the Van is a guest at The Secret Garden Party festival. The festival-goers love the van and all it’s wonderous visual magic.

May 2009 – Some serious welding, fibre-glass work and a paint-job gives the van a new lease of life… It’s a shame it didn’t make it through the MOT which would cause the crew to chance it down to Cannes and witness a ‘severance’ of the echappement (exhaust for those not in the know). Stu and Cath are gone but Janus is still here, driving convoy once again with Andy and his new recruit, the very brilliant young Sam, who talks film like it’s in his DNA. The first feature the van has ever screened in it’s entirety, just happens to be the environmental ‘docu-drama’ The Age of Stupid’, together with a megaphone Q&A with the film’s producer, making it a memorable night.

May 2010 – Sam’s back for another year, together with his girlfriend Louise. Andy leaves his newborn baby behind (how could he?!) to embark on year 4. Still, the year went off to a good start with screenings of the independent feature, Colin… another Bafta winner, I Do Air and yet more coverage from the world’s camera wielding journos, including Myleene Klass for CNN!

May 2011 - The fifth year on the Croisette sees new faces Johnny Ride & Adam Hollingworth hitch a ride in the battered old Transit. Janus is still on board as is Andy and there are visits from old friends. John pimps the van giving it a wheel face-lift while Adam stalks Jonathan Ross on the street. The Oscar-nominated Wish 143 is screened among a great new batch of shorts and an outfit named FilmCoLab curate a couple of nights with films from leading graduates. The world’s smallest mobile film festival is rounded off with a visit from actress Olivia Grant who’s writing a piece for The Mail on Sunday on underground Cannes. She stops off for a film or two before dining with the A-list.

August 2011 – The inaugural Van d’Or Awards for independent film was held at The Roxy Bar & Screen in London. Celebrating some of the films screened during Cannes in a Van 2011, the event was packed out, representing the passion for indie film that so many share. The ultimate winner on the night was an emotive stop-motion animation, Fixing Luka, directed by Jessica Chapman, which won overall Best Film. Congratulations to all the winners.

May 2012 – After a tense start to the year and a feeling that we were at the end of the road due to financial issues with the van, along came a knight in shining armour in the shape of a global giant called Ford. With a week to go until Cannes we had a new van and new team in the shape of Emily, Izzy and Sean. An on-the-fly submissions process meant our days were filled with downloads and downpours, protected only by our Ford-branded brollies. Screening films submitted the same day, Cannes in a Van ’12 rocked the Croisette once again.

Summer 2012 – In the run-up to September 14th and The Van d’Or Awards, it has been a busy summer!