🤖 Forcing the Algorithm to Shop Local - Cannes day 4
This is your French update, live from Cannes. And daily.
Saturday May 16th 2026
TOGETHER WITH :
LE BIG STORY 📥
Algorithmic Prominence and €8.6 Billion Budgets: Henna Virkkunen Lays Down the EU’s New Media Rules
During a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival, European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen made it clear that a level playing field will define the EU's media agenda.
SPECIAL FOCUS 🔎
Inside “Etty”: The €11M European Drama Built From the Hollywood Strikes
When French production company Les Films du Poisson pitched an adaptation of Etty Hillesum’s Holocaust diaries, the challenge was massive. They wanted to make a Dutch- and German-language series. The…
UN CAFÉ WITH ☕️
Pathé Films on Surviving the New Era: Why the Historic French Studio is Pivoting to English
For a historic European powerhouse like Pathé Films, having five films in the Official Selection at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival is a massive triumph. However, beneath the glamour, Pathé President A…
SPONSORED BY STONY CREEK STUDIO
From the Underworld of ‘97: Elmwood Park Enters Post-Production
Writer-director Gregory Falatek has officially wrapped principal photography on Elmwood Park—a gripping psychological thriller set against the backdrop of a blue-collar Pennsylvania town in 1997.
The Story
When three high school seniors witness a murder, their world fractures, sending them on a raw journey through a forgotten American landscape.
The Vision
A Stellar Ensemble: Starring indie icons James Duval (Donnie Darko), Bai Ling (The Crow), and Catherine Curtin (Stranger Things), alongside the debut of Sheridan James as Jimmy.
Pure Analog Texture: Shot on the ARRI Alexa Mini with Ultra Prime lenses by award-winning DP Scott Ray. Expect long takes, wide frames, and a deliberate nod to European masters like Haneke and Bresson.
Heavy Sonic Atmosphere: An original score by Falatek and Liam Fox O’Brien, drawing inspiration from the dark, abstract guitar textures of Sunn O))) and Earth.
What’s next?
Having wrapped its practical shoot across Montgomery County, PA, the film has officially entered post-production. Editorial, color, and sound design will track through 2026 as the team gears up for a highly anticipated 2027 festival premiere.
For festival, sales, and distribution inquiries, connect with the filmmakers at codi@stony-creek-studios.com
LE PETIT UPDATE 🗞️
The French distribution and production company Pyramide implements a dual-front strategy to simultaneously acquire major festival titles and develop its own in-house projects.
Academy Award-winning actress Alicia Vikander signs on to star in an exclusive new European thriller currently in pre-production.
A highly anticipated action film achieves over €2 million in savings by strategically utilizing regional tax rebates for its complex shark sequences and intense car chases.
A visually stunning new historical documentary takes audiences on a timeless school trip to Pompeii, blending cutting-edge archaeological discoveries with immersive storytelling.