Artificial intelligence (AI) and new technologies in cinema took center stage at the "China Night" event on Wednesday evening during the 79th Cannes Film Festival, which opened Tuesday in the southern French resort town of Cannes.
Held at the Palais des Festivals, the "China Film+" forum brought together professionals and decision-makers around a key theme -- the links between AI and filmmaking.
"Having this conversation at this precise moment in Cannes means that we are probably --really -- here at exactly the right time. It's true that China has been taking initiatives for quite a few years now to move very, very quickly and to become one of the leaders in AI, and in particular, AI that allows us in the production sector to do things we couldn't do before because they were either too expensive or technologically impossible. Now, it's coming at the right time," said Benoit Ginisty, director general of the International Federation of Film Producers' Associations.
The discussions focused on how AI will transform cinema and where countries stand on the technology's use in filmmaking.
"We were able to discuss AI with companies from different countries. So, it was really interesting to get the perspective of the Chinese, who are very advanced in AI, and to see where we stood in terms of disagreement, if any, and where we were in complete agreement," said Jean Mach, a French producer, screenwriter and director.
"The best AI models for video today are Chinese; they were American just a few months ago -- well, actually, a few years ago, before China started producing excellent models -- and that’s our raw material, the tools we work with every day in our studio. So it’s very interesting to see this. I’d like to see more European models, especially French ones, so that we also embrace this technological revolution and do the same. But today, in terms of application -- and indeed, this is one of the many things to say -- China is very advanced and very enthusiastic about this technological revolution," said Hadrien Gautrot, a specialist in the use of AI in cinema.
Other topics, such as the role of the human creator, the risks associated with AI-generated images, and the future of actors in the face of digital doubles, were also discussed.
"I'm very happy when I see more people like myself that create entire companies and studios, and that help together to shift the paradigm: that AI is not only something that will kill human creativity, or even humankind or actors, but that it will help us co-create," said Daria Grin, director and founder of Brightbox Animations.
As evening fell, the atmosphere shifted on the Croisette. At Plage des Palmes, "China Night" brought together producers, artists and international guests.
"I am convinced that Asian cinema, and particularly Chinese cinema, has something to offer the world, especially in France, because we tend to have forgotten a certain genre, namely fantasy and horror, and we need filmmakers to bring this energy and these kinds of films and screenplays that we haven't really developed in France and Europe. When you see films like 'Creation of the Gods', and the sequels that followed, you see that there's an audience in Europe, particularly in France, so it resonates perfectly with the Cannes Film Festival and China's presence there," said Margaux Bellanger, founder of PitStop Studio.
For Laurent Sorbier, vice president of Keyrus, the evening showed how naturally China connects cinema and technology -- a link he said feels less natural in Europe.
"It's a wonderful evening. What's interesting is that we have the world of technology here. We have phone manufacturers, people connected to technology in various ways, and also robotics, and it's very interesting to see that these two worlds coexist quite naturally in China. It's still a little less natural in Europe, and we need to learn from what the Chinese are doing. We see a kind of spontaneous camaraderie between people who make robots, people who work in AI, and people who make films, and I hope that will happen here too," he said.
The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival opened Tuesday and will run until May 23.
'China Night' shines at Cannes with focus on AI in cinema
