CANNES, the film festival, won’t be happening this year.

But while the French government’s extended ban on large gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic killed all hope of a return to the Croisette in the spring, the industry has responded with two virtual events to keep the Cannes Film Market alive.

One is run by the official Cannes Marche du Film and the other is organized by the film sales divisions of the top four agencies — CAA Media Finance, UTA Independent Film Group, ICM International and Independent Group and Endeavor Content — as well as several indie production and sales operations.

Details of the entertainment industry’s first-ever virtual film markets are still being worked out. But the two markets are set to run parallel, kicking off June 22.

According to Marche executive director Jerome Paillard, the two will be “complementary,” with the official Cannes version screening mainly finished films and the still-unnamed agencies’ version focused on big-ticket packages — a script with director and talent attached — pitched to the international presale market. The global COVID-19 lockdown has sent viewers flooding to streamers in record numbers.(SD-Agencies)