Behind the Glamour: Business Highlights from the 78th Cannes Film Festival

The 78th Cannes Film Festival has officially wrapped; the final films have been screened, the red carpets walked, and the Palme d’Or awarded. But insiders know that the real business is done behind the scenes; the less-than-glamorous meetings between producers and distributors are really where the festival has its effects. And 2025 was no different. Industry bigwigs descended on the French Riviera yet again, not only to celebrate cinema, but to make the deals that will shape the industry this year. 

Here’s a quick recap of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival’s biggest deals:

The Marché du Film, Cannes’ official film market, served as the backdrop to a number of sales, including that of Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling to Mubi after being deemed Cannes’ ‘buzziest sales title’ by IndieWire. Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague sold to Netflix after a screening and a 6-minute standing ovation from a crowd that included Cannes darling Quentin Tarantino. Neon picked up North American rights to Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent with plans for a theatrical release later this year.

Production and distribution companies Neon and Mubi had similar intentions at this year’s Marché, bidding on the same projects in multiple instances. Neon picked up North American rights to the highly commended Sirât from director Oliver Laxe, while Mubi secured rights to distribution in Italy, Turkey, and India. Neon also acquired rights to Sentimental Value for North American distribution (seeing the pattern here?) while Mubi joined in by grabbing distribution for Ireland, the UK, Latin America, Turkey, and India. The list goes on …

But among the largest deals made lies Die, My Love. The Jennifer Lawrence/Robert Pattinson psychological horror graced the Cannes Film Festival leaving dropped jaws and open wallets in its wake. The winner of this highly coveted title from director Lynne Ramsay was Mubi with a $24 million purchase. “The film is also expected to get a healthy theatrical window and a wide release,” IndieWire reports. 

As a whole, Cannes delivered on its role as the marketplace for global cinema, serving as host to streaming and production companies, indie filmmakers, international distributors, and everything in between. We can expect a continued sense of strength at Cannes in coming years thanks to the bounce back post-strikes and the more-present-than-ever search for international voices.