A month after the Cannes Film Festival recognized excellence in moviemaking, three local filmmakers are heading to the town on the French Riviera known for its red carpet glamour.
Their trip comes from a partnership between the Newark International Film Festival and the Cannes Can: Diversity Collective, an initiative to address the lack of diversity in the advertising and marketing industry.
On Wednesday, the three Newark filmmakers will travel to the 66th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, an event that presents awards for excellence in advertising.
Kenneth Gifford, director of the Newark Office of Film and Television, says the filmmakers are part of the Rutgers Express Newark Community Media Center program who have also been involved with the city’s office of film and television.
Gifford founded the Newark International Film Festival in 2016 (the festival returns Sept. 4 through 8).
“The main purpose is for filmmakers around the world to experience Newark,” he told NJ Advance Media ahead of a press conference with Mayor Ras Baraka announcing the program. Through the festival’s Cannes Lions partnership, filmmakers will get to experience a piece of the world abroad.
“Every year we’ll have new filmmakers able to travel overseas to not only experience the culture but experience something that is huge in the film industry," Gifford said.
The filmmakers were trained and will be provided cameras and equipment for their trip, since they won’t just be attending the festival. They’ll also be shooting a short documentary about their 10-day experience, from June 12 to 22, focusing on events including the Cannes Can: Diversity Collective’s Inkwell Beach activities, named for the destination on Martha’s Vineyard that has been historically popular among African American vacationers.
Programming will highlight perspectives and contributions from people of color across the media, marketing and communications industry.
“It’s a huge opportunity," Gifford said. "You’re talking about being able to have filmmakers come from Newark and go to France. They don’t have to pay for anything and they’re going to France to film this festival. They aren’t part of a creative team, they are the creative team.”
He said the Cannes partnership came out of a push to make Newark a destination for film crews.
Productions that have recently filmed in the city include “The Many Saints of Newark," the “Sopranos” prequel film due out in 2020, the HBO miniseries “The Plot Against America," and “Joker,” the film due out in October that traces the origin story of the Batman villain.
Have a tip? Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.
Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.