To really be in the Film Industry, at least the part of it that concentrates on independent feature films, one has to diligently plan a strategy of worldwide festival attendance. Every May a good portion of the international cinema community spends the largest chunk of its dedicated travel expenses on flying inconveniently on at least two segments to Cannes, France, booking overpriced apartments or hotels, eating in "just ok" French cafes and pizzerias in between meetings and movies (did I mention $20 for French fries and $15 for a soda water and orange juice?), and staying up impossible hours that age even the most hearty, healthy entertainment veteran. The question is always, is it worth it? This year, the threat and actuality of George Bush's personal war with Iraq, the dismal economy and devalued U.S. dollar, and the fear of SARS decreased the numbers at Cannes by at least 40%. It was like a ghost town in comparison with past years. To add insult to injury, the New York Times reported that this year's Cannes had the worst films on record, which was likely true considering the hottest ticket at the festival that has in the past prided itself on elevating intellect and snobbery of foreign language film, was the simultaneously worldwide opening night of THE MATRIX RELOADED, a forgettable redundancy! So, was Cannes worth the money, the exhaustion, the irritation of the French continually ripping off anyone they could, the nasty apartment that cost nearly $10,000 for just 5 people with only one toilet? The answer is a resounding yes.

Boston University graduate class of '03 Rebecca Liftman (yes, she blew off her graduation ceremony to go to Cannes) made her way to the festival this year as the assistant of the author of this article's company Fillmore Finance, a company that introduces A-list producers to sources of finance for slates of both independent and studio pictures. What she hoped to gain was a potential job in Hollywood this coming fall. While running around manically picking up tickets for her boss and her boss' clients, Michel Shane, Executive Producer of Steven Spielberg's CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and superstar animation team and live action producers Jeff Gomez and Mark Pensavale of STARLIGHT RUNNER IN NEW YORK, Rebecca discovered something about herself, which B.U. had not taught her: She has the presence and perseverance of a starlet, just waiting to be discovered. And discovered she was, as she determined half way through Cannes to become an actress, rather than a photo journalist as she had once thought the height of her ambitions. As she strut up the Red Carpet to THE MATRIX RELOADED with more established actress Susan Johnston who appeared in six feature films in the past year including I AM SAM (Sean Penn) and BREAK A LEG (Eric Roberts) and English turned Hollywood producer June Dowad (FOR THE LOVE OF MAY with Patricia Neal), the cameras flashed as if a new star had been born. If not a star yet, upon her return to Boston, Rebecca headed right to the office of Kevin Fennessy Casting and started trekking to film auditions. With plans to move to L.A. in September, all the contacts Rebecca made on yachts, at chateaus and while checking and sending e-mail on the computer at the Variety tent, Ms. Leitman stands a better chance than most of making it, and demonstrates the power of the biggest festivals for the bold, beautiful and industry newbies.

Meanwhile Susan Johnston, a Cannes Virgin herself, after attending Toronto several years in a row as practice for the big event, learned quickly how to play with the big boys, getting cast in two feature films to be shot in Bollywood next year. Not a stranger to the art of schmooze, actress Johnston touted several projects as a rep, which enabled her to have her way paid by several producers who didn't seem to know what they were missing. Boston's own Ara Katz, a Cannes veteran now with four under her belt, having started as an intern at the American Pavilion and graduating to the level of having a feature film, DEPENDENCIA SEXUALE, represented in the market place, also moved around Cannes like a professional, taking meetings with every major production facility, and hunting for the holy grail: finance, while sipping drinks at the Martinez. Ara's three new projects including writer/director Esther Bell's (EXIST, GODASS) upcoming feature, FLAMING HETEROSEXUAL, were her main objective in packaging for production in 2004, and the decreased crowds made it easier to manage the workload of meetings and parties every night. After 12 days of Cannes, it was onto London, Paris or Milan to do follow up meetings for some of the better festival planners. The Brits this year ruled the day with new finance packages ripe for funding films outside of the co-pro Canadian deals so popular in the past several years, but losing steam, and British producers, such as Maxine Flitman (THE LEGACY) who brought New England's own Jim Jermanok (PASSIONADA) onto her project, looked to team up with Americans in making films saleable in all markets, U.S. and worldwide, in order to maximize the potential for profits.

Back in New England, Newport was already gearing up, a mere two weeks after the end of Cannes, and with the numbers in Cannes so desperately down, it was hard to believe that in forty degree weather that included perpetual rain, that so many significant players and film enthusiasts would turn out. Owing largely to the drive and inspiration of founder Nancy Donahoe and the extreme excellence of new programmer Beth Janson, Newport demonstrates that you don't need to file for bankruptcy or travel across the globe to make contacts or see good films. Moreover, Newport has the edge on lavish after-parties. While they may proliferate at Cannes (who can go or choose from 15 parties a night?), only Newport can have an opening party such as the one at the Astor Mansion overlooking the water with caviar appetizers, champagne (the French think they actually have the edge on this, but they're wrong) and Godiva chocolate, which was a major sponsor this year, along with Delta Airlines. Laurie Kirby, a Rhode Island attorney who specializes in events such as the PGA tour, partied with the best of them, and the rumor mill now has it that she has replaced Greg DiStefano as the new Executive Director, planning two upcoming fall fundraisers, one in New York and one in Newport.

Bumping into industry veterans such as IFC's Kelly DeVine, English composer living-in-Boston, Alise Ashby and best selling author Jon Land (BLOOD DIAMONDS, A WALK IN THE DARKNESS) who has recently formed a new production company to shoot his original screenplay DIRTY DEEDS, demonstrates that Newport is not just a local festival, but brings in industry professionals as well, and sets the tone for other New England festivals to follow. Films included the outstanding soon-to-be-released-by-Miramax THE MAGDALENE SISTERS, about the inhuman living conditions Catholic girls were subjected to by Nuns in Ireland up until the 1990s, as well as the humorous musical BOLLYWOOD/HOLLYWOOD by veteran filmmaker Deepa Mehta and the low key, but amusing chic flic ANYTHING BUT LOVE (Andrew McCarthy). Harvard's Bob Moss made it down as well by popular demand with his SAME RIVER TWICE, which premiered earlier this year at Sundance and was showcased at Berlinale in February. What's fab about going from the biggest festival in the world to one of the nicer ones, is very simple: You can breath and remember what you might have forgotten at Cannes - how to enjoy movies.