A Peek at Cannes Film Festival’s Infamous PJ Party and Its Benefits
Posted on: Aug 27, 2024
Photo Credit: TMP - An Instant of Time // ShutterstockOne of my favorite things in the entertainment industry is making friends and learning from the amazing people I meet along the way—like Deborah Karpinski and Ilan Ben-Yehuda.
The two of them managed the infamous PJ Party at Cannes Film Festival for film director Maxim Jago and producer David DeBorde, founders and hosts of The PJ Party. I thought they would be the perfect people to ask how parties at festivals can be beneficial to your career, and how to make the most of them. Here’s some of their great advice:
Parties let you bond with people
Most festivals have panels or Q&As, and of course screenings. Some have vendor markets. These are great events to share with other people, but when you go to a party—even the really fancy parties where people are posing for the camera—you have an experience that you share with others in an interactive way. The parties are effective because you feel like you actually go through something with someone, and that’s as close as you can get to being in production with them. At a good party, like in production, there are different emotions. You share food and drinks together. You bond in ways you can’t at screenings or panels.
Finding the parties
Finding the right bar or gathering place at a festival can be one pathway to meeting others. Some festivals, like Cannes, have a list of parties they announce. When the American Film Market was in Los Angeles, there was a certain hour that everyone just showed up to the lobby bar and you could walk in off the street and hang out with people for happy hour. Most festivals have a spot like that. At Cannes, it’s the lawn of the Mondrian Hotel (formerly Le Grand Hotel). You meet people and can inquire about parties there. Look for easy-access free spots to gather with others as a starting point. You can ask anyone you meet if there are any events or parties they recommend or are excited about.
Eventbrite is also a great platform to find parties, because that’s where many sell tickets. Volunteering for parties is a great “in.” Once you volunteer and work one party, you’ll meet the people running other parties. They will likely invite you. There are also groups on WhatsApp or Facebook for each festival, with resources that will lead you to all types of groups.
The best thing you can do is find your tribe and jump in. Deborah offered a tip for Cannes that really applies to all gatherings: “You have to be here to be here. I think the best advice is: go. Go to the festivals and go to the parties. If you don’t get in, you don’t get in. You can still stand in line, and you still have an opportunity to meet people.”
What are the best parties?
Ilan pointed out that not all parties are created equal, but he thinks the more relaxed parties may be your best chance to make real connections. Conversations are easier. At high-profile parties with celebrities, the celebrities are working on the clock representing sponsors or projects. They’re attending several parties a night with a script and agenda in place. “The more photography and dressing up that happens, the more self-conscious people are. There’s just always a little stiffness to the fancier parties, whereas ones that are more relaxed allow for more real conversations where people open up easier,” Ilan shared.
At the party
People are the biggest resource. Enjoy yourself, and don’t worry too much about whether you should pitch or not. You don’t really have to worry because it seems everyone wants, or at least expects you to pitch. Everybody wants to hear your ideas and everybody wants to hear each other’s ideas. When Ilan and Deb attend, they want to hear everybody else’s idea.
Their advice for pitching yourself without pitching yourself is just enjoy yourself, be interested in other people’s pitches, and be patient. Everyone’s working on a number of projects. You have to ask yourself which one are you the most passionate about? It’s inspiring to talk to people who are passionate about what they’re creating. It helps you to stand out.
Connecting others is also a great way to build a network. Connecting others with people you know that would be great for them to meet is a bona fide way to build up inspiration and interest in yourself.
They’re going to ask you what you’re working on. Or, if you’re excited about an idea that you’re working on, just try “Hey, I’m really excited about this thing. Can I tell you about it?”
What about following up?
Festivals and parties are a celebration of the love of our industry. If you go in with the attitude of just pitching and selling yourself, you might struggle. If you realize everyone is there to geek out over the industry, it becomes a lot more fun, which can be a powerful bonding agent. People often end up working with others because they like them. You’ll be far more successful if you go to festivals and parties to create community instead of content.
As you build community and friendships, you can reach out via social media later, or perhaps by email or phone if they share that information with you. If you’ve connected with someone, you can set up a follow-up meeting for further vibe checks. If you’re not feeling vibes with someone, don’t do it. Just let it go rather than force it.
In terms of following up with people post-party, Deborah said, “We reached out with something like, ‘Hey, we got along great at the party, let’s meet up again in a couple of days,’ and we set up a time before we left France to meet up for lunch where we could talk more freely and comfortable away from the party atmosphere for a vibe check. There was no agenda to the meeting at all. It was just to get to know each other a little better.”
As you deepen friendships, it turns into exchanging projects, favors, getting advice from each other and working together. You have to make opportunities to genuinely touch in on each other’s lives to maintain relationships.
Deborah and Ilan iterated that parties are certainly fun, and you can walk away with a ton of benefits when you have the right strategy in place. With so many to choose from, it seems the best strategy is to find the tribe that fits you best, and focus on building community first. Film and TV require crews of people working together for long hours, and you have to be able to have genuine support, kindness and respect for each other to make magic happen—whether it’s on the red carpet, at a party or on a set.
Ilan Ben-Yehuda studied masks, clowning, screenwriting and massage therapy while working on film, television and theater as an actor, director and writer. After surviving NYC and returning to Los Angeles, he settled in Santa Barbara where he continues to write and develop material for the stage and screen.
After studying architecture and interior design Deb was immediately hired as a Disney Imagineer. Before long, she was fully immersed in architecture as a drafter, designer, and project manager. While continuing her own architecture practice she produced reality television internationally, wrote, directed and produced an animated featurette for an animated film she developed, and managed a television and film development and production company. She wears many hats in event production and design while continuing to provide her architecture services for luxury estates and hospitality.
Jessica Mathis (AKA Divinity Rose) is an award winning screenwriter/performer/producer from Louisville, Kentucky. She is the CEO of She Dreams Content Development and Production, which focuses on female forward projects in comedy, docustyle and genre entertainment.
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