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Setting: the Riviera building overlooking the waterfront, adjacent to the Palais de Festivals (Palace of Festivals, or gigantic building with red carpet in front, full of theatres in back)

Scene: endless buy/sell meetings rotating through the sun-drenched private terrace with a 180-degree view of the harbor, mountains and coastline.

Bonjour! Beautiful weather prevails here in Cannes, and now I’m a mini-mogul! Last week’s PR extravaganza included former Oasis front man Liam Gallagher’s press conference and photo shoot announcing his plunge into producing movies, and international TV interviews with documentary directors conducted on the rooftop terrace of the Palais Stephanie. Key learnings: off-camera just beyond the frame of any idyllic still or TV shot is always chaos, and leopard shoes for men are tres, tres chic.

This week, I’m off to assist a film company sell films. Something I didn’t realize before this trip was that the Marche du Film is a bigger deal, industry-wise, than the Festival itself. The Market is an enormous bazaar for films (existing, in production and only imagined). As with so much in life, it’s split between buyers and sellers, although some wear both hats. One of the most exciting films this particular company has for sale features Murray (Gingerballs) from Flight of the Conchords! The trailer is adorable, and I really hope it sells. I’m starting to think someone (moi?) should write a screenplay about taking a film to Cannes and getting it sold. Sort of like “Best in Show” except with films instead of dogs. You never know who has money in their pockets, everyone’s got a pitch, and the prevailing type seems to be an older man with frumpled shirt and messenger bag.

Meanwhile, I continue to gorge myself on the views and the food, and have strangely started speaking more Spanish (I really don’t know French, but Spanish is close enough that I translate from French to Spanish then to English, oddly enough). I’m a huge fan of the 6€ bottle of wine with lunch or dinner, have decided the best way to do Cannes is via yacht (after watching folks helicopter or motorboat in from their gigantic yachts in the harbor) and I swear to you the ice cream here is far, far better than in America. With only a week left, I’ve vowed to see more films, try more food, and spend time relaxing with the view…