Latest Blogs

May is just kicking-off, and once again Stage 32 will be present at the Film Festival in Cannes. Is this your first time attending? Then read on! I am here to take you all through what the festival offers and what to do and expect as a Stage 32 member attending for the first time, as I was just a few years ago! The festival starts on the 12th of May and will end on the 23rd of May. So, you'll have 12 days to be around professional filmmakers, sun, ocean, and delicious food. But what should you...

Happy Friday, Creative Army! I want to start this one with a date: August 31, 1939. The very first Cannes Film Festival was scheduled to open the following day, September 1st. By the time the sun rose, Hitler had invaded Poland, World War II was beginning, and the festival was cancelled before it ever started. The premieres were called off. The talent went home. And the world that the festival was meant to celebrate was about to change forever. Most of us walk past that history without eve...

Happy Thursday, Creative Army! The Cannes Film Festival in France is right around the corner! For those of you who missed it, we recently announced the official Cannes 2026 Stage 32 events schedule and partnerships right HERE on the Stage 32 Blog. Being involved each year in coordinating industry-leading panels with remarkable expert panelists from all over the world is one of our greatest honors and pleasures. This year, we're particularly proud of the panel that we've put together in the...

Cannes is just around the corner…and this year feels different. In the best possible way. The festival was built as a counterweight to mainstream cinema, a home for the visionaries and provocateurs that Hollywood didn't know what to do with. But somewhere along the way, the counterweight became the main event. Cannes is no longer counter-programming against the American behemoths. It is the destination: for the industry, for the culture, and increasingly, for anyone who cares about where story...

Every year, Cannes evolves. New films. New deals. New faces. But the one thing that has remained constant, year after year, is this: The real magic of Cannes happens in the conversations. The unexpected introductions. The late-night discussions. The moments where ideas turn into collaborations and strangers become creative partners. And if you’ve been to Cannes over the last decade, you’ve likely experienced another constant, too: RB Botto. For more than 10 years, Stage 32 Founder...

Every year on May 4th, something special happens. Fans across the world celebrate Star Wars: the stories, the characters, the moments that shaped their childhoods, their careers, and in many cases, their decision to pursue storytelling in the first place. For me, it’s always been a little extra meaningful. It’s my birthday… but it’s also a reminder of how powerful a story can be when it translates across generations, languages, mediums, and cultures. Because Star Wars isn’t just a franchis...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! I hope your weekend has been a creative one so far. Whether you have been writing, filming, editing, or sketching out the next spark of an idea, I have something today that will give you a boost. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in. This week’s featured video comes from Vanity Fair: Emerald Fennell Breaks Down a Scene From Wuthering Heights. What I love about this breakdown is how clearly Emerald talks about every creative choice coming from an emotional pla...

If you are considering attending the Cannes Film Festival Marché du Film for the first time but are unsure whether you will be able to navigate it, keep reading. I was in your shoes before I decided to take the plunge in 2024! I hope sharing my experience will give you that final push you need and help you make the most of your time there. First A Bit Of Context I am a director based in Dubai. Earlier that year, a grounded sci-fi thriller feature film I wrote was selected for a series of work...

In the current gold rush of the mid-2020s, every studio is still digging for the next Marvel. We have built a sophisticated vocabulary for success. We know how to scale and how to monetize. However, our fixation on the winners has left us illiterate in the language of failure. We treat a collapsed franchise like a simple lack of luck. In reality, a failed storyworld is a specific, measurable pathology. To build a narrative that lasts, we have to stop looking at the monuments and start performi...

About the 2026 Cannes Film Festival Marché du Film The countdown is on—the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is just around the corner, running May 12–20, 2025, in the breathtaking city of Cannes, France. For over a decade, Stage 32 has proudly partnered with the Marché du Film as an official education partner, and this year, we’re taking things to new heights! Whether you’re a seasoned Cannes regular or planning your first adventure to the Croisette, 2026 promises to be one of the...