Based in London, Gabereau is founder and CEO of distributor Modern Films and has been attending Cannes for more than 20 years, securing future award-winning titles such as Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s award-winning Drive My Car.
Typical Cannes breakfast? Paracetamol with caffeine and a Berocca vitamin tablet, followed by a herbal tea and piece of fruit, then coffee, before heading out to an 8:30am screening.
Best place for a healthy lunch? The beachfront buffets can be very healthy if you have fish and salad, and not too much rosé. It’s best to get invited to an event to mix nourishment with mingling.
Your favourite restaurant? I love going to La Brouette de Grand Mère. Family-run, local and seasonal food, and always a bit raucous.
Craziest Cannes memory? There are so many, from Rocketman with the Elton-Taron duet to the Toni Erdmann party where we danced alongside Sandra Hüller. Then there was a dinner with Wong Kar-wai and Gong Li, where two duelling families’ dogs attacked each other in the street like a scene from West Side Story, and a drink at the Hotel du Cap where Arnold Schwarzenegger sat next to me, only to get up and Keanu Reeves to take his place.
Most memorable film you’ve ever seen in Cannes? Drive My Car in 2021 and Toni Erdmann, which I was lucky enough to acquire from The Match Factory and release in the UK and Ireland. The energy around it was electric. Great film and great filmmakers that I have continued to work with.
Top Cannes survival tip? Good, versatile shoes and plasters. Even your most reliable footwear hurts in Cannes.
Your first year in Cannes? It was in 2001 and I was a programmer for the Cambridge Film Festival and on the City Screen (now Picturehouse) team.
Who are you most looking forward to seeing in Cannes this year? I am looking forward to seeing sales agents I like working with; international distributors who I work with year-round to align our mutual releases; film critic friends for their unbiased opinion; festival programmers for their insight on the line-up; quite a few producers; and some TV buyers and streamers to discuss their possible license interests for the UK.
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