You're in charge of the Immersive Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, which has just completed its second year on the Croisette. How did you imagine the arrival of these new forms of storytelling at the festival?

At the outset, we had to think about what position to adopt in the face of the arrival of these new technologies, which I'll summarize as "spatial computing". We had to consider their impact on cinema, their position in the history of the 7th Art, and what they could bring to the table. There are many potential answers, but it was necessary to take a step back and analyze the advent of these technologies in the history of the medium, then anticipate their future and potential. Behind the opening of this immersive competition lies the conviction that we are in the presence of technologies that enable the advent of new artistic forms. To put this in perspective, I like to take the example of the advent of photography at a time when painting existed. At the time, some people suggested that photography was going to replace painting because it was more realistic. I think that with space computing technologies, we're facing the same kind of questions. In my opinion, it brings a new potential, a new way of telling stories, but without replacing cinema. I think cinema has its own destiny that it will pursue, whereas these technologies will be able to bring a new way of telling stories.

How are the works that make up the Cannes Film Festival's immersive program selected?

I think it's interesting to look back at the history of cinema at the time of its advent. The first experiments were very similar to theater: there was often a fixed shot, no cutting, a unity of action, place and time, which was akin to capturing a theater scene. It took time for the artists to create a cut-out, a scale of shots, and invent a language specific to this medium. In the same way, spatial computing technologies enable us to develop new forms of storytelling, which will be accompanied by a new language, still largely to be invented. In the selection process, we're looking for works that tell a story, but whose narrative emancipates itself from the language of film. That's the most important thing: we want things that tell a story, but that don't resemble cinema in any way. When a new medium appears, its interest comes not from imitating the existing, but from inventing something that emancipates itself from the existing medium.

How do the presentations of the selected works go?

The presentation of works is similar to a contemporary art exhibition, with a 1000m² space that we try to divide up according to the number of works in competition, to give each a specific place. We ask the artists to design the space in which the works are presented: onboarding is essential to psychologically condition the spectators to enter a universe different from reality, but also to enable them to leave it. It involves imagining the fictional universe they're about to enter, while accompanying them with hosts and hostesses on their way out. An immersive artist has the same requirements: he or she seeks to present his or her work in the best possible conditions, and we are concerned with sound conditions or even lighting so that visitors can immerse themselves in these creations.

You also run the Marché Immersif. This new B2B program, of which the Institut français is a partner, supports the rapprochement of the cinema and immersive technology sectors and is held on board the Art Explorer. Can you tell us what's involved? How have you worked with the Institut Français on this project?

If you ask any player in the immersive sector, I think they'll tell you that the main challenge today lies in meeting the general public. It's a challenge that concerns the whole industry, and there's a real need to pool our energies to try and find solutions. In the absence of a structured market, we have immersive works that circulate relatively little. As a festival, we're thinking about how we can improve the distribution of immersive works. Today, there are two main ways of distributing immersive works. The first is online, which enables "at home" consumption, relying on virtual reality headsets so that users can consume these works at home. This remains very limited, however, as these headsets are not distributed in large enough numbers, and the people who own them are mainly gamers, without necessarily any real appetite for more narrative or artistic formats. This distribution model is in a bit of difficulty, and may evolve, but the results are not very convincing. The second distribution method takes place in physical spaces, and we've noticed that there are museums and cultural centers that have sufficient space and audience for the distribution of immersive works. There are, however, obstacles, as these are players who are not necessarily accustomed to these creative formats, but there is potential, coupled with a desire to renew their audience and reach out to younger audiences. The Institut français is a very important partner, helping us to identify, in liaison with the French cultural network abroad, partners and venues on an international scale capable of hosting this type of work or wishing to do so. Its role is essential in helping to understand the issues at stake, and in bringing in professionals who aren't necessarily used to coming to the Cannes Film Festival.

The market helps develop the distribution of immersive works, while the competition is there to raise awareness of the birth of a new art form. These are two complementary strands, which together aim to promote the immersive medium to the general public.

What do you think of the two years of the Immersive Competition? And on this first edition of the Immersive Market?

We've created a foundation that today allows us to say that the event will be able to evolve in a very positive way. We were convinced that we needed two pillars - the Competition and the Market - to meet different objectives. The Market allows us to develop the distribution of immersive works, while the Competition is there to raise awareness of the birth of a new art form. The two are complementary, and together aim to promote the immersive medium to the general public. For the Market, we wanted to aim for efficiency by associating events dedicated to immersive art, with the prospect of meetings dedicated to concrete collaborations.

What developments are planned for future editions?

We're going to continue in this direction, with the idea of improving the distribution of works. In the case of the competition, one of the main targets remains the press, so that the selected works can reach the general public. This year, for a work like "Fillos do Vento: A Rapa", our team organized 22 interviews, generating two television appearances on RTVE and Telecinco, as well as some 50 articles in the Spanish and South American general press. The cumulative audience of the various press titles that relayed the project exceeds 600 million readers. We hope to continue in this direction. If these works are known beyond the festival, they will be able to circulate to a wider territory.