MetaCannes 2024 by Theta Network and The Squad Delivered AI and Tech-Forward Experiences to Attendees and Participants

General

CANNES,
FRANCE
–
June
3rd,
2024
– The
Squad,
in
collaboration
with
Theta
Network,
has
successfully
held
the
MetaCannes
Film3
Festival,
which
took
place
May
12
through
May
25,
2024.
The
2024
edition
of
the
event
provided
a
blockchain-based,
video
on-demand
film
festival
experience
with
world
premieres,
empowerment-focused
content
and
live
streaming
(a
first
for
2024).

Event
Highlights:

Community
and
Inclusion: MetaCannes
continues
to
support
underrepresented
voices
in
the
film
industry,
providing
a
platform
for
women
and
LGBTQIA+
communities
to
share
their
narratives
and
experiences.
Sian
Morson,
founder
of
The
BlkChain,
curated
one
Short
Film
Block
to
celebrate
the
diversity
of
BIPOC
voices
in
the
festival
lineup.
Women-Focused
Content: MetaCannes
also
hosted
a
curated
feed
sponsored
by

Herflix,
a
leading
streaming
platform
for
movies,
about,
for,
and
by
women.
Herflix
also
hosted
the
Better
World
Foundation
gala
as
part
of
the
main
Cannes
lineup,
with
attendance
from celebrated
actress
Juliette
Binoche,
virtuoso
pianist
Lang
Lang,
singer-songwriter
Joyce
Jonathan,
and
several
members
of
European
royalty.
Industry-Recognized
Host: The
Herflix
gala
was
hosted
by

Swan
Sit,
dubbed
the
“Queen
of
Clubhouse”
by
Forbes.
A
top
creator
in
marketing,
Swan
previously
served
as
the
Global
Head
of
Digital
Marketing
at
Nike,
Estée
Lauder,
and
Revlon.
Awards: Last
year,
the
Best
of
Fest
Award
went
to
the
BAFTA
and
Oscar
winner

AN
IRISH
GOODBYE,
this
year,
The
Squad
introduced
the
Next
Wave
of
Cinema
Awards,
the
Grand
Jury
Golden
Wave
Award
went
to

FREE
FALL
and
Special
Jury
Prize
AI
Cinema
to

FALLING
FROM
GRACE.
AI
Cinema: AI
took
the
central
stage
as
an
essential
element
of
Film3.
This
marked
the
second
year
MetaCannes
curated
AI
Cinema,
solidifying
its
commitment
to
innovation
and
inclusivity. This
year,
MetaCannes
introduced
MetaCannesNEXT,
a
new
segment
dedicated
to
AI
Cinema,
showcasing
how
artificial
intelligence
is
revolutionizing
filmmaking.
This
initiative
follows
the
trends
set
by
major
festivals
like
Sundance
and
SXSW,
focusing
on
new
forms
of
storytelling
and
distribution
technology.
Exclusive
Screenings: Attendees
enjoyed
award-winning
short
films
such
as The
Last
Ranger,
and The
Anne
Frank
Gift
Shop,
starring
notable
actors
like
Ari
Graynor
and
Chris
Perfetti.
The
lineup
also
premiered
a
new
short
by
Goya
Award-nominated
filmmaker
Rafa
Arroyo
and
works
by
AI
cinema
innovators
Nicolas
Neubert,
Dave
Clark
and
an
additional
world
premiere
from
Chikai
Ohazama.
Innovative
Technology: Powered
by
Theta
Network’s
patented
NFT-based
digital
rights
management
(DRM),
MetaCannes
offered
a
secure
and
transparent
platform,
allowing
seamless
access
to
film
screenings
and
panel
discussions.
This
technology
ensures
that
filmmakers
meet
studio
digital
rights
management
requirements
while
offering
an
added
layer
of
security.
NFT
Access: The
festival
kicked
off
with
the
release
of
two
exclusive
NFT
passes
on
May
3,
2024.
The
MetaCannes
Film3
Streaming
Pass
and
the
prestigious
Streaming
Gold
Pass
unlocked
access
to
a
curated
selection
of
films
and
special
content,
enhancing
the
viewer’s
experience
with
blockchain
technology.
Passholders
also
unlocked
exclusive
access
to
creators
in
a
token-gated
Discord
channel.

Statements
from
the
Organizers:

Jordan
Bayne,
founder
of
The
Squad,
remarked,
“At
MetaCannes,
community
is
the
utility,
and
Film3
is
the
product.
We
are
proud
to
lead
the
charge
in
transforming
the
film
industry,
making
it
more
inclusive
and
accessible
through
technology.”

Mitch
Liu,
CEO
of
Theta
Labs,
added,
“Our
collaboration
with
The
Squad
for
MetaCannes
2024
exemplifies
our
commitment
to
leveraging
blockchain
and
AI
technology
to
empower
filmmakers
and
audiences
worldwide.”

About
MetaCannes:

MetaCannes
Film3
Festival
is
the
first
on-chain,
on-demand
virtual
film
festival
in
the
world,
pioneering
the
integration
of
blockchain
technology
with
cinematic
experiences.
By
hosting
a
fully
virtual
festival,
MetaCannes
reaches
a
global
audience,
offering
a
unique
platform
for
filmmakers
and
film
enthusiasts
to
engage
with
cinema
in
new
and
innovative
ways.

—-

About
Jordan
Bayne

Jordan
Bayne is
an
award-winning
filmmaker
and
founder
of

The
Squad,
the
original
media
collective
producing
content
on
Web3
x
film,
the
originators
of
the
Film3
movement,
and
the
premier
destination
for
those
building
the
new
Film3
ecosystem.
Her
short
film
THE
SEA
IS
ALL
I
KNOW
starring
Academy
Award
Winner
Melissa
Leo
was
an
Oscar
contender,
and
her
historic
short
motion
picture
RED
FLAGS
was
minted
on
Zora
in
January
2022
and
collected
by
the
iconic
Claire
Silver.
She
has
always
been
passionate
about
building
a
better
future
for
filmmakers
and
has
spoken
on
over
700
spaces/panels/interviews
on
Film3
as
the
Next
Wave
of
Cinema.
She
is
also
the
founder
of

MetaCannes
Film3
Festival,
co-founder
of
the
Film3
Summit,
and
her
Podcast,
The
Film3
OG
and
the
Next
Wave
of
Cinema
is
on
Spotify
and
Apple.

About
Theta
Labs

Theta
Labs
pioneered

Theta
Network,
the
leading
blockchain
decentralized
cloud
for
AI,
media
and
entertainment.

Theta
EdgeCloud
is
the
first
hybrid
cloud-edge
computing
AI
platform,
powered
by
the
Theta
Edge
Network
with
over
10,000
active
global
edge
nodes
and
80
PetaFLOPS
of
always
available
distributed
GPU
compute
power.
Theta
is
among
the
top
10
DePIN
blockchains
by
market
capitalization
listed
on
both

Coinmarketcap
and

Coingecko,
and
among
the
top

AI
tokens
on
Binance.com. Theta
EdgeCloud
Video
is
a
turn-key
Web3
video
API
for
developers
offering
significantly
lower
video
transcoding
and
content
delivery
costs.
Theta’s
Web3
infrastructure
including

ThetaDrop
NFT
marketplace
and

Theta
Web3
Theatre
enable
entertainment
companies
to
drive
new
revenues
and
community
engagement.

Backed
by
Google,
Samsung,
Sony,
Creative
Artists
Agency,
and
Binance,
Theta’s
enterprise
validator
and
governance
council
is
composed
of
global
market
leaders.
Theta
has
partnered
with
leading
entertainment
brands
including
Lionsgate,
MGM,
Katy
Perry,
American
Idol,
The
Price
is
Right,
Taste
of
Home,
and
more.
Popular
platforms
utilizing
Theta’s
Web3
infrastructure
include
MetaCannes
Film3
Festival,
FuseTV,
CONtv
Anime,
WPT,
PetCollective,
FailArmy,
and
other
OTT
streaming
services.
Theta’s
strategic
corporate
investors
include

Samsung
NEXT,

Sony
Innovation
Fund,

Bertelsmann
Digital
Media
Investments
and

CAA.

For
all
information
about
this
release,
please
contact anna.ivanova@eakdigital.com.