The red-carpet rituals and the battle for the 18-carat Palme D’Or trophy are a sideshow for most of the 40,000 delegates who typically descend upon the Mediterranean town. They’re in it for serious business — closing distribution deals between screenings and cajoling commissioners to sign the checks that keep the industry’s patchwork of production firms alive.
Source: Struggling Film Industry Needs Cannes for the Deals, Not Glitz