HP will celebrate independent filmmaking at this year’s Cannes Film Festival by hosting various events showcasing the role of HP technology in the creation of film and in the way consumers enjoy and engage with film and music.  As part of HP’s collaboration with Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, HP will also host an intimate performance by Ella Eyre.

HP, whose partnership with the Festival continues into its 11^th year, not only provides critical technology infrastructure for the Festival, but also to a host of independent filmmakers and major Hollywood studios. HP also creates the iconic building wraps that adorn the Palais des Festivals using HP Scitex digital printing solutions.

HP’s association with film began more than 75 years ago in David Packard’s garage, where he and Bill Hewlett created HP’s first product, an audio oscillator that was later sold to Disney and played a key role in supplying sound effects for its seminal work, Fantasia.

Industry Panel Sessions

Throughout this year’s Festival HP will host workshops to demonstrate the pivotal role that its technology plays in the creation of entertainment. This will include a panel session highlighting the opportunity visual effects (VFX) offer for independent filmmakers as technology becomes more accessible and VFX is no longer associated only with high budget Hollywood films.  The session is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 17, from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. in the NEXT Pavilion at the Marché du Film.

The panel focus, ‘VFX for Independent Film and Beyond’ features panelists including Will Cohen, CEO & executive producer, Milk; Nick Hirschkorn, managing director & executive producer, Feel Films; Adam Dewhirst, senior 3D artist, The Mill; and Rebecca-Louise Leybourne, Motion Capture Technician, The Imaginarium Studios. The panel will be moderated by prominent film journalist, Helen O’Hara.

Additionally, HP will host a workshop to showcase how women in film are redefining independence and breathing new life into independent filmmaking.  

The panel focus, ‘Cutting Edge Collaborators: Women Achieving in Film’ features panelists including Grace McPhillips, actress and executive producer of The Other One, Sterling Rock Productions; Kate Perotti, producer of Heatstroke (Gus Van Sant EP) and CEO of Endale Pictures; Komal Minhas, producer of Dream, Girl and owner of KoMedia Inc.; Kylie Flavell, TV host and producer, Stessa Onda Productions; and Susie Wilson, producer at Dwarf Labs, and will be moderated by film journalist Helen O’Hara.  The panel will take place on Tuesday, May 19, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Deauville room at the Hôtel Majestic Barrière.

Exclusive Screening of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

HP is also hosting a private screening of new BBC drama Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell followed by a Q&A with its director Toby Haynes; producer Nick Hirshkorn; and visual effects studio Milk’s CEO Will Cohen. The session will take place on Monday, May 18, in the Hôtel Majestic Barrière from 4:45 – 7:15 p.m.

HP will screen the debut episode plus an advanced showing of episode two of the hotly-anticipated new television drama series. Directed by Toby Haynes and adapted by Peter Harness from Susanna Clarke's best-selling novel of the same name, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is an epic tale of the return of magic to Georgian England. Milk, a BAFTA award-winning, independent, visual effects company created all the visual effects for Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell using HP Workstations.

HP Connected Music Showcase with Ella Eyre

Via HP’s partnership with Universal Music Group, singer and songwriter Ella Eyre will perform an exclusive live set at the Hôtel Majestic Barrière on Wednesday, May 20.  In the short time Ella Eyre has been on the scene, she has reached number one in the charts with Rudimental, collaborated with a wide range of talented artists and co-written a number one single for Sigma and Paloma Faith. This summer sees the release of her debut album, Feline, and a new single ‘Together’, due to be released on 17 May. As winner of the influential BBC Sound of 2014 and the BRIT Critics' Choice Award, Ella is poised for superstardom.

The HP Connected Music radio streaming service is available on all Microsoft® Windows® 8.1 -powered HP consumer desktop and notebook PCs in six countries across Europe. HP customers not only gain access to Universal Music Group’s unrivalled catalogue for 12 months, completely ad-free, but they also benefit from a host of content on the world’s leading artists, including exclusive photos, videos and news, and also have the opportunity to win tickets to HP Connected Music private showcases.

Capturing the Cannes Experience

HP will offer attendees at the Festival the chance to capture their Cannes experience.  HP branded bikes carrying HP printers will be present on La Croisette, offering on-the-spot photo printing or alternatively, the opportunity to enter a competition to win an HP tablet each day for the most creative ‘HP Selfie on La Croisette’ using #BendTheRules.

In addition, HP will showcase Sprout by HP, the world’s first immersive computer, with daily demos in the HP Studio at the Hôtel Majestic Barriere. Sprout by HP's revolutionary new features blend the physical and digital worlds.  At its core is a high-performance All-In-One PC allowing users to go from thought to expression in an instant.  Sprout is part of HP’s vision to humanize technology and make it tangible, giving users a new way to interact with their content.

As well as Sprout, HP will also showcase its latest consumer devices in the HP Studio. These include the new HP Spectre x360, a 13.3 inch (33.7cm) convertible PC that delivers an ultra-thin design in an aluminum chassis, weighing just 3.3 pounds (1.49 kg), with additional versatility to experience multiple modes in one device. Other featured products will include the latest generation HP Pavilion x360, HP ENVY x2, HP Pavilion Mini, HP OMEN gaming notebook and the new HP Pavilion All-in-One PC.