About Occupy Cannes

Lloyd Kaufman and the Troma Team have been a staple of the Cannes Film Festival since 1974.  Renowned for guerrilla tactics and provocative artistry to sell films, Troma's audacious performances spark both controversy and curiosity.

“Give art back to the people!” Kaufman implores through a bullhorn on the Festival Croisette. (Before him, the Troma Team spews green slime and writhes on the red carpet in a renowned “Troma Melt Down.” This provocative act symbolizes the independent filmmakers' struggle to be heard amidst the clamor of  Hollywood studios, depicted as noisy zombies that crowd out the independents and infect the general public with their uniformity.

“Occupy Cannes” is presented through the lens of Kaufman’s daughters and asks: does Kaufman’s defiant stance attract coveted buyers, or ostracize Troma from the industry’s inner circle? Can Troma survive in an ever shifting and consolidating entertainment industry? Can any independent artist survive? 

The documentary features verité moments at home with Kaufman, behind-the-scenes chaos from the Troma vault, and an original score by Filipe Melo, with animation and graphics by Mike Shapiro and Sean McGrath. Filmed on over five types of cameras, "Occupy Cannes" captures the raw and riotous spirit of a movement that brought Troma fans and volunteers from France, the UK, Japan, Spain, Italy, Finland, Iceland, and beyond to take part in the #occupycannes movement. 

Known for a universe of superheroes with a global cult following, NYC-based Troma Entertainment may be the last surviving truly independent film studio. Trey Parker, Matt Stone and James Gunn are Troma proteges you’ve heard of and there are hundreds of other young artists who have found a voice with the company.

For nearly 50 years, Kaufman has built a cult following for independent films known for blood, guts and gore with a message. To The New York Times he is “A cinematic practitioner of bad taste” to filmmakers like Stan Lee (creator of Spider-Man) and James Gunn (Superman, MARVEL’s Guardians of The Galaxy), Lloyd Kaufman is a visionary. 

From Troma’s streaming platform, TromaNow to festivals celebrating independent artists TromaDance, Kaufman gives a voice to those who might otherwise never find their way past the tightly controlled Hollywood gatekeepers. Kaufman has fought tirelessly to elevate voices of underrepresented filmmakers who are excluded by the Hollywood mainstream. 

Troma has acquired hundreds of films that big studios ignore. Trey Parker, Matt Stone and James Gunn, are Troma proteges you’ve heard of, and there are hundreds of other young filmmakers and artists who have found a voice with the company. 

Troma is a microcosmic case study for independent filmmakers everywhere who suffer from media conglomeration and vertical integration. Our film makes the case for why it is important to protect artistic freedom and to ensure that all artists have the ability to get their art seen. Media conglomeration has reduced the number of opinions and voices available to the public. This is a threat to democracy itself. 

Why now?  Occupy Cannes elevates the crisis that media consolidation is causing not just for Troma, but for all independent filmmakers and artists. Networks have merged with studios and production companies, independent theaters have perished. Vertical integration and conglomerates have squeezed out the little guy.

Rooted in his own experience, Lloyd has been an unrelenting advocate for independent expression and fighter of media consolidation. His micro budget productions and message of “be true to thine own self” have inspired countless fans to look beyond the multiplexes and strip malls of mainstream America. His “Make Your Own Damn Movie” movement has inspired a generation of independent filmmakers to create art.

“Occupy Cannes” asks, can Troma survive in an ever shifting and consolidating entertainment industry? Can any independent artist survive? 

“Occupy Cannes” is made possible with support from the New York State Council on the Arts.