You work in English
That’s not the issue
Cannes demands more
You’re pitching and defending your work again and again
If it’s not clear and positioned, people move on
Even native speakers practise
Your project. Your English. Your pitch.
English & pitch coaching for film professionals
Meetings are harder to secure, and easier to lose
Get in shape for the Croisette
Cannes Film Festival · Opens 12 May 2026
Most people are comfortable at one of these levels. Success at Cannes demands more from you. We help you practise to get to the level you need.
This isn't English practice. It's high-performance preparation for every conversation your project will face at Cannes.
No project at Cannes? We cover film and industry conversations too.
Don't get lost in the noise.
View packages →Cannes has changed. It’s not about discovery anymore, where projects are picked up on the strength of the idea alone. It’s about where your project fits, and how you sell it to the industry.
You have minutes to convince them your film travels. Territory, audience, comparable titles. They are deciding whether to stake their reputation on it.
They want to know where it sits in the market. You need to answer without sounding defensive about the budget or the cast.
You are asking someone to share creative control and financial risk. The language of partnership under pressure is different from a straight pitch.
The questions come fast and sideways. Return on investment. Completion bond. What happens if the lead drops out. You need to hold the room while answering things you did not expect.
They have a slate, a demographic and a content strategy you need to fit into. You are not just pitching a film, you are pitching a relationship.
You are talking attachments: talent, director, IP. The conversation moves between creative and commercial without warning. Following it in English while staying sharp is harder than it sounds.
No agenda, no materials, no safety net. Someone asks what you are working on. You have thirty seconds before they decide if it is worth more of their time. The most underrated meeting of the week, and the one people prepare for least.
drag to explore →
Not in any of these meetings? The networking conversation is where most people without a project get lost. That matters too.
Pitch the market value, not just the story. Buyers need to understand how a project can be packaged in a competitive market. They respond to pitches where the heavy lifting on positioning and audience has already been done.
This is for people across the film industry. Whatever your role, we build the sessions around your work and how you need to communicate it.
You are asked what the film is, fast. Tone. References. Why it works. You do not get time to circle into it.
You are explaining your project constantly. What it is. Why it matters. Why you. You are finding your voice in real time.
They go straight in. Where is it at. Who is in. What is confirmed. You either answer cleanly or you start losing ground.
You hear a project once and decide if it is worth more time. If it is unclear, you move on.
You are introducing yourself again and again. Who you are. What you are doing. Why now. It has to stay sharp.
You need to place the project immediately. What it is. Where it sits. Who it travels to. There is no slow build.
A lot of people go to Cannes without a project. But everyone is there for a reason. We practise how you talk about your industry, your work, and what brings you there, so you can handle those conversations with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
You are at Cannes without a project to pitch. You still need to work every conversation. Who you are, what you do, why you are there. In English. To people who do this every year. That is a skill and it needs practice.
Not every conversation at Cannes is about a deal. But all of them are an audition of some kind. How you speak about the industry, how you hold your own in a discussion, how you sound when you are not prepared.
Discussing what you are watching, what is getting buzz, what you think. Having a point of view in English, not just answering questions. This is what makes people want to keep talking to you.
Financing structures, territory deals, co-production logic, what the streamers are buying. Talking about the industry fluently in English changes how people read you in a room.
Cannes brings together over 35,000 people from around 160 countries. Conversations happen in many languages, but English has become the unofficial lingua franca.
We push how you explain your work, how you handle questions and how you hold it under pressure. The approach depends on what you need.
Building you up. Backing you. Strengthening your confidence so you walk in clear and ready. The focus is on what works and making it stronger.
This is the hard version. Direct. Probing. Sometimes uncomfortable. The questions a financier or sales agent will actually ask, at speed, without warning.
More sessions allow for more practice, more confidence, and a deeper look at your project, materials, and overall objectives.
All sessions are remote, scheduled around European timezone.
Cannes Refresh
1 × 60-minute session
£140 / €160
Meeting Ready
3 × 60-minute sessions
£390 / €450
Full Cannes Prep
5 × 60-minute sessions
£600 / €700
Also available
Not coming to Cannes with a project? Still need to be ready? These sessions focus on the conversations you will actually have, from networking, general discussion about the festival, talking about film and the wider industry.
For networking, general conversations and perfecting your voice in English at Cannes.
This package is not focused on high-stakes pitch preparation or helping you talk through decks and your materials.
2 × 60-minute 1:1 sessions
£180 / €220
Working to a tighter timeline or need something tailored? We can shape sessions around you.
Want to test how you handle Cannes conversations?
Try a quick Cannes-style pressure test and see how you respond to the kinds of questions you'll face at Cannes.
Try the Pressure Test →From day one, what I’ve always loved most is getting close to people and their projects, often passion projects they’ve spent years getting off the ground, and helping them share that with the world.
I’ve worked across film marketing for years, supporting producers, directors and filmmakers on how their projects are positioned, presented and communicated. That’s meant being involved across the whole project cycle, from development and getting greenlit, through production, post-production and promotion.
The magic of cinema and all the many parts that go into making a film before it even gets to the distribution stage, and all the hard work that goes into it, is something I’ve seen first-hand.
I’ve been privileged to witness and support people across these various stages, and I’ve also seen the importance of why festivals matter for so many filmmakers.
That’s why communication matters so much at these moments. Everyone needs practice when preparing for high-pressure situations. Even native speakers workshop their material, test their ideas and get coaching before the moments that matter.
But for film professionals who aren’t native English speakers, there’s a real gap. A regular English teacher or business tutor won’t cut it. They don’t understand the industry and can’t challenge you on your positioning or your thinking in a way that’s rooted in it.
Through this, combined with my past experience teaching English, I saw a clear gap in offering strategic support and coaching around how projects are positioned and presented, alongside more in-depth conversation practice.
This became the starting point for creating a service that combines coaching with advanced English conversation practice, tailored to the wider creative industries, including filmmakers.
Why do people need English coaching for Cannes?
At Cannes, conversations move quickly, questions are direct, and you often have one chance to explain your project clearly. This work focuses on helping you handle those moments in English, across pitches, meetings and day-to-day conversations.
My level of English is good enough for working in. Is this really for me?
For some it is good enough for the terrace and casual conversations. Others can work in English, but want more confidence, practice and fluency for general festival conversations.
Where many feel they need support is when it becomes more demanding. When you or your project is under the spotlight in the Marché, or comes under media or wider industry scrutiny on panels, you need to be clear and respond in the moment.
Even native speakers hire coaches before Cannes.
I know my project inside out. Why do I need to practise?
Knowing it and explaining it clearly under pressure in your second language are not the same thing.
I’m not sure what I need to work on before Cannes. Does this still make sense?
Yes. A lot of people go to Cannes without a fully formed project, or with something that is still being worked out. Many go to make connections, understand how the market is shifting and what people are looking for, and spend time in panels and conversations across the Marché du Film.
The sessions help you talk about your project in a way that holds up in those conversations, test how it lands and deal with questions when they come back at you, even if everything is not fully defined yet.
I am too busy. Can you help me prepare while I am in Cannes?
Ideally, the work happens before you go so you arrive ready and can make the most of your time there.
If that is not possible, we can work around you and your schedule while you are in Cannes. Some people may need a short booster session during the festival, ahead of a key meeting, event or issue that has come up that they want to workshop. We can work with you based on what you need.
Do I need business English preparation before Cannes?
Business English has its place. This is for people who need something more specific to the film industry and the situations they will face at Cannes.
The sessions are built around real conversations, with someone who understands how the industry works. It is not about general Business English or template-style conversation building blocks. They may provide a foundation, but they will not help you in the situations you will face at Cannes. It is about working through how you talk about your project, your work and your views, and preparing with someone who understands exactly what is required.
What matters most in Cannes meetings?
Buyers are not just listening to your story. They are looking for clarity on positioning, audience, partners and how a project fits into the market. Conversations move quickly and questions are direct. You need to explain your project clearly, respond in the moment and hold your ground when challenged.
Can you help me with my pitch and materials, or is this just English?
This is coaching. I do not rewrite your pitch or tell you how to position your project. What we do is work through how you explain it. I will ask direct questions, reflect things back and challenge areas that are unclear, so you can strengthen how you present it in conversation.
Can you help with my film strategy or positioning?
No. This is not a strategy or consulting service.
What we do is work through how you talk about your project. I will ask questions, challenge areas that are unclear, and reflect things back so you can strengthen how you explain it. That can give you things to think about, but the focus is always on how you communicate your work.
What happens in a session?
We work on your project and the conversations you are going to have at Cannes. You talk, I listen, I push. We go through how you explain your project, where it is not landing, and how you respond when questions come back at you.
For shorter or one-off sessions, you fill out a short summary beforehand so I have a clear idea of what you are working towards, both on your project and on the industry side. If it is one session, the priority is your project or your immediate needs, but we will keep some time for wider conversation around your sector.
The key here is for you to work on how you explain your project, with me listening and responding as if I am someone you would meet at the festival. That reflects what happens when you meet people at Cannes who do not know your project and you need to explain and sell it clearly, as well as talk about your wider sector and what is happening in the industry.
What is the difference between the sessions?
The difference is how far we go. Some sessions focus on how you explain your project and handling questions. Others go deeper, working through your meetings, your positioning and the situations you are walking into at Cannes.
Do you give homework?
Only if it is useful. I may give you things to read, watch or listen to so we can break them down in the next session and use them to shape how you talk about your project. I usually keep the work inside the sessions, but if needed we can also arrange additional feedback outside of them.
My project is sensitive. Do I need to share everything?
No. You only share what you are comfortable with. We can sign an NDA if needed. In most cases, people are preparing material they will be discussing openly at Cannes, so it is not usually necessary.
A few lines is enough. Tell me your role or the part of the industry you work in, why you’re heading to the festival, and what you’d like coaching help with.
Prefer to email directly? cannes@creative-speak.com