The festival markets may be declining, but data shows festival audiences growing. For festivals ready to adapt, that's great news for filmmakers: It's where the real opportunity lies. I’m headed to Cannes ! If you are too, let me know: dana@indiewire.com or text me on Google Voice: 323-435-7690 . With the 2026 Cannes Film Festival comes the annual ritual of belief: A film’s value is determined in a concentrated moment, when buyers, press, and audiences converge. That implicit agreement has