8
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LMGI COMPASS
|
Summer 2026
IN THE
NEWS
The LMGI
at the 79th
Cannes Film
Festival
LMGI Board member
Michael Glaser was proud
to represent the LMGI at
Cannes this year, marking
the 79th annual occasion of
the world's most celebrated
film festival. This year was
particularly notable for
widespread discussions
about AI and a significant
international presence
at the Marché du Film,
underscoring the importance
of fostering relationships
across the global film
industry.
Glaser was invited to speak
on a panel at the USA Film
Pavilion in the Marché du
Film. The panel, focused
on powering production
in California, featured
fellow speakers Colleen
Bell (Executive Director
of the California Film
Commission), Cassandra
Hesseltine (Humboldt Del-
Norte Film Commissioner)
and moderator Fata Mijeh
(Executive Director of
Film San Francisco). The
discussion covered the
importance of job creation
for local economies,
California's support for
small, independent and
emerging filmmakers, and
how the state's various
film commissions plan to
proactively engage with
newly enhanced state film-
incentive legislation. Colleen
Bell warmly noted that
"California is open and ready
for business."
The festival also offered
rich opportunities
to connect with film
commissions from around
the world. Glaser held
a myriad of productive
meetings focused on
future collaborations,
including discussions with
Clara Le of The Location
Guide and FOCUS, and
Kate Hughes and Jordan
McGarry of FOCUS about
organizing an LMGI panel
at the 2026 FOCUS
show in London. He also
met with Piluca Querol
of the Andalucía Film
by Ines Glaser
L-R: Kate Hughes/FOCUS, Jordan McGarry/FOCUS, Clara Le/FOCUS, Michael
Glaser/LMGI
L-R: Michael Glaser/LMGI, Benjamin Hendriks/LMGI, Carolina Yepes/International
Development Coordinator
"Cannes is far more than just a film festival; for the
LMGI, it's a rich environment for forging the global
relationships that sustain our place in the ever-
evolving industry. It provides a 'stage' to propel our
unique trade as one that is vital for production;
today and long into the future. Being on the
ground there allows us to bridge the gap between
international production needs and the expertise
of our members while building and maintaining
relationships with business partners new and old."
–Michael Glaser/LMGI
Commission to discuss an
LMGI panel at the first-ever
2026 Comic-Con San Diego
Málaga, which we will do in
addition to our usual Comic-
Con San Diego panel this
month.
On the international
partnerships front, Glaser
met with Dolores Montaño
(IBEROFIC/Buenos Aires
Film Commission) to explore
Fam Tours across Central
and South America and
Spain, as well as educational
zooms connecting U.S.
location managers with
