Ela Ilham Schoening
+ 1 Guests
Abigail Hills
+ 3 Guests
Ashley Fester
+ 1 Guests
Sohrab Mirmont
+ 1 Guests
Katharina Suckale
+ 2 Guests
Angelica Perez-Castro
+ 1 Guests
Vlada Prudnyk
Molly Poussart
Kelly Lind
+ 1 Guests
Toni D'Antonio
+ 1 Guests
Karyne B Morris
+ 2 Guests
Patricia Hetherington
+ 3 Guests
Kyra Fields
+ 3 Guests
Hagan Manfredi
+ 1 Guests
Floran Royer
+ 1 Guests
Vineet Chhatria
+ 1 Guests
Lana Spehar
+ 1 Guests
James Mellor
Juliane Papazian
+ 1 Guests
Derek Johnson
+ 2 Guests
Noah Scharer
+ 1 Guests
| Where: |
Brown Sugar Gastro Pub Le Carre d'Or, 17 Rue des Frères Pradignac Cannes, France |
|---|---|
| When: |
Sunday, May 17th 6:00PM - |
Please note: the correct time is 6:00pm local time in Cannes
Those who have attended Cannes over the last decade know that the Stage 32 Cannes Meetup has become one of the most anticipated and talked-about gatherings of the entire festival. It’s where real connections are made, collaborations begin, and the global creative community comes together in a meaningful way.
This year, we’re excited to bring that experience to a new home.
For 2026, the Stage 32 Cannes Meetup will be held as part of our Stage 32 Pop-Up Bar Event: RB & Gary’s Brown Sugar, where we’ll be taking over the iconic Brown Sugar Gastro Pub for the full weekend. Located in the heart of Cannes on the Carré d’Or, Brown Sugar is one of the festival’s most well-known and beloved gathering spots, making it the perfect setting to combine the magic of Cannes with the magic of Stage 32.
We couldn’t be prouder to partner with Brown Sugar's owner, Gary, to create an unforgettable experience for our community.
Join Stage 32 Founder & CEO Richard “RB” Botto, Managing Director Amanda Toney, and Head of Community Ashley Smith, along with creatives and industry professionals from around the world, for an evening of connection, conversation, and opportunity.
If you have a film at Cannes, we’d love to celebrate you, please let us know in the comments below!
If you’ll be attending Cannes and are interested in volunteering with the Stage 32 team during the festival, please email Ashley at Community@Stage32.com.
Event Details:
Event: Stage 32 Cannes 2026 Meetup
Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm local Cannes time
Location: RB & Gary’s Brown Sugar
Le Carré d’Or
17 Rue des Frères Pradignac
06400 Cannes, France
Brown Sugar offers a standout selection of beer and wine, including Brewdog Punk IPA on tap, a locally brewed English-style Pale Ale, Belgian beers, and traditional German and French lagers. Their wine list highlights small independent growers, with most selections exclusive within Cannes, and they’ve built a reputation for expertly crafted gin offerings.
The 12 Days of the History of Cannes
Gary, the unforgettable owner of Brown Sugar is launching 12 days of the history of Cannes that you did not know about. You will see what made the red carpet what it is today. Make sure to join the "Cannes Revisited" community for FREE here and get daily updates on the history of Cannes starting on the first day of the festival! Sign up for FREE here!
We hope you’ll join us for an unforgettable night in Cannes!
5 people like this
You
Hi Ashley,
I hope you’re doing well!
I came across the Stage 32 Cannes Meetup for May and saw that you’re looking for volunteers. I would absolutely love to be involved. It would be a real pleasure to support the event and contribute in any way that’s helpful.
I speak both French and English fluently, which I imagine could be useful on-site, especially in Cannes. I’ll also already be in town during the festival, as my family has a place there, so I’m very flexible and available.
I’ve always admired how Stage 32 brings creatives together in such a meaningful way, and it would truly mean a lot to me to help create that experience for others while also being part of it.
Please let me know if there’s anything you’d like from me or how I can best support.
Thank you so much, and I’d be thrilled to be part of it!
Warmly,
Ela
1 minute ago
5 people like this
See you in May. I look forward to meeting the global creative community in person!
5 people like this
I'm really looking forward to this event!
Quick question: Last year this event took place at the American Pavilion (my first Stage 32 appearance), and this year it's in a different location. Does it always take place in a different location each year?
5 people like this
Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
5 people like this
It's great that you will be there the whole weekend! Can we just come and hang out? Or is it best to meet Stage 32 members on Sunday evening for the official meet up?
5 people like this
Look forward to meeting you all.
5 people like this
I wish I could meet everyone!
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Heya guys! Really excited to meeting this great community in person for the first time.
Hopefully booking in some pitch meetings for my projects on my slate too.
Big appreciation to the team for organising!
3 people like this
@Vince, it's not a different location every year. For the last few years, it was hosted at the American Pavilion. However, last year we had almost 1,000 attendees, so we outgrew the space a bit. A very wonderful problem to have. =)
3 people like this
@Peter, yes, the pop-up bar will be all weekend long, so you can absolutely swing by at other times too!
4 people like this
There is a particular gravity to gatherings where people who already know each other choose to be in the same room again. Cannes does that. The bar setting matters because it filters out the performance and leaves the conversation. The work writers come back with is rarely the deal that closed there. It is the relationship that closed two years later because you were in the room when someone needed to remember you. Hope it is a strong week for everyone.
6 people like this
Looking forward to meeting everyone in Cannes. Excited for great conversations and new connections.
4 people like this
See you there! :)
4 people like this
Looking forward to seeing all of you in Cannes!! This year I'm bringing my own feature film... my first!... checking out options for distribution... Cheerio!!
2 people like this
Ashley Renée Smith Amanda has told me to talk with you about me playing some guitar at our Stage32 gathering on Sunday evening. DM and let's see it its manageable!
3 people like this
Looking forward to meeting everyone in Cannes. Excited for great conversations and new global connections!
3 people like this
I'll be loitering around - more likely Sat, hope you meet you all!
2 people like this
Hey all! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at Cannes. Feel free to DM me. I'm a director/producer/writer from South Africa and am always open to collaborations and expanding my network.
2 people like this
Looking forward to seeing everyone at Cannes. Lost my profile and repopulating it. Kindly feel free to DM, and reach out.
We are coming to Cannes with a slate of Our documentaries in post production, A Turkish Cop Drama almost ready for festival journey and a Project that premiered at Cinemart this year.
our dealer co-production, Spying Stars, by Camera d'Or winner, Vimukthi Jayasundar, which premiered in Busan, is still doing festival rounds, and so is our short film, Abja and Her Picked Eggs.
Cannot wait to make some meaningful connection this Cannes.
1 person likes this
Arriving Tuesday morning and staying 10 minutes from the event. I'm very proud and happy to help out in any way! my WhatsApp is +30 697 759 9023
3 people like this
Hi everyone, I'll unfortunately be leaving Cannes on Sunday, 17th, in the morning, but would love to catch up with anyone for a drink/coffee beforehand. I'll be there from the 12th! Hope you all have fun and have some great networking opportunities. :) my email is: invaultfilms@gmail.com
2 people like this
Kia Ora everyone. I'll be there. I have a film in the Short Film Corner (a drama called Garage), and will be speaking to people about what I do in London (a filmmaking organisation called Action On The Side), and looking at microbudget and anthology projects. Looking forward to connecting.
1 person likes this
Looking forward to this. See you there!
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Can't wait!
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I’m looking forward to meeting you all :-)
Hi everyone I am in Cannes till May 21st pitching two new feature projects one of them of French director Matthieu Jorrot also a stage 32 member. I am coming with a Portuguese filmmaker that has a short film in the short corner section!
Come see our short film, 8:38 screening May 18th at 6pm Block 3, at Diversity in Cannes at the Hotel Gray D’Albion and at the SFC on May 20 at 4:30 PM in Palais F!
The event was fantastic, thank you to all the organizers and everyone who participated. I'm looking forward to the next one!