Chapter 342: Reporting on Work

Chapter 342: Chapter 342: Reporting on Work

"Mr. Pierre said they have agreed to our proposed plan in principle," Maxim said in a low, rapid voice.

"They admit that Venice indeed needs more attention from the younger demographic, and Hollywood’s productions and promotional channels are the best entry points. They are highly interested in the joint Facebook promotion you proposed. Almost all young people in Europe are using Facebook now, and the organizing committee has wanted to expand into this promotional territory for a long time, but they just hadn’t found the right partner."

Robert nodded. This coincided perfectly with his expectations. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Although the Venice Film Festival carried the aura of an artistic temple, it also faced the dilemma of declining attention. Its influence among younger audiences, in particular, was far inferior to that of Hollywood film festivals, which had stronger commercial attributes.

"What about the funding?" he pressed.

"Mr. Pierre said funding isn’t the key. They value Facebook’s traffic resources more," Maxim added. "And you specifically emphasized that we only want the Special Jury Prize in the Orizzonti Section, which relieved them. After all, this award won’t affect the artistic reputation of the Main Competition, yet it brings tangible promotional exposure. For them, it’s a guaranteed win-win deal. They also mentioned that the warm family theme of Little Miss Sunshine is very suitable for promotion to young audiences. The film was well-made, and they liked it very much, but the movie itself indeed deviates slightly from the main atmosphere of Venice, which is why it couldn’t be selected for the Main Competition."

"Very good." A relieved smile played on the corner of Robert’s mouth. "Contact Pierre right now and finalize the details of the cooperation: Facebook will set up an exclusive promotional page for the Venice Film Festival, releasing highlights and behind-the-scenes footage of Little Miss Sunshine in advance, and coordinate with Hollywood stars close to us to repost them. Tell them that as soon as the Special Jury Prize is settled, all promotional resources will go online immediately after the award ceremony, guaranteeing that the Venice Film Festival’s buzz on North American social media will double."

"Understood!" Maxim immediately pulled out his phone to take notes, turning around to contact the organizing committee.

Robert watched his departing figure, picked up his champagne, and took a sip. As long as you find the right direction, anything can succeed.

Venice seemed aloof and high-and-mighty, but in the end, it still couldn’t bypass the reality of commerce and traffic. He happened to grasp this point, and they were just able to provide what the other party wanted. It had to be said that Irene becoming one of the founders of Facebook brought in a steady stream of resources and benefits far greater than her being the director of Pirates of the Caribbean.

The banquet ended on time at ten o’clock in the evening, and the guests departed one after another. Robert politely declined the invitations to the after-parties and went straight back to his hotel.

After washing up, he changed into comfortable loungewear, checked the time, and dialed the number of Irene’s assistant, Vera.

"Good afternoon, Vera." When the call connected, Robert’s voice carried a hint of fatigue, yet he could hardly hide his excitement. "Is Irene free right now? I have something important to report to her."

A faint sound of conversation came from the other end of the line. After a moment, Vera responded, "Mr. Robert, Irene is currently communicating with the assistant director about next week’s shooting schedule for At World’s End. It will probably take another half hour. Please wait a moment, and I will remind her in advance."

"Alright, thank you." Hanging up the phone, Robert leaned back on the sofa, organizing everything that had happened that day to ensure a clear and structured report.

Half an hour quickly passed, and the phone rang right on time. It was Vera calling. "Mr. Robert, Irene is free now."

He immediately pressed the redial button. The call was answered almost instantly, and Irene’s voice came through the receiver, carrying a hint of hoarseness from just finishing work, yet remaining steady: "Robert, how are things going?"

"Irene, there’s been a lot of progress today." Robert sat up straight and explained slowly, "I met your sister, Sophia Coppola, today. Her new work, Lost in Translation, is indeed a good film. The cinematography is delicate, and the emotional expression is very restrained. I spoke with her, and we should be able to secure the distribution rights. Later, we met again at the cocktail party. Julie and I both reached a consensus that we basically stand no chance in the Main Competition. European judges tend to favor works with more radical artistic expressions."

He paused and continued, "I also watched The Return and The Kite. The former has visuals as beautiful as an oil painting, but there is almost no dialogue throughout, and the plot is too obscure for ordinary audiences to understand. The latter focuses on Middle Eastern refugees. The theme is very heavy, and the shaky camera work is uncomfortable to watch. These two films might win critics’ awards, but they definitely won’t have any box office draw in the North American market. In comparison, the warm family theme of Little Miss Sunshine is already the closest to the general public’s aesthetic, so I focused my efforts on the Orizzonti Section."

"And then?" Irene’s voice was devoid of any fluctuation.

"I’ve settled a collaboration with the organizing committee," Robert’s tone could not hide his excitement. "We are willing to provide Facebook’s promotional resources, set up an exclusive page for the film festival, coordinate with Hollywood stars to repost and promote it, and also provide an additional promotional fund. In return, they only need to award the Special Jury Prize in the Orizzonti Section to Little Miss Sunshine. The organizing committee agreed very readily. They also need attention from younger audiences, and they are well aware of Facebook’s influence among young people. Moreover, we didn’t ask for an award in the Main Competition, so it won’t affect their artistic reputation. It’s beneficial for both sides."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line, followed by Irene’s soft chuckle. "You did very well, Robert."

Her voice carried clear affirmation. "This decision was very wise. It not only avoids the fierce competition of the Main Competition but also secures more screenings and art-house film audiences for Little Miss Sunshine through the award. Furthermore, it helps establish a good cooperative relationship with the Venice organizing committee, paving the way for Future World Pictures’ art-house film blueprint. I fully support all these plans. Let me know anytime if you need any resources in the future."

"Alright, Irene." A weight was lifted from Robert’s heart, and the pressure of the past few days instantly vanished. "I will follow up on all the details before the awards ceremony to ensure everything goes perfectly."

"Yes, thank you for your hard work." Irene’s voice softened slightly. "Also, my sister’s Lost in Translation must be treated as if it were my own film. We can contact the Oscar-campaigning team we’ve worked with in advance. You already know the process we went through with Million Dollar Baby, so you can make some targeted adjustments on that basis that are more suited for Lost in Translation. We must make it perfect."

"How do you know Sophia will definitely choose to campaign for the Oscars? When I brought it up while chatting with her, she didn’t react much and even seemed a bit hesitant," Robert asked curiously.

Irene said in an assured tone, "Because we both share the surname Coppola. How could my sister not have Oscar ambitions?"

"Alright, let’s just call it telepathy between you two sisters," Robert smiled.