Stella Artois sponsored me to go to Cannes Film Festival this year and part of it was to see Chez Jacques, an interactive experience to lead up to a screening of The Death and Life of Jacques d’Azur.
Stella Artois is an official sponsor of the Cannes Film Festival and global supporters of independent film, but this was more than just a short film presentation. In partnership with Future Shorts and Future Cinema, this was an absolutely fascinating experience that was set up for success on so many levels.
First was establishing the man. Jacques d’Azur did not exist, but if you were at Cannes it would be hard to disprove it. Photos of the man were set up in different sponsored Stella Artois areas clearly reminding us of this legendary personality of the Cannes Film Festival scene – toast of the town. My favourite:
Jaques never sat in the best seat in the theater, the best seat was always the one next to his.
Then there was Chez Jacques. His private beach house, which was a Stella Artois sponsored private area with its own beach in front of the Carleton Cannes Hotel.
Which of course was well stocked with Stella Artois, a classy beverage perfect for the hottest hangout in Cannes.
And to make things a little more authentic, the house was filled with “Friends of Jacques” – actors dressed in a swinging 60s style, all in character regaling you with stories of how they know Jacques.
And that brings us to the man of the hour…. Jacques d’Azur
The short film created to honour the King of Cannes stars Gustavo Alvarez. And how they found this actor is a story in itself.
Stella Artois Casting Call shares:
People auditioned online. They exploited their friends and contacts to propel them to stardom. And then waited to see who the judges would favour. It was a tense time for everyone involved. After all, to mis-cast Jacques would be an insult not only to the man himself, but anyone who ever wanted to be him. And there were many.
There were nearly 3000 applicants that were narrowed down by fan voting, and finally decided on by a professional casting agency.
Gustavo may not have had any acting experience before this, however meeting the man in person I am certain they chose the right man for the job. This guy is charming as hell in person. While it would be easy to mistake his confidence for pride it certainly was easy to believe Gustavo in this role. When the time came to chat with me he was gracious and eager to talk about this fantastic opportunity. Out of character Gustavo was just over the moon that he was ultimately chosen and very humble about the experience.
The nightly parties were amazing and full of people just looking for a good time. A reflection of the endless summer nights Jacques shared with friends. Everyone looked like a celebrity, even a few eccentric ones. Finally on the Friday Night, we had the screening of the short film. You can view it here now:
The after party was pumping and Jacques made his exit despite his loyal friends begging him to stay. But he didn’t just walk out, he took his Stella in hand and strolled down the peir to get on a boat and coast off toasting his friends. He even did a victory lap. I think one of the actors started to cry. So classy.
The experience was amazing, and seeing how passionate this all was to the cast and to Stella Artois staffers just made it that much more exciting.
Thanks Stella! I will certainly never forget my experience in Cannes, but more importantly, I will never forget the hospitality of my new friend Jacques!
