Josh Braun, Jessica Lacy & Micah Green reveal the real action on the ground. Plus: 'Tangles' at The Ankler studio
By Manori Ravindran
Friday, May 15, 2026
NEW OUTLOOK "There’s a real appetite and a willingness to take risks," said 30West's Micah Green, left, with Gersh's Jessica Lacy, Ashley Cullins and Submarine Entertainment's Josh Braun.
Hello from the Cannes Film Festival, where the Croisette is packed but, four days in, still oddly low on obvious drama. The ovation wars have begun of course, Vin Diesel has turned up for The Fast and the Furious screening, and AI execs are suddenly part of the fest scrum. But so far, the real action is happening away from the red carpet — in meetings, panels and buyer conversations that suggest the indie film market may be considerably warmer than meets the eye.
If you kept a close look-out, you might even have seen Jason Statham and former Pulse Films boss Thomas Benski holding court with buyers for their Guy Ritchie project Viva La Madness under the staircase at the Gray d’Albion today.
LET’S DEAL I snapped Jason Statham, center, and Thomas Benski, right, taking a meeting at the Gray d’Albion. Manori Ravindran
Dealmakers’ Ashley Cullins and I reported earlier this week that indie film insiders are legit bullish on the festival market this year, and that’s the vibe so far (though no deals have — yet — made headlines).
At The Ankler’s Croisette Conversations studio at Armani Caffè in partnership with Brand Innovators, Ashley went even deeper on indie dealmaking and financing today with a panel featuring Micah Green, CEO of investment and advisory firm 30West; Jessica Lacy, Gersh partner and head of film finance and distribution; and Josh Braun, co-founder of production and distribution company Submarine Entertainment.
MEASURED OPTIMISM “I hope it’s not just a blip, but it feels like we’re getting back into a subdued normal,” said Braun (right, with — from left — Ashley, Green and Lacy) of independent film financing. Omar Vega/January Images
The trio dug into the indie film market and what is happening here on the ground:
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