Will Record Summer Box Office Save Indie Cinema? Not Quite, But Cannes Might, Say U.S. Producers

There was some much overdue optimism on the first day of the Creative Investors’ Conference in San Sebastian on Tuesday, as execs from an established U.S indie distributor and new market entrant both celebrated the record breaking figures from the summer box office. “I think it’s a recovery and I think it’s a phenomenal result,” […] At the San Sebastian FilM Festival's Creative Investors Conference distributors and producers discussed the 2026 box office and Cannes opportunities At the San Sebastian Film Festival's Creative Investors' Conference, American execs underlined the importance of the global landscape There was some much overdue optimism on the first day of the Creative Investors’ Conference, co-organized by CAA Media Finance, in San Sebastian on Tuesday, as execs from an established U.S indie distributor and new market entrant both celebrated the record breaking figures from the summer box office.

“I think it’s a recovery and I think it’s a phenomenal result,” said Elissa Federoff, head of distribution at Neon. “Every year since the pandemic, we have seen growth, and it’s been amazing to watch. I think it’s also really important to reset our stage because, really, we’ve gone through a lot in the U.S. marketplace.” Federoff argued that major changes