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When Krystle Gomez ’26 heard about the opportunity to attend the Cannes Film Festival in her production class, it felt like something out of a movie.

Tyler Martinolich ’05, the film commissioner at Film Tampa Bay, was teaching the class, and he organized an experiential trip to Cannes for students through a partnership with FilmUSA. FilmUSA is a national, nonprofit trade organization of state and regional film commissions, including Film Tampa Bay.

Gomez, a film minor who graduated in May, and Martinolich attended with rising seniors Gracyn Carter, Tomas Lluen and Liam Oscar, and alumni Rachel Christ ’17 and Destiny Greer ’20.

Martinolich, who has attended the festival in the past, suggested earlier this year to bring a group of students. Coincidentally, Tim Ridlen, associate teaching professor of film, is working on an official travel course to Cannes for next spring semester that would expose students to the highest caliber of the industry. 

Thus, a small group of upperclassmen was invited as a trial ahead of next year, so the students who attended could promote the course to their peers. Greer, staff assistant for UTampa’s film department, was the advisor on the trip to ensure students got the most out of the event, while also looking for potential collaborators for her own independent films.

FilmUSA had its own pavilion at the festival, which was set up alongside the American pavilion and hundreds of other white tents representing various countries and commissioning organizations. Having a badge to the FilmUSA pavilion meant the UTampa group got access to exclusive networking events like happy hours and panels, while also getting a more intimate and specialized experience with attendees. 

Greer described the trip as a life-changing experience for the Spartans. The group spent two weeks making business connections, attending red carpet premieres, and celebrating art and culture from around the world. 

Gomez has been a hobby-screenwriter since high school, and she knew the festival is invite-only. She said she felt out of place at first, surrounded by so many high-level professionals. But she felt welcomed by everyone she met, which included film commissioners from India and some French students also getting their start in writing.

“You gain something from talking to so many people from around the world,” Gomez said, “and whether it’s film-related or not, just by being surrounded by all that diversity, you’re going to learn a lot.” 

In addition to attending screenings and networking, Carter, Lluen and Oscar gained production experience as assistants for several events during the festival, including a documentary being filmed at the festival. 

Carter, who is majoring in film and minoring in digital media, said that she took advantage of every opportunity she got. 

“Every single day, I met a bunch of new people and was able to talk to industry professionals and really just learn how this whole business works,” she said. Her new contacts include graduate students from London Film School, where she is hoping to attend after graduation.

Lluen, like Carter, is also a film major and attended the festival to get his foot in the door. He said networking was the highlight for him, as he got a closer look into specific projects and areas of filmmaking through the people he met from the UK, Spain, Argentina and India.

“It felt very rewarding to me to be able to talk to people who are already established in the industry and getting to know other perspectives,” he said. 

At the FilmUSA pavilion, Carter and Greer got a visit from Paul de Lumen, UTampa assistant professor of film, who attended the festival as part of John Travolta’s entourage. De Lumen was the director of photography for Travolta’s directorial debut, Propeller One-Way Night Coach, which premiered in Cannes and is now streaming on Apple TV. And, yes, the three Spartans discussed Travolta’s viral beret collection.