Reconnaissance

Finnish film student Sam Bjorulund is on a reconnaissance mission.

The goal? To learn how to sell a future movie.

"A lot of people come here for the first time to try to get their films sold," said Bjorulund, 26, while traveling on a bus from Nice to Cannes. "It takes a lot of time. You need to know the system."

Bjorulund and his two film production classmates, Mats Wagar, 24, and Andrea Svanback, 22, traveled to Cannes from Helsinki, Finland, to learn about sales work and how to pitch films. Closed to the public, the Cannes Film Festival's primary purpose is to provide an outlet for industry professionals to sell and market their films.

Although the three students are here to learn the tricks of the trade, they still plan to catch a few films in the Official Selection, which is the competition for the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, or Golden Palm. Svanback, for instance, wants to see "Marie-Antoinette", directed by Sophia Coppola.

One classmate last year allegedly partied on George Clooney's yacht, Bjorulund said.

"The key is to mingle, mingle, mingle," he said.