We analyzed IndieWire’s survey regarding the cameras and lenses used to shoot more than 50 selected features premiering at Cannes 2021. Basically, there’s no news under the sun. The most used camera was the ARRI Mini. The Sony VENICE was located in second place, then a bunch of ARRI film cameras, as usual. We’re pleased to explore a solid portion of celluloid in that list (about 24%), and moreover, to reveal more cameras that are not considered mainstream. Let’s have a look at the charts below.

Cannes Film Festival 2021’s cinematography

IndieWire reached out to the directors of photography whose feature films are premiering at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival to find out which cameras and lenses they used. Y.M.Cinema Magazine took that data and built dedicated graphs and charts in order to search after a tendency, and hopefully, to find a new one.

This article is focused on the cameras. Another article dedicated to the lenses should be ready soon. However, let’s talk about the cameras. In the case, you’re eager to know more about why those tools were chosen per project, head over to the comprehensive IndieWire survey which elaborates more on the making.

Explore the list below that shows the feature, name of the director, name of DP, cameras, and lenses used. The charts are located underneath. 

1. “Annette”: Dir: Leos Carax, DP: Caroline Champetier. Cameras: 2 Sony VENICE and 2 Sony Alpha 7SII. Lenses: Zeiss Supreme, Optimo Angenieux
2. “Bergman Island”. Dir: Mia Hansen-Løve, DP: Denis Lenoir . Cameras: ARRICAM Lite. Lenses: Leitz Summilux Primes, Fujinon Premier zooms
3. “Casablanca Beats”. Dir: Nabil Ayouch, DP: Virginie Surdej & Amine Messadi. Cameras: Sony FS7. Lenses: Canon EF zooms and primes
4. “Drive My Car”. Dir: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, DP: Hidetoshi Shinomiya. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Zeiss Ultra Prime, Angenieux HR Zoom
5. “Flag Day”. Dir: Sean Penn, DoP: Daniel Moder. Cameras: ARRI 416. Lenses: Zeiss Ultra Primes, 10-30mm T1.6 Cooke, ARRI Swing, and Tilt
6. “The French Dispatch”. Dir: Wes Anderson, DP: Robert Yeoman. Cameras: ARRICAM ST. Lenses: Cooke S4 and Cooke Anamorphic
7. “Lingui, The Sacred Bounds”. Dir: Mahamat Saleh Haroun, DP: Mathieu Giombini. Cameras: RED MONSTRO. Lenses: Primo Panavision 70
8. “Nitram”. Dir: Justin Kurzel, DP: Germain McMicking. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini, ALEXA XT, Sony Video8. Lenses: Panavision Ultra Speeds and Panavision Primo Zooms
9. “Paris 13th District”. Dir: Jacques Audiard, DoP: Paul Guilhaume. Cameras: Sony VENICE. Lenses: Summilux and Angenieux Zooms
10. “Petrov’s Flu”. Dir: Serebrennikov Kirill, DP: Vladislav Opelyants. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA LF. Lenses: Hawk Anamorphic and ARRI Anamorphic
11. “Red Rocket”. Dir: Sean Baker, DP: Drew Daniels. Cameras: ARRI SR-3. Lenses: 16mm and 50mm Panavision Auto Panatars, Canon zoom
12. “The Story of My Wife”. Dir: Ildykó Enyedi, DP: Marcell Rév. Cameras: ARRICAM LT. Lenses: Zeiss Standard Speeds
13. “Titane”. Dir: Julia Ducournau, DP: Ruben Impens. Cameras: ARRI Mini LF. Lenses: Zeiss Supreme P
14. “The Worst Person in the World” Dir: Joachim Trier, DP: Kasper Tuxen. Cameras: ARRICAM LT. Lenses: Cooke 5/i
15. “Stillwater”. Dir: Tom McCarthy, DP: Masanobu Takayanagi. Cameras: ALEXA Mini, ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: Leitz Summicron-C, Cooke FF Anamorphic
16. “The Velvet Underground”. Dir: Todd Haynes, DP: Ed Lachman. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini, Beaulieux 4008 (Super 8mm). Lenses: Angenieux Zoom, Super8 Angenieux Zoom
17. “Cow”. Dir: Andrea Arnold, DP: Magda Kowalczyk. Cameras: Sony FS7. Lenses: Vintage Carl Zeiss Jena Flectogon, Planar, Distagon
18. “Mothering Sunday”. Dir: Eva Husson, DP: Jamie Ramsay. Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Super Baltars, Cooke S4s
19. “Val”. Dir: Leo Scott & Ting Poo, DP: Val Kilmer. Cameras: Canon C300, Canon XA40 4k. Lenses: Canon CN E
20. “The Crusade”. Dir: Louis Garell, DP: Julien Poupard. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Canon K35
21. “The Heroics”. Dir: Maxime Roy, DP: Balthazar Lab. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Fujinon Zoom, Zeiss Super Speed
22. “Mariner of the Mountains”. Dir: Karim Aïnouz, DP: Juan Sarmiento G. Cameras: Canon C300, Sony Alpha, Canon 814 XL-S , Canon AE1 Programm, iPhoneX. Lenses: Lomo Standard Speeds
23. “Mi Iubita, Mon Amour”. Dir: Noemie Merlant, DP: Evgenia Alexandrova. Cameras: Sony FS7. Lenses: Zeiss Super Speed
24. “Tom Medina”. Dir: Tony Gatlif, DP: Patrick Ghiringhelli. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Cooke Anamorphic/i
25. “Bloody Oranges”. Dir: Jean-Christophe Meurisse, DP: Javier Ruiz Gómez. Cameras: Sony F55. Lenses: Angénieux Optimo
26. “Blue Bayou”. Dir: Justin Chon, DP: Matthew Chuang & Ante Cheng. Cameras: ARRI 416, ARRI SR2, ARRI AMIRA. Lenses: Zeiss Super Speeds, Canon 8-64mm T2.4, Canon 11-165mm T2.5
27. “La Civil”. Dir: Teodora Ana Mihai, DP: Marius Panduru. Cameras: Sony FX9. Lenses: Zeiss Supreme Primes
28. “Gaey Wa’r” (“Streetwise”). Dir: Jiazuo Na, DP: LI Jianeng. Cameras: RED Weapon VV / RED Gemini. Lenses: ARRI Master Prime / Sigma FF High-Speed Prime
29. “House Arrest”. Dir: Aleksey German Jr., DP: Ivan Burlako. Cameras: Canon C300 Mark III. Lenses: Sumire Prime
30. “Let It Be Morning”. Dir: Eran Kolirin, DP: Shai Goldman. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Scorpio Anamorphic
31. “Onoda, 10,000 Nights in the Jungle”. Dir: Arthur Harari, DP: Tom Harari. Cameras: RED Helium Lenses: Cooke S4
32. “Prayers for the Stolen”. Dir: Tatiana Huezo, DP: Dariela Ludlow. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Leica Sumillux
33. “Unclenching the Fists”. Dir: Kira Kovalenko, DP: Pavel Fomintsev. Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Cooke S4/i
34. “Amparo”. Dir: Simón Mesa Soto, DP: Juan Sarmiento G.. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA XT. Lenses: Kowa Cine Promiser
35. “Anaïs in Love”. Dir: Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet , DP: Noé Bach. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Hawk V-Lite, Angenieux Optimo
36. “Libertad”. Dir: Clara Roquet, DP: Gris Jordana. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Cooke Panchro
37. “Olga”. Dir: Elie Grappe, DP: Lucie Baudinaud. Cameras: Sony VENICE. Lenses: Zeiss Supreme Prime
38. “A Radiant Girl” . Dir: Sandrine Kiberlain, DP: Guillaume Schiffman. Cameras: ARRI Mini LF. Lenses: ARRI Signature Prime
39. “Small Body”. Dir: Laura Samani, DP: Mitja Ličen. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Zeiss Ultra Primes
40. “Tale of Love and Desire”. Dir: Leyla Bouzid, DP: Sebastien Goepfert. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Cooke S3 Series, Angénieux Optima Zoom
41. “Zero Fucks Given”. Dir: Emmanuel Marre & Julie Lecoustre, DP: Olivier Boonjing. Cameras: Panasonic S1H, iPhone 11 Pro. Lenses: Mamiya Sekor C, Canon FD, Canon LTM
42. “A Chiara”. Dir: Jonas Carpignano, DP: Tim Curtin. Cameras: ARRIFLEX 416, ARRIFLEX SR3, ARRICAM LT, ARRICAM 235. Lenses: Zeiss Ultra Primes
43. “Between Two Worlds”. Dir: Emmanuel Carrère, DP: Patrick Blossier. Cameras: Sony VENICE. Lenses: Angénieux Optimo Zoom
44. “The Braves”. Dir: Anaïs Volpé, DP: Sean Price Williams. Cameras: Digital Bolex D16. Lenses: Elite Super 16 lenses
45. “Clara Sola”. Dir: Nathalie Álvarez Mesén, DP: Sophie Winqvist Loggins. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Cooke Anamorphics
46. “The Employer and the Employee”. Dir: Manuel Nieto Zas, DP: Arauco Hernandez Holz. Cameras: Sony VENICE. Lenses: Cooke Mini S4
47. “Întregalde”. Dir: Radu Muntean, DP: Tudor Vladimir Panduru. Cameras: ARRI MINI LF. Lenses: Cooke S7
48. “Magnetic Beats”. Dir: Vincent Maël Cardona, DP: Brice Pancot. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Technovision Anamorphic Zeiss
49. “Medusa”. Dir: Anita Rocha da Silveira, DP: João Atala. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Cooke 2x Anamorphic SF, Cooke Mini S4, Century 600mm, Angenieux 44-440mm Anamorphic
50. “Murina”. Dir: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, DP: Hélène Louvart. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Cooke Mini S4i, Angeniuex EZ
51. “Ripples of Life”. Dir: Wei shujun, DP: Wang Jiehong. Cameras: ARRI ALEXA SXT, ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: ARRI Master Prime
52. “The Souvenir Part II”. Dir: Joanna Hogg, DP: David Raedeker. Cameras: ARRI 416, Moviecam, Sony VENICE. Lenses: Zeiss High Speed, Canon Zooms

Cannes 2021: Camera chart

Explore the below, which is based on the data above – (Click the picture for full resolution view): 

Diversity is the key

The Cannes 2021 camera chart is composed of more than 26 cameras and thus constitutes the most diverse chart, compared to other major camera charts that we’ve made over the years (Oscars, Sundance, Cannes, Golden Globe, and Netflix). Furthermore, without analyzing the lenses being used on Cannes 2021 films, the high diversity is immediately being noticed. This means only a good thing since we interpret that as an act of creative courage. Those filmmakers didn’t pull back to try something that is not considered mainstream (for instance, check out the Digital Bolex which produces stunning images). Yes, many of them have taken no risk by choosing the ARRI Mini, but others insisted to go for the art of celluloid and shoot film.

Film vs. Digital

As explained, the graph demonstrates a solid portion of film cameras, which is not so trivial in independent filmmaking. Furthermore, it’s very nice seeing film cameras (ARRICAM and ARRI 416) at the third top of the list. Also, the usage of less-familiar film cameras is also noticeable. Explore the pie chart below which demonstrates the segmentation of film vs. digital regarding Cannes 2021.

Summary

Cannes 2021 is not just a festival of films, but a festival of cameras and lenses. The diversity of the used tools speaks for itself. Filmmaking is all about daring and getting out of your comfort zone in order to create something amazing. That’s why those independent film festivals can be used as a significant indicator for creativity, and a hub which you can find there the most talented content creators. We hope to release the lens chart as well, although it’s much more complicated to assemble.

Update: The lenses article is ready. Read Cannes Film Festival 2021’s Lenses: A Lot of Optics!