Cannes Critics’ Week Short ‘No Skate’ Acquired by Global Sales Agent Lights On (EXCLUSIVE)

Italy-based sales agent Lights On has picked up international rights for “No Skate,” a witty and observant French short by director Guil Sela, which has been selected for the 2025 Cannes Critics’ Week.

Set during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, “No Skate” – produced by Palme d’Or and César-winning outfit Les Films Norfolk (“The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent”) – follows a quirky encounter between two sandwich board workers, Isaac and Cléo, portrayed by Michael Zindel and Raïka Hazanavicius. Their fleeting relationship begins when Isaac watches Cléo throw a skateboard into the Seine, a moment that unfolds into a humorous, melancholic stroll through an Olympic-besieged Paris.

Blending comedy with subtle political undertones, “No Skate” captures the strange juxtaposition of personal lives against the grand spectacle of global events. “I told myself I’d be there, with my little camera, to capture what would happen,” says director Guil Sela. “Among the Olympic crowd, each person has a life of their own, with anxieties, desires and absurd thoughts. I liked the idea of following just one or two people through that chaos.”

Sela, whose prior short “Montsouris Park” won the Leitz Cine Prize at Critics’ Week in 2024, brings his distinctive visual style to “No Skate,” favoring long focal lengths and hidden-camera perspectives. “It’s important for me to leave room for the viewer,” he explains. “I like putting them in the position of a witness, glimpsing what they can of a situation, just like in real life.”

While the film isn’t overtly political, it weaves subtle critiques into the background: anti-Olympic graffiti, satirical jobs and a nod to the absurdity of skateboarding replacing karate in the Olympic lineup. “I admire skateboarders,” Sela adds. “They break their faces all day, but also end up talking to all kinds of people. I think I would’ve loved being a skateboarder.”

With its Cannes pedigree, topical humor and universal charm, “No Skate” looks poised to make waves on the international festival circuit with Lights On’s stewardship.