Country Focus: France
by Cineuropa
18/05/2010 - Articles, interviews, news, analysis on the French audiovisual sector.
Country profile: France
International Film Guide 2012: France
A survey of the film culture and output in France published by the International Film Guide.
€125m allocated for cinema digitisation fund
While Parliament last week ratified a bill introducing a compulsory contribution from distributors to financially support exhibitors so they can equip their theatres with digital (see news), Culture Minister Frédéric Mitterrand yesterday announced that €125m would be allocated for the cinema digitisation fund. This budget managed by the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC) is intended for the most vulnerable theatres (in rural areas and small towns), while France has already passed...
91 majority productions in the first term
The French film industry is holding its course and showing high levels of production according to statistics for the first term of 2010 released by the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC). 91 domestic features were produced in the first half of the year, compared to 81 films for the same period in 2009. This significant rise (+ 12.3%) has been accompanied by a drop in the number of big-budget films (none higher than €30m in the first semester 2010). This has resulted in a...
104.15m admissions in first semester 2010
There have been positive box office results in French theatres during the first six months of 2010 with a total of 104.15m admissions (i.e. takings estimated at almost €640m), up by 8.9% compared to the same period in 2009, according to estimates published by the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC). These results make it the best first semester of the past decade. After five months on the rise, audience figures nonetheless slowed down in June with 10.7m admissions, down by 4.4%...
93 features produced in first semester of 2010
According to the Observatory at the FICAM (Federation of Film, Audiovisual and Multimedia Industries), the number of features produced in France in the first semester of 2010 stands at 93, up 13% compared to the first six months of 2009. They include 79 narrative films, seven documentaries and seven animated works. As for investment in production, the trend is still downward with €505m (-3% compared to the first semester of 2009), but this decline is much less steep than last year (-17%...
Transition to digital: deputies ratify Virtual Print Fee
Yesterday, the digitisation of movie theatres reached the Chamber of Deputies where a bill was adopted, introducing the compulsory contribution by distributors to support exhibitors (directly or through a third-party investor) during the first two weeks on release of a new film in digital. This VPF (Virtual Print Fee) system is planned for a maximum of ten years after the installation of digital equipment in the theatre concerned, with the cost of digital equipment estimated at €80,000 per...
93.45m admissions since start of 2010
There has been a fifth consecutive month of rising audience figures in French theatres, which attracted 93.45m viewers between January 1-May 31, 2010, i.e. 10.7% more than the same period in 2009, according to estimates published by the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC). The month of May, which saw a total of 16.33m admissions (+9.4% compared to 2009) brought audience figures to a record level (210m over the past 12 months) which will, however, be difficult to maintain due to...
France - International Film Guide Survey 2010
A survey of the film culture and output in France published by the International Film Guide.
Excellent start to year in theatres
There has been a second consecutive month of rising audience figures in French theatres, which attracted 39.86m viewers in January and February 2010, i.e. 16.1% more than the same period in 2009, according to estimates published by the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC). This score represents the best start to the year for the past three decades. After 18.95m admissions in January (+23.7%), February saw audience figures of 20.915m (+10% compared to February 2009). However, the good...
Digital causes a stir
The negative opinion delivered at the start of February by the Competition Authority on the mutualisation fund that the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC) planned as a way of financing movie theatres’ transition to digital projection continues to cause a stir in France. In a letter to the Prime Minister and Culture Minister, numerous professional organisations yesterday called for urgent alternative measures, underlining the "serious consequences it would have for films’ access to...
Total 200.85m admissions in 2009
Having ended with a bang in December with 22.04m admissions (+23% over the same month in 2008), 2009 recorded an exceptional total of 200.85m viewers in French theatres, according to estimations by the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC). With a 5.7% increase compared to 2008, this score is the second best total of the past 40 years, after the 201.93m admissions in 1982. It was achieved mainly thanks to nine consecutive months of rising audience figures compared to those of 2008...
New agreement between Canal + and film associations
A pillar of French film financing, the Canal Plus group has renewed for five years its agreement with France’s professional film associations. It has pledged to invest 12.5% of its annual turnover in European films, including 10% in features of French original expression (compared to a respective 12% and 9% in the previous agreement). This increased investment was negotiated in return for greater flexibility in terms of non-linear broadcasting via catch-up television (opportunity to re-watch...
Women directors win over CNC committee
The last 2009 session of the second advances on receipts committee of the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC) confirms a trend noticed in October (see news): many women directors are emerging at the forefront of the industry with the selection of another four screenplays for debut features by female filmmakers. The pledge of an advance on receipts has been made to Fleur Albert’s Stalingrad Lovers, which explores the themes of drugs and social exclusion through a retrospective...
Audience figures in good shape
October marked the seventh consecutive month of rising audience figures in French theatres, which attracted 159.64m viewers during the first ten months of 2009, i.e. 3.8% more than the same period in 2008, according to estimates published by the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC). A total of 15.44m admissions were amassed during October (7.8% more than in October 2008), which is the best result in the past five years for this period. Based on annual statistics for November and...
Debate heats up between exhibitors and producers
The APC (Film Producers Association) and the SPI (Independent Producers Union) have launched a biting counter-attack in response to the symbolic initiative led by the National Federation of French Cinemas - FNCF last Wednesday, which involved switching off movie theatres’ neon signs (see news). In a joint statement, the two organisations expressed "their dismay that the FNCF should call into question the sharing of takings from theatrical exhibition with rights-holders, giving the false...
Theatres sound alarm with blackout call
The National Federation of French Cinemas (FNCF) has called on France’s 2,100 movie theatres to switch off their neon signs on Wednesday from 6pm-7pm. This symbolic act aims to draw the authorities’ attention to the sector’s economic difficulties (small and medium-sized exhibitors have suffered a steep drop in admissions this year) at a time when new distribution windows are about to come into force (see news), bringing forward film releases on DVD, VoD (Video on Demand) and television. The...
Advance on receipts for four women directors
Women were the major beneficiaries at the autumn session of the second advances on receipts committee of the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC), which selected four screenplays for debut feature-length films by female directors. These include three narrative projects (Eve Deboise’s Paradis Perdu, Michale Boganim’s La Terre Outragée, Show-Chun Lee’s Shanghai-Belleville) and a documentary (Anca Hirte’s Les Petites Mères). Deboise is an experienced screenwriter who has worked with...
144.19m admissions in nine months
The upturn continues for audience figures in French theatres. The 10.71m admissions recorded in September (+9.4% compared to the same month in 2008) bring the total for the first three quarters to 144.19m (+3.4% compared to the same period last year), according to estimated figures published by the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC). However, these good overall results must be put into perspective, for they mainly concern large exhibitors, whereas medium-sized and small exhibitors...
CNC speeds up transition to digital
At the 64th Congress of the National Federation of French Cinemas (FNCF), which opens today in Deauville, the National Film Centre (CNC) will officially present to exhibitors its mutual financing plan for movie theatres’ transition to digital projection. Designed to avoid the emergence of a two-speed exhibition sector, the system could enable 3,500 theatres to rapidly equip themselves with digital (around 650 theatres are already equipped). Among the main ideas to be outlined on Wednesday by...
Parliament adopts anti-piracy law
After a long battle marked by several dramatic turns of events (see news), the legislation against the illegal downloading of works is finally completed. Yesterday, Parliament adopted the HADOPI 2 bill, which is added to the measures voted in May (see news). From January 2010, the new "High Authority for the Distribution of Works and the Protection of Rights on the Internet" (HADOPI) will send email warnings to Internet users who are downloading illegally. A second email, possibly...
Changes to distribution windows
After difficult negotiations, the majority of French film industry professionals yesterday signed an agreement related to new distribution windows, i.e., staggering distribution acros different media, after a film’s theatrical release. Pay-as-you-go DVD and VoD (video on demand) releases are now permitted four months after the start of theatrical distribution, compared to the previous six months and 33 weeks, respectively. It will even be possible to reduce this period to three months for...
The «Crédit d’impôt» in France
Caroline Cor, Centre National de la Cinématographie CNC, Caroline has been in charge of examining the applications made by producers for access to automatic support for the production of long features. Which CNC aids are available to French production? The CNC’s support account for 2007 was €505.57 million. T his is raised from tax on the price of the cinema ticket (€121.07 million), on T Vs (€349.56 million), DVD sales (€32.24 million) and other funds (Ministry and professional...
2008 results (2): Co-productions stay the course
With 95 French international co-productions in 2008 – the same number as in 2007 – French cinema maintains a high level of production with the rest of the world. Twenty-eight countries were involved in the making and financing of these films, which represent 39.6% of the total number of features accredited in 2008. This is what emerges from the data published yesterday by the National Film Centre (CNC). The total is broken down into 51 majority French features (compared to 52 in 2007) and 44...
2008 results (1): An unusual record year
With 240 features accredited in 2008 – including 196 French initiative films (FIF) – French film production has matched its 2005 record, according to the results presented to journalists yesterday by Véronique Cayla. The Director General of the National Film Centre (CNC) nonetheless stressed that caution was the order of the day for 2009, due to the current decline in TV advertising revenue and the impact of the financial crisis on global film markets. Boosted by record investment (€1.49bn),...
77.6m admissions for French film abroad in 2008
Last year was a record one for French film abroad, as Gallic productions attracted 77.6m viewers according to estimates by Unifrance. This is the best score since data collection began 15 years ago. The 2008 results surpass the 75.9m admissions garnered in 2005 and show an increase of 16% compared to 2007. Another record was also achieved: in 2008, majority French productions represented 86.2% of admissions abroad (62% in 2007 and 48.9% in 2006). With 17.8m admissions (+59% compared to...
188.8m admissions and 45.7% market share for French film
According to estimations published by the National Film Centre (CNC), 2008 was an excellent year for audience figures in France, with a total of 188.82m admissions, representing an increase of 6.2% compared to 2007. This score is the second highest in the past 24 years, behind the 2004 record of 195.53m viewers. In 2008, French theatres amassed an estimated €1.12bn in takings (for an average admission price of €5.95 according to the FNCF. Moreover, as in 2006 and for the second time since...
Exportation of French audiovisual programmes in foreign countries increases in 2007 (September 2008)
The report published by Cnc on the exportation of French audiovisual programmes (estimated figures related to 2007) highlights an increase in the fiction genre and documentary, with a reduction in the animation sector. Co-productions with other countries increased, except for documentaries. The main ways of exportation are regulated by the participation of foreign partners in the pre-financing phase of audiovisual programmes (as presales or co-productions), and by the sale and exportation of...
The development of film distribution in France (CNC study, July 2008)
The study published by Cnc (July 2008) related to the French film distribution, points out the evolution of the French distribution market over the last ten years. The main development factor is the increase of the offer (plus 25,9%, trend that involves also the number of copies distributed for each film and the average time for exposure). Another relevant data is given by the evolution of the combinations of film releases, as the stagger and seasonality. More in general the report shows an...
CNC grants €540.6m in funding for 2009
Unveiled on Friday by Culture minister Christine Albanel, the 2009 funding budget allocated to the film and audiovisual industries amounts to €540.6m (+2.3% compared to 2008). These credits are mainly covered by three taxes: €120m from admission prices (10.72% of the cost of a ticket - estimated audience figures for 2008 are 185m admissions), €390m from television editors and distributors and €29.2m from the video and VOD sector. Other sources and mechanisms of funding are available. A total...
France: description of the main Regional Funds (March 2005)
French regions make their movies In its search for new film financing sources, the French film production sector has found in its regions new partners increasingly receptive. Here under is a general overview of regional support to film financing in France. French regions are increasingly involved in film financing with 21 M€ available for feature film in 2004, that is 7M€ more than in 2003, a budget now almost in line with the annual grant from the ‘Advance on receipts’. The upwards trend is...
France: the production model (March 2005)
A production model With 203 registered features in 2004 and 194 million admissions (38% of which went to national productions), France is definitely one of the best countries for film production. The country has even become a model in terms of financial support to production ; France is a dynamic and creative market which owes a lot to the fruitful cooperation between the State and the industry. Holding its position at the top of the European charts with 167 majority productions (“films...
France - Coproduction boom to search international financing (June 2003)
France facing the crysis of the TV support system (March 2003)
The French film industry finds that life at the top is not easy, but a number of strategies for its future survival and continued prosperity are being examined and will be implemented shortly End of an era? In 2001, the world of French cinema was on a high, due to the success of Amélie and the apparent strength of a flourishing industry, protected by a support system that was the envy of all its European neighbours. Since 2002, the influence of television on funding for French...
France - The DVD boom (Janaury 2003)
In the current climate of turbulence, the Digital Video Disc is a ray of brilliant sunshine. The format enjoyed a 20 per cent increase in market penetration in France. The DVD Revolution In the current climate of turbulence that typifies the French and European film and audiovisual industries, DVD - the Digital Video Disc - is the technological equivalent of a ray of brilliant sunshine. The format enjoyed a 20 per cent increase in market penetration in France. It turned misconceptions...
France - The Vivendi Universal saga, grandeur and decadence (September 2002)
The saga of the French group. From the conquest of Hollywood to an uncertain future, and the fall of Jean-Marie Messier and the empire he built on shaky ground. September 2000, Wall Street gives a warm New York welcome to a new world media and communications colossus, France’s Vivendi Universal, come to challenge the Americans on their home ground. June 2002, the giant is on the edge of the precipice and its enormous debts cause the fall of its star C.E.O. Jean-Marie Messier. From that...
