30/08/2002 - The French Communications Minister, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, promises more money for the French film

“We must support filmmakers and help distribution,” is what rance’s Minister for Culture and Communications, Jean-Jacques Aillagon proposed to his fellow minister’s at their August 29 meeting. He was referring to a series of reforms for French film funding. Aillagon said that the current system, that includes the Fond de soutien or “support fund”, the advance on box office takings or “avance sur recette” and selective help to theatres and distribution, are all working well but, “We must develop the system to preserve it”. The Minister announced his intention to set up a special commission, headed by a freelance consultant, to explore a variety of potential funding sources. Aillagon would like to extend the “Diversity clause” to all of France’s television channels. At present, only Canal+ and TPS invest in low budget and first-time films. The Minister is likely to work closely with the Centre National de Cinématographie (CNC), who he consulted with prior to the last Cannes film festival.
A reform of France’s film funding system would be well-received especially after last year’s announcement by Canal+ that they would be cutting the amounts of money they gave to national film associations when their contractual obligations to them ended in 2004. The situation degenerated further in July when a number of producers accused the encrypted channel of disregarding the “diversity clause” and gradually diminishing the amount of money earmarked for independent film production in favour of big-budget titles and films produced by subsidiaries of Canal+.

(Translated from French)