13/07/2010

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% compared to June 2009. This trend reversal could be explained by several factors, including competition from the football World Cup, very sunny weather and a limited and much less appealing selection of films.

As for market shares, French productions garnered 38.5% of admissions in the first semester of 2010, compared to 52.3% for US features and 11.4% for films from other countries.

The French market share, which remains at a good level, is however less impressive than the first semesters of recent years when it clocked in at 40% (first semester of 2009), 55.4% (2008), 43.5% (2007), 47.5% (2006), 42.9% (2005) and 39.4% (2004).

(Translated from French)