28/01/2003 - Proposed institutional reform: distinction between public & private sectors, experts on the board and more digital

Monday 27 January, Serge Toubiana presented his Report about the French film heritage to the minister for culture Jean-Jacques Aillagon. The aim of the report was to find ways to renew the French Film Archive (Cinémathèque Française).
The 77-page report by the former head of “Cahiers du Cinéma” calls for the division of the Film Archive into two distinct areas: public and private.
For the private area, Toubiana feels that the Archive should move to its new headquarters in Rue de Bercy in Paris. He also recommended more stringent state control, better management (the Cinémathèque reported losses of Euros406,000 in 2001), more industry experts on the board, a series of three-year joint ventures between the Cinémathèque and the French government, closer collaboration between the Cinémathèque and BIFI (the National Film Library), and investment in training skilled personnel – this cost, said Toubiana, should be shared between the Cinémathèque, the city of Paris and the Ile-de-France regional authorities.
On the public hand, Toubiana called for the Cinémathèque to focus more on the restoration and conservation of films and for a clear definition of the specific responsibilities of the both the National Film Centre’s (CNC) and the French Film Archive (Archives Françaises du Film) situated in Bois d’Arcy. Toubiana recommended the opening of a Paris office for the Archives Françaises thus making the institution eligible to receive more funds. He emphasised the importance of transcribing all films stored in the Cinémathèque to digital format.
Toubiana called for there to be more interest in France’s film heritage forthcoming from industry operators by means of DVD, screening and broadcasting these films on TV. He recommended the implementation of fiscal breaks, better use of available funds and the organisation of a festival to celebrate the French film heritage.

(Translated from French)