13/01/2006

The record for French cinema production has been beaten, rising for 2005 to 240 features accredited by the National Film Centre (CNC) against 203 in 204 and 212 in 2003. Investments also reached a new high at 1,28 billion euros, a rise of 22,6% compared to the previous year (1,04 billion). Also, the involvement of European partners has risen, since the most important progression was seen in the credit given to French minority co-productions which reached a total of 53 for 2005 (36 in 2004), a new record, as was the number of films initiated in France (FIF) which reached 187, of which 61 were majority co-productions, revealed yesterday by Cineuropa.

As for investments, all the barometers are rising. In total, the 187 films initiated in France benefited from 933 million euros and the 53 films of foreign majority 352 million, figures compared with 2004 at, respectively 892 and 156 million euros. In more detail, the 2005 results include more than 917 million euros of French investments (837 million in the FIF and 79 million in minority co-productions) while foreign investment in accredited French production totalled 96 million euros for the FIF and 272 million for minority co-productions. Over five years, foreign investment in majority French productions has more than doubled and the financial implications for French in minority co-productions leapt from 27 million euros in 1999 to 79 millions in 2005, two trends that are a result of the Europeanisation of film production according to the CNC.

(Translated from French)