Assessment 2007 (2): 95 international co-productions
The fine form of French cinema (see assessment news, Part 1) revealed to the press by the National Centre for Cinematography (CNC) on the occasion of the 2007 production assessment has also had a positive impact on international co-productions.
A total of 95 features (compared to 76 in 2006) were made last year with one or several foreign partners, i.e. 41.7% of French production, for an overall investment of €499.95m.
This result includes 52 majority French co-productions (37 the previous year), representing €302.5m in investment: €206.24m from French sources and €96.26m from foreign sources. A total of 28.1% of French Initiative Films (FIF) were thus co-produced with foreign companies.
As for the 43 French minority co-productions accredited in 2007 (four more than the previous year), they used up $197.45m in investment, including $44.37m from French sources and $153.09m from foreign sources.
Thirty-three different countries were involved in the 95 co-productions and 31 were produced within the framework of the European co-production agreement (projects involving a minimum of three countries).
As in 2005 and 2006, the main partners for French Initiative Films were Belgium (18 features compared to 11 in 2006), Germany (10 compared to 6) and Italy (9, the same number as the previous year). They are followed by Canada with a clear increase (from 2 to 8) and Switzerland (3 in 2007 compared to 4 in 2006).
On the other hand, the reform to UK tax incentives has clearly tolled the knell of co-productions of FIFs with the UK as they decreased from 13 in 2004 (five in 2005 and two in 2006) to just one in 2007.
The increase in majority French co-productions has also affected foreign film shoots, as FIFs have accrued 155 weeks abroad (+53.3%) in 2007 compared to 1072 weeks in France (+7.4%). Overall, 80 French Initiative Films were partly or entirely shot abroad last year, for purely artistic reasons; for reasons of economic cost (Portugal, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania); or for access to local funding (Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany).
(Translated from French)
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