09/10/2002

Attendance has dropped in French cinemas. According to the latest report published by the CNC and the French Cinema Federation (FNCF) 9.6 million tickets were sold in September, a 26.7 per cent drop on September 2001.
However, the CNC was quick to reassure the industry by saying that the French situation is nowhere near as dire as may initially appear. If the data for the whole of 2001 is analysed, there was a 5.4 per cent increase in attendance that corresponds to ticket sales of just under 200 million. The FNCF however does not share the CNC’s optimism: “annual attendance for 2002 fell by 3.5 per cent with respect to 2001”.
French exhibitors point the finger at disappointing third quarter results of 2002 when just 34 million tickets were sold, an 11 per cent drop on 2001. According to the FNCF, the main reason for this was “the almost total lack of any French or art house films in the summer months”.
The September results did however give French film industry insiders cause for celebration after it was announced that French films increased their quota of the national market by 4.3 per cent, climbing to 48.8 per cent from the 44.5 per cent of September 2001.
October forecasts are also good. 43 films scheduled for release, 12 of which are French and they include potential hits like Embrassez qui vous voudrez by Michel Blanc, Décalage horaire by Danièle Thompson and Adolphe by Benoît Jacquot, starring Isabelle Adjani.

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(Translated from French)