19/03/2009

With 95 French international co-productions in 2008 – the same number as in 2007 – French cinema maintains a high level of production with the rest of the world. Twenty-eight countries were involved in the making and financing of these films, which represent 39.6% of the total number of features accredited in 2008. This is what emerges from the data published yesterday by the National Film Centre (CNC).

The total is broken down into 51 majority French features (compared to 52 in 2007) and 44 minority productions (compared to 43 the previous year). The films received €550.44m in investment, including €283.7m from France (+13.2%) and €266.6m from foreign sources (+7%).

With 22 features (compared to 18 in 2007), Belgium is the leading partner for majority French co-productions, followed by Italy (13, or four more than the previous year), Germany (eight), Luxembourg and Switzerland (which have both seen a rise from three to seven films). No co-productions with the UK were accredited in 2008.

The French share of investment in minority co-productions amounts to 21.5%, while the contribution of foreign partners to majority French co-production budgets stands at 26.7%.

Twelve co-productions were made as part of bilateral funding agreements (without artistic or technical contribution from the minority country), including ten with Italy and two with Spain.

Finally, the number of co-productions initiated as part of the European Convention (involving a minimum of three countries) rose to 32 features (including 14 French initiative films) in 2008. Among them, six films were produced by four European countries and one by five countries.

(Translated from French)