Co-founder in 2015 with Pauline Seigland of the French company Films Grand Huit, Lionel Massol's credits include Disco Boy [+lee también:
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entrevista: Giacomo Abbruzzese
ficha de la película]  by Giacomo Abbruzzese (in competition in Berlin in 2023), Ghost Trail [+lee también:
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entrevista: Jonathan Millet
entrevista: Pauline Seigland
ficha de la película] by Jonathan Millet (Critics' Week 2024), Mi bestia [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Camilla Beltrán (ACID Cannes 2024), Rabia [+lee también:
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entrevista: Mareike Engelhardt
ficha de la película] by Mareike Engelhardt and Mikado [+lee también:
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entrevista: Baya Kasmi y Félix Moati
ficha de la película] by Baya Kasmi. He is now selected as one of EFP's Producers on the Move.

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Cineuropa: How did you become a producer and what were the main stages in your career?
Lionel Massol: I started out at the age of 20 as a production assistant, initially for five years with a company that mainly focused on short films, where I learnt a lot because they produced so many films. Then, as I wanted to move into feature films, I became an assistant to Élisabeth Perez at Chaz Productions, where I worked for four years with a different approach: feature films, which meant fewer films, and a different way of working, financing, etc. I met Pauline Seigland during our studies and she too had worked quickly and more on sets as a production manager. We realised that we were complementary, that we shared the same energy, the same way of seeing cinema and the urgency of making films. All this led to our decision to create Films Grand Huit together.

What is the editorial approach of Films Grand Huit?
Firstly, to produce auteur films by filmmakers of our generation. It was also to continue supporting filmmakers we had met in our previous lives, like Jonathan Millet and Camilla Beltrán for example, that we decided to set up our company. Our editorial line has perhaps become a little more refined, but it's the same as when we started: we like cinema to talk about today's world, as it is or as it could be. But always with the idea of a strong angle and point of view, and therefore a singular form. We don't want to produce naturalistic social and societal films, but films that really use the medium of cinema to tell the story of society, with quite strong artistic choices. As a producer, it's great because it's a production challenge every time. There are a lot of films out there, so it's not a question of just wanting to make another film, but rather of really having the impression that a film in the making has something unique about it.

What about European productions?
Today, when you want to make ambitious auteur films, especially when they are first or even second features, you have to think about European co-productions, even if some films can be financed very well only in France. With one exception, all our feature films have been co-produced abroad. It's also a matter of taste, because we like films that tell a global story, which naturally opens the door to international co-productions: whether they are French or foreigners living in France (like Mareike Engelhardt), the filmmakers we produce tackle subjects that are of interest to other countries. Finally, co-producing is also a real lever, because for a first French feature film by an auteur, it's difficult to put together a budget of more than €3 to €3.5m in France, even if you tick all the boxes. If you want to go beyond that, you have to look abroad.

What projects do you have in the works?
Over the last two years, we've shot, released and supported a lot of these films. In the meantime, the writing has progressed well, and this year we're in the process of financing Disorder by Giacomo Abbruzzese (which this time will be majority produced by Italy via Dugong Films), which has been selected for the Cannes Investors Circle, and On empêchera la fin du monde , the first feature by Rémi Allier, who won the César for short film and was shortlisted for the Oscar with Les petites mains. We are currently casting for this film, which we hope to shoot in 2026. There's also the comedy Une de perdue, une de perdue by Mathilde Elu, which we'll also be shooting next year, and À propos de Sousan by Marie Le Floc'h (nominated for a short film César in 2021 with Among the almond trees). And we're continuing to support the authors of the short films we've produced, including Elie Girard (nominated for a César for Fiction Short Film in 2022), Ismaël Joffroy-Chandoutis (nominated for a César for Documentary Short Film that same year) and Moly Kane (who won an award at the Ateliers de l'Atlas for his feature-length project). And let's not forget the second feature-length projects by Jonathan Millet, Camila Beltrán and Mareike Engelhardt.

What do you expect from your participation in the Producers on the Move initiative in Cannes?
When you see the shortlist, it's great because the other Producers on the Move have produced films that I love enormously, some of which have made a real impact in recent years. It will be fantastic to be able to exchange ideas with them. Of course, there's also a short-term interest because they have some very attractive projects for which there may be room for financing in France. I also have the impression that with this type of initiative, you really build camaraderie and alliances over the medium and long term. And it's very precious, these places where you create trust and goodwill between people because you know that later, if you think of a project that relates to such or such a country, to such or such a theme, it will be much easier to call these people who have been with you, to co-produce or for advice.