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Newsletter Unifrance 143 - May 2023

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Editorial

Now at the beginning of May, we are delighted to unveil the new Unifrance website. It is the product of extensive collaborative efforts involved in the overhaul of our digital and communication tools that was initiated two years ago at the time of the adoption of our new visual and graphic identity. This is an important step for our association, as we now benefit from a unified platform that reflects the new Unifrance. This website embodies our expanded and strengthened strategy that fully integrates television industry creation. It is also a more efficient tool to serve all professionals–you, our members, as well as foreign buyers, who are our priority users. Our website also highlights even more strongly our initiatives and information services aimed at local audiences around the world, in line with our new content guidelines. We wish to thank the Unifrance teams, in particular our digital teams, for bringing this complex project to completion, at the same as other essential operations such as the merging of databases and the launch of a new shared viewing tool for the film and television sectors.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023 will see the opening of the 76th edition of the world's most prestigious film festival. Over ten days, Cannes will become the beating heart of the international movie scene, where all of the most distinctive artistic perspectives will come together and interact. The festival thus offers an exceptional showcase for the multiplicity of creative expression, and notably for French films, which enjoy a prominent position at the event. Indeed, over 80 films produced or coproduced by France are interspersed within the various Cannes sections this year, with a historically high presence of women directors, and even an equal balance in the French-majority films. Congratulations to everyone! We applaud all of the French film teams, represented in all of the festival sections and selections–directors, screenwriters, actors, producers, distributors, exhibitors, and sales companies–who, through their hard work, commitment, and their imaginations, constitute the strength and renown of our cinema industry.

Unifrance will accompany professionals and artists in order to facilitate dialogue and convivial moments based around French creations. We will operate a booth at the Marché du Film–which has, among its missions, to welcome our producer and distributor members–in addition to our famous Unifrance Terrace, which, as is the case each year, will host the crews from French films selected at the festival at our customary meetings with the international media.

A broad-ranging plan of action is also in place to shine a light on our artists, in particular the new generation, represented by Unifrance's 10 to Watch selection, whom we be welcoming on May 24 and 25. A large number of video formats will also be shared on our website and social media throughout the festival period. Furthermore, as we see that funds allocated by the press to criticism are decreasing, Unifrance will continue the Critic’s Lab this year. This mentoring project initiated by our association in 2022 aims to foster the emergence of talented film critics by inviting to Cannes three young novices–from English-language press outlets, selected by their peers– to cover events relating to French cinema. It is also an opportunity to emphasize the crucial importance of criticism as a vehicle for enhancing the visibility and reputation of films with audiences.
A Day of Reflection and Discussions that Unifrance is co-hosting with the CNC will be held once again on the CNC's beach, focusing on innovation in the field of marketing as a new resource for promoting the diversity of creative works.

We are thrilled to be meeting up with you on the Croisette to join together in celebration of cinema, which, despite still being in recovery mode in many countries after three tough years, is showing a vibrant creative energy at this time. We wish you all an excellent festival!

Serge Toubiana, Daniela Elstner, and Hervé Michel
President, Executive Director, and Vice-President of Unifrance

 

CONTENTS

In Focus

Unifrance at the 76th Cannes Film Festival

Unifrance will be present in Cannes from May 16 to 27 to help promote the works and artists of French cinema. The organization will be present in its two usual spaces: the Unifrance Terrace, just off the Croisette, where the teams of French films presented at the festival (all selections included), the international press, and numerous events will be hosted; and the Unifrance stand, located in the Marché du Film (Riviera L1), which will accommodate four French international sales companies, and will be available to its members on an ad hoc basis. Meetings between Unifrance teams and their key contacts (major international festivals, distributors from the main French film markets, etc.) are also planned during the festival.

 

The spaces

The Unifrance Terrace in Cannes, a special place at the service of French cinema on the international scene

The Unifrance Terrace will be set up for the sixth consecutive year at 5 rue des Belges, a stone's throw from the Palais des Festivals, in a space spread over three levels designed to welcome the crews of French productions selected in Cannes for their interviews with the international press.
The teams of the films by the following directors are already expected to attend this year (subject to change): Thomas Cailley, Wang Bing, Faouzi Bensaïdi, Cédric Kahn, Catherine Corsini, Kaouther Ben Hania, Stéphan Castang, Katell Quillévéré, Michel Gondry, Justine Triet, Martin Provost, Anna Novion, Valérie Donzelli, Catherine Breillat, Tran Anh Hung, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Maxime Rappaz, Felipe Galvez...

The Unifrance Terrace will also serve as a setting for video interviews conducted by Unifrance with the artists, in order to accompany promotion during Cannes and, later, the release of the films. A photo studio (entrusted to photographer Marie Rouge) will allow portraits to be produced that can be made available to the international press and to foreign festivals in which Unifrance is a partner.

A photo exhibition composed of portraits of filmmakers and actors taken by Marie Rouge during the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris in January 2023, will also be presented on the Unifrance Terrace.

The venue will also host numerous private events (by invitation only): cocktail receptions (in honor of foreign distributors and French exporters, for animation films, documentaries, etc.), the presentation of the Unifrance Short Film Awards, dinners (the Critics' Week jury, Unifrance's 10 to Watch, the winners of the Unifrance Short Film Awards, and the Œil d'or — the Cannes Documentary Prize), etc.

The Unifrance stand in the Marché du Film

Unifrance will also be present alongside professionals through its 130 square-meter stand located in the  Marché du Film (Riviera-L1), which can host meetings for Unifrance member producers and exporters, and will house four export companies: Mediawan Rights, MPM Premium, Urban Sales, and Reservoir Docs.
This space will also be the venue where Unifrance teams will meet with their contacts: directors and selectors of foreign festivals, international distributors, representatives of VOD platforms, exporters, market managers, audiovisual attachés, cultural advisors, partners, and export professionals.

A happy hour, conceived to encourage – in a convivial way – exchanges between French professionals and their foreign counterparts, is also planned for Saturday, May 20 (by invitation only).


 

 

Highlights

Launching the Marché on the Unifrance Terrace with foreign distributors and French exporters

Unifrance's traditional cocktail reception, which honors foreign distributors and French exporters, will be held on Wednesday, May 17 on the Unifrance Terrace (by invitation only). This meeting, which will mark the beginning of the Marché du Film, will be followed by numerous professional events that will be held either on the Unifrance Terrace or at the Unifrance stand, such as the working breakfast that will bring together French audiovisual attachés and Unifrance teams and the Franco-German Film Academy cocktail reception (by invitation only).

French documentary on the Unifrance Terrace and off-site

On Thursday, May 18, Unifrance will join Cannes Docs, EURODOC, and Cinéma du Réel to host, on the Unifrance Terrace, Cannes Docs' opening cocktail reception (by invitation only).

Unifrance will also participate in a panel discussion at the World Cinema Pavilion on Friday, May 19, organized by the Institut Français. The discussion will focus on the issues involved in the international promotion of documentaries. It will be immediately followed by a second one, in the same context, co-organized by SRF directors and the Institut Français, and will reflect on the role of the director in contemporary film production.

During the festival, Unifrance will also organize a breakfast with ACID around the directors of French documentaries presented in the selection, in the presence of international professionals.

Meetings focusing on exports

Unifrance will participate in the Export Meeting organized by the CNC on its beach on Thursday, May 18. The event will include a roundtable discussion, moderated by Unifrance's Executive Director, Daniela Elstner, on the "cinema of tomorrow," the challenges of innovation in distribution and marketing 3.0. These meetings will be followed by a luncheon (by invitation only) that will bring together some 100 French and foreign guests: institutions, distributors, festival directors, exporters, etc.

French animation on the Unifrance Terrace

On Sunday, May 21, Unifrance will join the Marché du Film / Animation Day, Annecy Animation Film Festival, German Films / Animation Germany to host, on the Unifrance Terrace, a cocktail reception celebrating French animation (by invitation only).

French short films on the Unifrance Terrace and off-site

  • On Thursday, May 25, the 21st Unifrance Short Film Awards will be announced in the presence of the recipients and the members of the 2023 Jury. The ceremony will be followed by a cocktail reception (by invitation only).
  • In addition, Unifrance will participate in the Short Film Corner breakfasts on Sunday, May 21, Monday, May 22, and Wednesday, May 24.

Special initiatives

10 to Watch in Cannes

Initiated by Unifrance in 2014, the "10 to Watch" program aims to contribute to the emergence of new French movie talents in the international arena, by raising their profile outside France (through contact with journalists, festival programmers, broadcasters, and foreign audiences) and, in this way, to participate in the constant renewal of French cinema icons.

The artists who make up the "10 to Watch" are selected by a committee of film journalists (Variety, Screen International, Cineuropa, The Hollywood Reporter). The list of the 10 to Watch 2023 was revealed by Unifrance last January, during the Unifrance Rendez-vous in Paris.

These emerging talents will be highlighted at Cannes through a press lunch, followed by a red-carpet photo session arranged with the Cannes Film Festival, and a dinner on the Unifrance Terrace on Wednesday, May 24. Unifrance will also produce video content (interviews, meetings, etc.) to promote this new generation of artists on social networks to foreign audiences. The following are already confirmed at this stage Bastien Bouillon, Davy Chou, Céline Devaux, Paul Kircher, Charlotte Le Bon, Annabelle Lengronne, and Nadia Tereszkiewicz.

 

Critics’ Lab

Launched for the first time at Cannes in 2022, Critics' Lab is an initiative designed to support the emergence of a diverse and inclusive English-language critical community, while strengthening its ties with French film artists and professionals.

Thus, on the proposal of Unifrance, three eminent American and British film journalists (Eric Kohn – Executive Editor and VP, Editorial Strategy at IndieWire; Finn Halligan – Executive Editor, Reviews and New Talent at Screen International; Lovia Gyarkye – Arts and Culture Critic at The Hollywood Reporter) have nominated three emerging journalists (Robert Daniels, Khushi Jain, and Kelli Weston), from the United States and the United Kingdom, who are representative of the diversity of our society. They will be invited by Unifrance to the Cannes Film Festival to cover new-generation French cinema. Their daily reviews, in the form of video clips, will be broadcast on Unifrance's social networks.

On site, these young journalists will be supervised by Unifrance and their three mentors to enhance their experience and enjoy special networking opportunities.
 

Unifrance online

Unifrance on social networks

Unifrance will be present during the festival on its usual social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok, as well as YouTube) for several series of daily posts: interviews with French filmmakers and artists, video reviews from the Critics' Lab (see above), and video clips dedicated to the 10 to Watch program in Cannes. Institutional communication will be reserved for LinkedIn.

 Unifrance's presence in Cannes benefits from the precious support of: TitraFilm, Champagne Brimoncourt, Estandon Coopérative en Provence, Davines, Dammann Frères, Nespresso & S.Pellegrino.

Events roundup

All the French films at the 76th Cannes Film Festival

The Competition of the 2023 edition of the Cannes Film Festival offers a very fine portrait of contemporary French cinema, with seven French titles competing for the Palme d'Or.
And as is the case every year, France, land of cinema and the cradle of many international co-productions, will be present across the event, with a total of more than 80 films, including shorts, produced or co-produced by France featuring in the festival's various strands.

 

  After the majestic opening orchestrated by Maïwenn and her Madame du Barry, seven directors (five women and two men) will fly the French colors in the Official Selection and Competition with French films or majority-French productions: Justine Triet with Anatomy of a Fall (four years after Sibyl, also in Competition), Kaouther Ben Hania with Four Daughters, Catherine Breillat (returning to Cannes 19 years after Intimate Scenes) with Last Summer, Catherine Corsini with Homecoming, Ramata-Toulaye Sy with Banel & Adame (the only debut feature in Competition), and Tran Anh Hung with (The Pot Au Feu). Rounding off the list, Youth (Spring) by the Chinese documentarian Wang Bing, is also a majority-French production.

The strong presence of French films is exceptional, doubled by the history-making presence of women directors, with a total of 7 films in Competition.

Out of Competition, several French filmmakers will make an expected return to the Croisette, notably in the Cannes Première strand, which will feature new films by Valérie Donzelli (Just the Two of Us), Martin Provost (Bonnard, Pierre et Marthe), Katell Quillévéré (Along Came Love), and Lisandro Alonso (Euréka, a majority-French title).

Un Certain Regard offers new films by Stéphanie Di Giusto (Rosalie), Thomas Cailley (Le Règne animal), Jean-Bernard Marlin (Salem), Alex Lutz (Strangers by Night), and a debut feature, Rien à perdre by Delphine Deloget.

Last but not least, two "unclassifiable" films in the Midnight Screenings: Acide, a genre film by Just Philippot, and the comedy Omar la fraise, starring Reda Kateb and Benoît Magimel.

 

 Over at Directors' Fortnight, a French film (The Goldman Case by Cédric Kahn) will open this section.

And the great cinema artists Michel Gondry (Le Livre des solutions), Faouzi Bensaïdi (Deserts), and Bertrand Mandico (Conann, a minority-French co-production however) will be back, not forgetting Pierre Creton (Un prince).

 

  Critics' Week will allow us to discover the new film by Marie Amachoukeli (Àma Gloria), which opens the section, nine years after Party Girl, which she co-directed. Iris Kaltenbäck's debut feature Le Ravissement is also in the lineup, and Vincent Must Die, the debut feature by Stéphan Castang, a renowned director of short films, will be presented in a Special Screening.

Also returning is Erwan Le Duc, whose The Bare Necessity was revealed in 2019 at Directors' Fortnight. His new film, No Love Lost, will close Critics' Week.

 

 ACID continues its research mission and will present the new film by documentarian Nicolas Peduzzi (On the Edge), as well as the animated film Chicken for Linda!, directed by Sébastien Laudenbach, who burst onto the scene in 2016 with The Girl Without Hands.

 

This brings us to Cannes Classics, which, apart from the tribute to Jean-Luc Godard in three films (Contempt in a restored version, Florence Platarets' documentary Godard par Godard, and the short Film-annonce du film qui n'existera jamais Drôles de guerre by Jean-Luc Godard), proposes several restored films: Meeting on the Docks by Paul Carpita, Blind Love / Mad Love by Jacques Rivette, Consider All Risks / The Big Risk by Claude Sautet, Mississippi Blues by Bertrand Tavernier, and Ces messieurs de la Santé by Pierre Colombier.

Cannes Classics will also be the strand, as every year, in which numerous documentaries dedicated to cinema are presented: Chambre 999 by Lubna Playoust, La Saga Rassam-Berri, le cinéma dans les veines by Michel Denisot and Florent Maillet, and Viva Varda ! by Pierre-Henri Gibert.

 

All the French films and French co-productions at the 76th Cannes Film Festival

Official Selection

Opening Film (Out of Competition)

  • Jeanne du Barry by Maïwenn

Competition

  • Homecoming by Catherine Corsini
  • Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet
  • Banel & Adame by Ramata-Toulaye Sy
  • Last Summer by Catherine Breillat
  • The Pot Au Feu by Tran Anh Hung
  • Four Daughters by Kaouther Ben Hania
  • Youth (Spring) by Wang Bing
  • Club Zéro by Jessica Hausner (minority-French co-production)
  • L'Enlèvement by Marco Bellocchio (minority-French co-production)
  • La Chimère by Alice Rohrwacher (minority-French co-production)
  • About Dry Grasses by Nuri Bilge Ceylan (minority-French co-production)
  • The Old Oak by Ken Loach (minority-French co-production)
  • Il Sol dell'avvenire by Nanni Moretti (minority-French co-production)

Out of Competition

  • Abbé Pierre - A Century of Devotion by Frédéric Tellier

Special Screenings

  • Marguerite's Theorem by Anna Novion
  • Little Girl Blue by Mona Achache
  • Man in Black by Wang Bing (French co-production shares not specified)

Un Certain Regard

  • Salem by Jean-Bernard Marlin
  • Le Règne animal by Thomas Cailley
  • Strangers by Night by Alex Lutz
  • Hounds by Kamal Lazraq
  • Rien à perdre by Delphine Deloget
  • Rosalie by Stéphanie Di Giusto
  • If Only I Could Hibernate by Zoljargal Purevgash (minority-French co-production)
  • Simple comme Sylvain by Monia Chokri (minority-French co-production)
  • Omen by Baloji Tshiani (French co-production shares not specified)
  • Goodbye Julia by Mohamed Kordofani (French co-production shares not specified)
  • Les Colons by Felipe Galvez (minority-French co-production)

Cannes Première

  • Euréka by Lisandro Alonso
  • Just the Two of Us by Valérie Donzelli
  • Bonnard, Pierre et Marthe by Martin Provost
  • Along Came Love by Katell Quillévéré

Midnight Screenings

  • Omar la fraise by Élias Belkeddar
  • Acide by Just Philippot

Cinéma de la Plage

  • Mars Express by Jérémie Périn
  • Flo by Géraldine Danon
  • Robot Dreams by Pablo Berger

Short Film Competition

  • Malgré la nuit by Guillermo Garcia Lopez
  • 27 by Flóra Anna Buda
  • La Perra by Carla Melo Gampert
  • Le Sexe de ma mère by Francis Canitrot

Short Films - Cinef

  • La Voix des autres by Fatima Kaci
  • Electra by Daria Kashcheeva

Directors' Fortnight

Opening Film

  • The Goldman Case by Cédric Kahn

Official Selection

  • Un prince by Pierre Creton
  • Deserts by Faouzi Bensaïdi
  • Le Livre des solutions by Michel Gondry
  • L'Autre Laurens by Claude Schmitz (minority-French co-production)
  • Legua by Filipa Reis and Joao Miller Guerra (minority-French co-production)
  • Agra by Kanu Behl (minority-French co-production)
  • Conann by Bertrand Mandico (minority-French co-production)
  • Riddle of Fire by Weston Razooli (French co-production shares not specified)
  • Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell by Tien An Pham (French co-production shares not specified)

Special Screenings

  • Abraham Valley by Manoel de Oliveira

Short Films - Official Selection

  • A Storm Inside by Clément Pérot
  • I Saw the Face of the Devil by Julia Kowalski

Critics' Week

Opening Film

  • Àma Gloria by Marie Amachoukeli

Competition

  • Lost Country by Vladimir Perisič
  • Le Ravissement by Iris Kaltenbäck
  • Il pleut dans la maison by Paloma Sermon-Daï (minority-French co-production)
  • Levante by Lillah Halla (minority-French co-production)
  • Inshallah a Boy by Amjad Al Rasheed (minority-French co-production)
  • Tiger Stripes by Amanda Nell Eu (minority-French co-production)

Closing Film

  • No Love Lost by Erwan Le Duc

Special Screenings

  • Vincent Must Die by Stéphan Castang
  • Le Syndrome des amours passées by Ann Sirot and Raphaël Balboni (minority-French co-production)

Short Films - Official Selection

  • I Promise You Paradise by Morad Mostafa
  • Via Dolorosa by Rachel Gutgarts
  • Boléro by Nans Laborde-Jourdaà
  • The Purple Season by Clémence Bouchereau

Short Films - Special Screenings

  • Midnight Skin by Manolis Mavris
  • Pleure pas Gabriel by Mathilde Chavanne
  • Stranger by Iris Chassaigne

Acid-Cannes

Program

  • Caiti Blues by Justine Harbonnier
  • On the Edge by Nicolas Peduzzi
  • Chicken for Linda! by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach
  • In the Rearview by Maciek Hamela (French co-production shares not specified)
  • Nome by Sana Na n'hada (French co-production shares not specified)
  • La Mer et ses vagues by Liana & Renaud (French co-production shares not specified)
  • Laissez-moi by Maxime Rappaz (minority-French co-production)
  • Machtat by Sonia Ben Slama (minority-French co-production)

Unifrance presents the second edition of Francia está en pantalla in Madrid

Unifrance is organizing, in partnership with the Institut Français, Francia está en pantalla, an audiovisual event that will take place in Spain from June 7 through 10, and will show premiere screenings of eight films and an audiovisual program in the presence of many artists.

Francia está en pantalla is first of all a showcase for the public, with premiere screenings of French films, followed by encounters with the films' actors and directors, and the possibility of  master classes.

8 films will be presented in premiere screenings before their theatrical release. A television drama will also be screened before its broadcast in Spain. The Sitting Duck by Jean-Paul Salomé will open the event on Wednesday night at the Institut Français in Madrid. He and the film's star, Isabelle Huppert, will be present at the screening. Huppert will also participate in a master class with Unifrance President Serge Toubiana on Thursday, June 8 at 4pm, at the Spanish Film Academy.

The two daily screenings will take place at MK2 Cine Paz, and Romain Cogitore's television film Une zone à défendre will be presented on Thursday evening at the Institut Français, before its launch on Disney+.

The following people are expected to attend (to be confirmed): Nicolas Bedos, Léonor Serraille, Annabelle Lengronne, Serge Bozon, composer Benjamin Esdraffo (as part of our partnership with Sacem), Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar, Sébastien Tulard, Wilfried Méance, Bertrand Usclat, and Jean-Christophe Roger.

The selection

  • The Sitting Duck by Jean-Paul Salomé (opening film)
  • Mother and Son by Léonor Serraille
  • Don Juan by Serge Bozon
  • Divertimento by Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar
  • Sugar and Stars by Sébastien Tulard
  • Mascarade by Nicolas Bedos
  • Une zone à défendre by Romain Cogitore
  • Ernest and Célestine : A Journey in Charabia by Julien Chheng and Jean-Christophe Roger
  • Jumeaux mais pas trop by Olivier Ducray, Wilfried Méance

School screenings will take place on Friday at the MK2 Palacio de Hielo (near the French high school).

A professional component will also be organized over two days in Madrid (June 7 and 8), with the presence on site of a delegation of about twenty French producers and sales agents (film and television) who will come to meet Spanish professionals (producers, distributors, platforms, etc.).

19th French Film Panorama in China

Organized by Unifrance in partnership with the Ambassade de France in China, the 19th French Film Panorama in China opened in Beijing on April 27, 2023 with The Family by Fabien Gorgeart, in his presence.

Chinese director Ning Hao does us the honor this year of being the sponsor of the Panorama. As a director, he was selected at the Berlin International Film Festival for his films Mongolian Ping Pong, which won the audience award there in 2005, and No Man's Land which competed in the International competition in 2014. As produce, he was selected for Are You Lonesome Tonight by Wen Shipei, in the Cannes Film Festival special screenings section, in 2021.

Fabien Gorgeart won the Best Director Award at the Beijing International Film Festival in 2022 for The Family. During his visit to China, he also participated in the opening ceremony of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival, where he presented the 2023 competition selection.

 

Chinese director Lou Ye, the ambassador of the 18th French Film Panorama in 2022, was made a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres this year by Bertrand Lortholary, Ambassador of France in China, on the occasion of the opening of the Panorama in Beijing. This ceremony could not take place in 2022 due to ongoing lockdowns in China. Lou Ye's films have been celebrated in Cannes (Screenplay Award 2009) and Berlin (Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution 2014). Among them, his films Summer Palace, Spring Fever, Love and Bruises, Mystery, and Blind Massage were co-produced with France.

Broadway and Lumière Pavilions movie theaters
The screenings are being held in the theaters of the two partner networks, those of Broadway and Lumière Pavilions.

The Panorama will tour from May 5 to June 30, 2023 in a dozen Chinese cities, including Canton, Chengdu, Kunming, Beijing, Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Xi'an.
In Beijing, the festival will be held in two Broadway theaters, from May 5 to 14.

Eight French films
The 2023 selection of eight feature films, chosen from films proposed by the Chinese distributors themselves, illustrates the diversity of talent in French cinema, highlighting established directors, emerging filmmakers, and renowned performers.
These films come from five Chinese distributors and seven international sales agents: Goodfellas, Indie Sales, mk2 films, Kinology, Gaumont, Le Pacte, and The Match Factory.

The selection

  • Les Choses humaines by Yvan Attal (Wing Sight)
  • Close by Lukas Dhont (Stay Golden)
  • The Innocent by Louis Garrel (DDDream)
  • Petite Solange by Axelle Ropert (Hugoeast)
  • No Dogs or Italians Allowed by Alain Ughetto
  • Mother and Son by Léonor Serraille (DDDream)
  • Eugenie Grandet by Marc Dugain (Wing Sight)
  • The Family by Fabien Gorgeart (Huashi)

Unifrance's website changes its look!

Unifrance presents the new version of its unifrance.org website, adapted to the needs and strategy of the organization, which added the television industry to its portfolio in June 2021 and now brings it and the film industry together.

With a strengthened and expanded sphere of activity, Unifrance had to develop a certain number of its communication and digital media: the implementation, in January 2022, of a new visual identity marked the starting point of a global and coherent plan to overhaul existing digital tools - a viewing platform and database common to the film and audiovisual industries, as well as a new website - accompanied beforehand by a consultation phase with professionals about their needs and practices.

This site, online since May 9, which offers a universe in line with the organization's new graphic charter, substantiates Unifrance's new strategy by aiming for a triple objective: to integrate and promote audiovisual creation, to balance professional information between our members and foreign buyers, and to balance information between professionals and the general public. The website, which also features a new user interface, will henceforth be a central pivot of Unifrance's content policy, primarily for professionals but also for various local audiences abroad.

This phase, completed according to the announced schedule, is important for the organization, which can now rely on a more efficient tool and a showcase reflecting the new Unifrance.

Unifrance jointly led this project with Almavia CX for the UX/UI design component, and Smile for the integration component.

MetaStories, Unifrance's new project, presented during a panel organized by the European Commission

MetaStories, the new project of Unifrance, will be showcased on Thursday April 20 at Connect University, the knowledge-sharing flagship initiative of the European Commission that aims to inform the EU staff and the general public about the latest digital trends and challenges.

Daniela Elstner, the Executive Director of Unifrance, will introduce the new Unifrance project called MetaStories on Tuesday 20 by taking part to a panel entitled « Innovation in audiovisual creation: harnessing virtual worlds through Creative Europe », from 10:00 to 12:00.

MetaStories is a European initiative led by Unifrance, with the creation of an online film festival (short films and feature films) which covers a double dimension.

  • One part will be developed in the metaverse - this space of circulation, sharing and access to content - which is part of the upheaval of cultural practices with the rise of digital technology, and precisely in the gaming Minecraft.
  • Another part will take place on global and local streaming platforms.

This panel is set up by the European Commission through CONNECT University, the knowledge-sharing flagship initiative of the European Commission’s Directorate General on Communication Networks, Content and Technologies (DG Connect) that aims to inform the EU staff and the general public about the latest digital trends and challenges which are highly linked with EU's relevant policies.

During this panel, many projects funded under the call “Innovative tools and business models” from Creative Europe MEDIA program will be introduced, such as MetaSky, Newen project.

It will be in English, with short presentation of the projects, followed by discussion between the speakers, and a Q&A with the audience.

The speakers are the following:

  • Lucía Recalde, Deputy Director for Media or Martin Dawson, deputy Head of Unit DG CNECT
  • Giuseppe Abbamonte, Director for Media in DG CNECT
  • Daniela Elstner, Executive Manager at UniFrance presenting MetaStories
  • Marianne Carpentier, Chief innovation & technologies Officer at NewenStudios presenting Newen Meta Sky
  • Benjamin de Wit, Festival Director presenting Immersive Tech Week
  • Jaime Castañosa, Head of Digital Marketing at Meboss Music presenting Videomuse
  • Moderator: Ingrid Rones, Policy Officer, DG CNECT Unit I3

MetaStories is a European initiative led by Unifrance, with the creation of an online film festival (short films and feature films) which covers a double dimension. One part will be developed in the metaverse - this space of circulation, sharing and access to content - which is part of the upheaval of cultural practices with the rise of digital technology, and precisely in the gaming Minecraft. Another part will take place on global and local streaming platforms.

This panel is open to the public. Please register at the following link: https://europa.eu/!nHHhXV

Unifrance partners with the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival for the second year

The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) is the most important event dedicated to the genre in Asia. Its 27th edition will take place from June 29 through July 9, 2023 and will be accompanied by a major professional component, the Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF).

As part of its strategy to increase support for genre films and series, Unifrance will partner for the second time with the festival and its professional strand, supporting the French productions selected in competition as well as through the various NAFF programs.

These programs are intended for feature film and series projects, as well as young emerging talents from the short film industry.

Unifrance will support the producers selected for the NAFF Project Market, a platform for meetings between project developers and financing partners that brings together professionals from all over Asia. The projects presented, whether feature films or series, must include elements related to Asia: talents involved, co-production, plot elements...

--> Call for projects for the NAFF Project Market

Unifrance will also support the young directors selected to participate in the NAAF Fantastic Film School, which is reserved for directors with at least two short films to their credit and who are preparing a feature film. The selected projects will receive an accreditation and accommodation paid for by the festival, for a period of seven days.

--> Call for applications for the NAFF Fantastic Film School

Finally, within the framework of French Immersion, dedicated to supporting the creators of French immersive works and extended to twenty new events, Unifrance will support the creators of French immersive works invited to BIFAN, the first beneficiary of this new scheme.

--> Call for XR projects

It should be noted that these travel grants are only available to Unifrance members. The deadline for calls for projects and applications is April 30, 2023.

Contacts:
Daphné Kapfer – daphne.kapfer@unifrance.org
Emmanuel Pisarra – emmanuel.pisarra@unifrance.org

"Gabin" receives the 4th Unifrance Doc Award at Visions du Réel

Unifrance presented its latest Unifrance Doc Award to the Franco-German project Gabin by Maxence Voiseux, during the Visions du Réel documentary festival, which was held in Nyon, Switzerland, April 21 through 30, 2023.

The Franco-German project Gabin, by Maxence Voiseux, received the new Unifrance Doc Award on April 26, 2023 during the Visions du Réel festival in Nyon, Switzerland. The award was presented in partnership with TitraFilm, in the presence of the director. This is the second year that the Swiss festival was the setting for the Unifrance Doc Award.

The documentary, which will benefit from subtitling funding and membership in the Unifrance college of feature film producers, was produced for France by Alter Ego Production.

Unifrance thanks the festival and TitraFilm.

Other awards for French documentaries at Visions du Réel 2023:

Industry award

  • The Party Film Sales Award went to Simon the Absurd by Felipe Monroy, co-produced by Kidam

Festival awards

  • Burning Lights Competition Award and FIPRESCI Prize: Knit’s Island by Ekiem Barbier, Guilhem Causse, and Quentin L’helgoualc’h
  • Perception Change Project Award: Against the Tide by Sarvnik Kaur

Previous Unifrance Doc Award recipients:

  • A Dog's Life by Diane Sara Bouzgarrou and Thomas Jenkoe (announced during Visions du Réel 2022)
  • Under the Dance Floor by Sara Timar (announced during DOK Leipzig 2022)
  • Cuba&Alaska by Yegor Troyanovsky (announced during CPH:DOX 2023)

For the 2nd year, Unifrance invites three producers to the Locarno Film Festival's Match Me! program

As part of the new Émergence project, which supports the international development of emerging French producers, Unifrance has renewed its partnership with the Locarno Film Festival to allow three member companies to participate in the Match Me! program.
The call for applications is open until May 26!

The event will take place from August 4 through 6, 2023 during the 76th edition of the prestigious Locarno Film Festival. Match Me! is one of the initiatives organized by Locarno Pro and is a networking platform for emerging producers who are currently developing a first or second feature film and are looking to expand their international network.
During three days, the program will offer three French producers the unique opportunity to present their company and their projects, to search for potential co-productions and financing, to meet buyers and distributors through a personalized matchmaking service, and to participate in professional lunches organized by the Locarno Pro team.

Unifrance invites interested French producers to apply before May 26, 2023!
Applications should be sent to Unifrance: tiziana.degidio@unifrance.org
The selection of participants will be made by the Locarno Pro team.

Conditions:

  • To have already produced short films
  •  Be currently developing a first or second feature film project
  •  Be a member of Unifrance (short film, feature film or audiovisual school)

Participation in the program is covered by the partnership between Unifrance and the Locarno Festival (accreditation, accommodation, transfer, etc.).

Please note: The application must be submitted in English, including the video.

--> Click here to download the inscription form

VOD news

Market indicator of French audiovisual programs on international television: February 2023

Unifrance's sixth publication of its market indicator analyzes broadcasts of French audiovisual programs in five countries (Germany, Spain, USA, Italy, and the United Kingdom) in February 2023.

For each territory, the market shares by broadcast time give an overview of the market configuration and the penetration of French titles. In addition, the top three positions and the distribution of French broadcasts by genre allow us to identify the titles that received the highest broadcast ratio over the period.

For the next indicator, Unifrance will focus its analysis on broadcasts in Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Sweden in March 2023.

Unifrance members can download the monthly market indicator of French audiovisual programs on international television below (in French only).

Interviews

"Vikings: The Lost Kingdom" is revealed through a fascinating historical and scientific exploration

Spurred by the unprecedented discovery of a burial ship in Norway, the documentary Vikings: The Lost Kingdom aims to tell the true story of the Viking civilization and people, which feeds many fantasies in the contemporary popular imagination. This film achieves its goal through a skilful mix of science, history and entertainment, as well as strong international partnerships.
Gaëlle Guyader, producer at ZED, and Charlotte Tachet, the company's director of distribution and acquisitions, take us behind the scenes of the mounting and distribution of this ambitious co-production.

How did the Vikings: The Lost Kingdom project come about? Was the idea already in the works before the unprecedented discovery of a Viking burial ship in Norway in 2018?

Gaëlle GuyaderGaëlle GuyaderGaëlle Guyader: During its research, ZED's  development division came across an article in a Norwegian newspaper about the discovery of a probable Viking burial ship footprint by archaeologists at NIKU (the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research). It turned out to be one of the largest ship graves unearthed in the last hundred years.
The uniqueness of this discovery prompted ZED's producers to immediately contact the excavation site team and offer them an exclusive documentary. We obtained privileged access to follow the excavations on the Gjellestad site and the concomitant scientific analyses, and we then set up a Franco-Norwegian team to be able to react to the different stages of the dig, and to remain in close contact with the scientists in charge of the site. Thanks to this collaboration with Norway, we were able to put together a credible and solid production, both editorially and in terms of its feasibility. Once the contacts were established, we were able to launch the film. From development to delivery, the film took three years to produce.

The documentary was produced and is distributed by ZED, why did you choose to focus on this subject? How did you bring together the different partners around this ambitious project?

GG: Although Vikings have always been an iconic archetype, we have been experiencing a Viking renaissance in recent years as these intrepid explorers have inspired a multitude of stories and appealed to a wide audience. This solid trend in our entertainment and pop culture has been proven by the critical and commercial success of TV series such as Vikings and The Last Kingdom, but their adventures, mythology, quest for land, and bloody conflicts have also found great visibility in the gaming industry with Lords Of The Fallen, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, and more recently Assassin's Creed Valhalla and God Of War.
More than ever, Viking culture offers great opportunities for storytelling, engagement, and entertainment. In the wake of this growing global popularity, the strength of our film lies in the fact that it fuels the public's curiosity about these Norse warriors by grounding their story in reality: Who were they? How did they really live? Surpassing fiction, we explore the true history of these people, going beyond pop culture and the collective imagination to reveal a civilization of great richness. Our film is also distinguished by its ambition: to explore a historical subject through scientific advances, following an archaeological breakthrough.

These scientific and archaeological discoveries shed new light on what we knew about the Vikings. What angle have you adopted to make these discoveries accessible?

GG: With the help of historians and leading specialists of the Viking era, this film presents, through fictionalized reconstructions, what life might have been like for these people. Both a scientific and historical investigation, Vikings: The Lost Kingdom is an unprecedented journey into the great history of Viking civilization, thanks to exclusive access and an archaeological excavation leading to a discovery unprecedented in the last hundred years.
The extensive period dedicated to the project's development allowed us to establish a financing plan commensurate with the project's ambition, including a co-production with CuriosityStream in the US and a co-production with Mechanix Films in Norway.
Our Norwegian co-producer facilitated our contacts with re-enactment centers and festivals celebrating Viking events. We were able to film on board drakkars during an event and set up the filming of scenes of everyday life and funeral rituals in a dedicated village with actors, all under the supervision of Viking era specialists.

What was your strategy for distributing the program internationally?

Charlotte TachetCharlotte TachetCharlotte Tachet : The search for additional international funding was essential for the successful completion of the project. The requirements of France 5's Science Grand Format slot and the internationally recognized production know-how of the ZED teams enabled us to offer our international partners a film with many assets: a skillful mix of science and history that has made this channel a success in France and abroad, the promise of strong reconstructions (non-dialogue evocations), a meticulous shoot, and exclusive access to new discoveries with a dynamic and modern narrative, an international cast, and original archaeological research as a common thread throughout the film. All the ingredients were there to set up ambitious partnerships!

Hence, very early in the development, we presented the project to CuriosityStream, which has been a loyal partner of ZED since our very first projects together, the Monuments sacrés and Living Universe series. CuriosityStream was very excited about the project and its approach, and came onboard as a co-producer.
It seemed interesting to pitch the project to our partners in Scandinavia, where this story particularly resonates. This was a challenge because many fiction and documentary productions about Vikings already exist. The project's original angle around the discovery of the Gjellestad burial ship allowed us to convince SVT, NRK, and VIASAT to pre-buy. This was a great sign of confidence for our teams. Ceska TV and YLE also joined us later, and recently the Australian channel SBS bought the film, in its original 90-minute version, as well as RTS, which acquired the 52-minute version.
We produced a 90-minute version for France 5, a two 45-minute episode version for CuriosityStream, and a 52-minute version for the international market, all available in 4K.

Vikings: The Lost Kingdom continues to surprise and travel... How do you see the continuation of its international journey?

CT: The success of series such as Vikings: Valhalla on Netflix, and its prequel on History Channel, which are hugely popular, has reinforced the public's attraction to this theme. We wanted to offer an ambitious film that would appeal to a wide audience, both informed or unfamiliar with the subject, young and old. Through our various partners, we've covered about fifty countries to date, and we hope to continue to expand the film's distribution, particularly in Asia where we have ongoing interests, as well as in Southern Europe (Spain, Italy...) and Germany.

Bolstered by this experience, we have recently committed ourselves to another project based on Vikings, handling distribution: Vikings, la saga des femmes, led by two talented producers, Sophie Parrault from Little Big Story (France) and Lisa Wahlbom from Nordic Eye Production (Sweden). This ambitious project, directed by Thomas Cirotteau (Lady Sapiens) is also produced for France Télévisions's Science Grand Format slot, with the Histoire TV channel, in co-production with Ubisoft. We launched the search for pre-buys a few weeks ago and already count among our international partners the Scandinavian SVT, NRK, and DR TV channels, and have received promising interest from the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The film will be delivered in early 2025.

 

A film in the world: the international career of "Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom" as seen by Pathé Films

While Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom by Guillaume Canet tallies 2.4 million admissions on the international scene, Ardavan Safaee, President of Pathé Films, and Marie-Laure Montironi, Executive Vice President of International Sales, reflect on the launch and international sales strategies employed by the century-old company for the release outside French borders of a film awaited throughout the world.

Unifrance: When and how did the Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom project arrive at Pathé?
Ardavan SafaeeArdavan SafaeeMarie-Laure MontironiMarie-Laure MontironiArdavan Safaee & Marie-Laure Montironi: In 2019, Guillaume Canet and the producers Alain Attal and Yohan Baiada contacted us after obtaining the rights from Éditions Albert René. We immediately embarked on this project, armed with our experiences from the first three adaptations.

What does the Asterix franchise represent in cinemas internationally, when the last live-action film in the series dates from 2011? Are expectations the same as in France?
The Asterix franchise represents millions of admissions abroad, both for live-action and animation versions [since 1998, the three animated Asterix films have accumulated 9.57 million admissions abroad, and the four live-action films, 38.36 million]. Expectations on the international market are very high, as the franchise is well known, especially in Western and Eastern Europe. The international market can represent more than half the admissions generated in France for such a film. To date, 2.4 million tickets have been sold outside of France for this latest film, which is quite exceptional. And the film's career isn't over since it's due to release on May 18 in Germany, a country traditionally important for Asterix.
 
Was this episode also conceived with the international market in mind, particularly the Asian market? Was any thought given to the complexity of all the subtleties of the film's language, puns, and references?
Each Asterix is conceived to adapt as best as possible to the whole world and to all generations. Concerning the Asian market in particular, the latter being so specific, it is complicated to make a French film with French puns and a Gallic backdrop perfectly adapted for China or Japan. We made an attempt by going to see the Chinese and the local authorities very early on and by considering a co-production, but Covid came and slowed us down. However, when you offer a great show and adventure, this ensures that the film has a life and is also exhibited in Asia in theaters and especially digitally.

When did you start working on international marketing, and what were the priorities?
The international marketing of a film of this kind is thought out well in advance. The idea is to coordinate as much as possible the worldwide releases and to produce and think of each marketing element for France and abroad at the same time, by offering a range of TV spots, trailers or teasers, no matter how slight, and by anticipating all the worldwide clearances. Delivery and anticipation for a perfect synchronization is essential. With this type of film, piracy can harm its proper exhibition. Therefore, it's essential to encourage our distributors to release the film as close as possible to the French release, which was the case in most countries, with the release spread over the month of February 2023, a bit like a blockbuster. A colossal and successful undertaking!
 
The film's scale and its €64 million budget, makes Asterix one of the biggest budgets in French cinema. When it comes to marketing the film, do you feel that such an investment must be handled with infinite precautions and that there is no room for error?
The franchise needed to be renewed after 10 years without a live-action film, but it still had a strong appeal for buyers. The script and cast were instant drawcards, which allowed us to secure many important territories before shooting, such as Germany, Spain, Italy, and Poland, without forgetting Netflix, which is accompanying us on a block of countries. We are always demanding with ourselves, whatever the film, but we also do this job for this kind of challenge!
 
Was it an "expensive" film for foreign distributors?
The film was released on the market taking into account its budget, at the moment we had a good script and a strong cast. This is certainly a big investment for each distributor, especially since they also have to plan their marketing expenses. It was therefore essential to target distributors most capable of working on a film of this scale. Each distributor's experience and their position in their local market is essential, as well as the release date chosen to avoid too much competition.
 
Asterix is a mainstream, popular film, which doesn't pass through any festivals before its release. How was the film's profile raised outside France? Through talent travelling to promote it? Previews? Were there any special operations around the film?
Numerous interviews relating to the film were organized, some of the cast accompanied the film's release in various parts of the world, and promotional operations and partnerships also came into play, for example with Citroën. This helped to establish strong brand awareness once again. In addition, support from Éditions Albert René and its sub-publishers in each country made it possible to support promotional activities and thereby to mobilize readers of the comics and the community of fans to the maximum.
 
Are the film's results abroad up to expectations? In which territories did the film work well? Which territories were disappointing?
We are very satisfied with the results abroad, with in particular an exceptional score in Poland, defying all competition, of 780,000 admissions! The life of each film is tallied across all media, so we have experienced no disappointments to date, except to say that Italians and Spaniards are slower to return en masse to theaters.
 
Pathé managed the production, French release, and sales of another huge French film in 2023, The Three Musketeers - D'Artagnan. Is the international approach for this film broadly the same as for Asterix?
The approach is globally the same in terms of choice of distributors, sales force, marketing, and global coordination. The franchise was not as big as Asterix, but the novel and its adaptations were nevertheless known all over the world. This awareness, coupled with a few minutes of "promo" presented very early in the shoot, allowed us to close sales quickly. We are proud to continue to bring French heritage to life all over the world and we will continue to do so.

Short films

21st edition of the Unifrance Short Film Awards

The 2023 selection brings together 26 titles in four programs, including 10 debut films, by 14 directors, in a diversity of styles and offering surprising worlds. 26 films, 10 of which are the result of co-productions with Belgium, the USA, Hungary, Israel, Italy, the Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Slovakia, and Switzerland.
 

Inventive and daring, sometimes an "object of curiosity," the short film format is essential to the renewal of the cinematic arts. With the constant support of Unifrance, short films have always been a constant in international film festivals and markets. The 2023 edition of the Unifrance Short Film Awards is already full of promise, and let's hope that this spotlight will open the door to an extraordinary international career for the writers, producers, and directors of these films.

Program 1

  • Martingale by Marthe Verdet
  • The Silent Ones by Basile Vuillemin
  • Ghosts by (LA) HORDE : BRUTTI/DEBROUWER/HAREL
  • 27 by Flóra Anna Buda
  • Mayhem by Baptiste Petit-Gats
  • Maurice’s Bar by Tom Prezman & Tzor Edery
  • Here Ends the World We've Known by Anne-Sophie Nanki

Program 2

  • Love Me True by Inés Sedan
  • Lorraine by Milena Beurer-Doenst
  • Sweet Tooth by Joséphine Darcy Hopkins
  • Electra by Daria Kashcheeva
  • Duos by Marion Defer
  • Alex's Machine by Mael Le Mée

Program 3

  • The Purple Season by Clémence Bouchereau
  • Perdre Léna by Mathilde Profit
  • Concrete Heart by Enrika Panero
  • Fires by Mirko Genduso
  • Roadtripper by Christophe Granger
  • A Ferris Wheel in the Desert by Lénaïg Le Moigne
  • Fatih the Conqueror by Onur Yağız

Program 4

  • Salvation Has No Name by Joseph Wallace
  • Lions by Beru Tessema
  • The Wolf and the Cat by Jean-Sébastien Bernard
  • Europe by Bidon by Thomas Trichet & Samuel Albaric
  • On the Sidelines by Kahina Ben Amar
  • Sèt Lam by Vincent Fontano

The jury, composed of:

  • Guadalupe Arensburg Caellas – Movistar+ (Spain)
  • Bénédicte Bourgois – RTBF (Belgique)
  • Lola Cambourieu – Co-director of the Unifrance Grand Prix 2022 (Bachelorette Party)
  • Patrice Carré – Le Film Français
  • Isabelle Gibbal-Hardy – Le Grand Action
  • Sani Elhadj Magori – Centre national de la cinématographie (Niger)
  • Anna Mitéran – Institut français de Prague (Czech Republic)
  • Gilles Reunis – Be TV (Belgique)
  • Hasan Ugur – Tübingen | Stuttgart International French-language Film Festival (Germany)

The jury met on Friday, May 5 for a day of lively discussion, and the winners will be announced in Cannes on Thursday, May 25 at 6 pm, in the presence of the winners, on the Unifrance Terrace – 5, rue des Belges.

We warmly thank Bastien Dubois  (winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Unifrance Short Film Awards 2020, and Annie Award for Best Animated Short Film for his film Souvenir Souvenir) for the originality of his inspiring illustration which gives the 21st edition its visual identity.

Unifrance also thanks the Unifrance Short Film Awards partners: TitraFilm, Cinéma Grand Action, Shortfilmdepot - Sauve qui peut le court métrage, Courant3D, Bref Cinema.

Unifrance presents MyFrenchShorts: "Apocalypse After" by Bertrand Mandico

Unifrance launches MyFrenchShorts: Each month, Unifrance will offer a French short film to international audiences, for a period of six months. Subtitled in English, and freely available, the film is chosen for its resonance with current events, its importance in the filmmaker's career, or its success in film festivals.

Filmmaker Bertrand Mandico inaugurates this monthly event with Apocalypse After, an astonishing erotic reverie where desire, colorful fantasy, and body parts are poetically intertwined. A 37-minute film, presented at the Critics' Week 2018.

The film will be available for six months.

Bertrand Mandico will be present this year in Cannes to present his third feature Conann, selected in Filmmakers' Fortnight.

With thanks to Ecce Films.

Click here to watch the film

Increased support for French XR internationally

Unifrance, the CNC, and Institut français extend the French Immersion program, dedicated to supporting the creators of French immersive works in international festivals, to twenty new events.

On the occasion of the 2023 edition of Immersity in Angoulême, Unifrance presented the challenges relating to the export and international promotion of French immersive creation and announced, with the CNC and the Institut Français the reinforcement of its international support mechanisms.

Launched in 2018 by the cultural services of the Ambassade de France in New York, with support from the CNC, Institut français, and Unifrance, French Immersion supports the promotion of French immersive works in a network of festivals in the USA. 

Bolstered by this experience, and wishing to strengthen the influence and standing of French creators and producers of immersive works in the international events' network, the program's founding partners have worked on extending it to a dozen new territories from 2023, under the title "French Immersion XR."

Twenty or so events have been targeted, according to their importance in the professional network and the work they carry out in presenting projects. The mechanism consists of set funding to contribute to the travel expenses of the creators of a work selected in competition.

The two methods of obtaining this funding:

  1. Automatic aid offered to all works selected in competition in the List 1 festivals, for a maximum of two people.
  2. On request: within the limit of one request per year per work, for a competitive selection in the List 2 festivals, for one person. As an exception, support may be requested for a competitive selection in a festival that is not on this list (in which case, it is no longer possible to apply for other support within this list).

The aid granted is a fixed sum and intended for the creator and/or producer, with different amounts allocated according to geographical areas:

  • Europe: €300
  • Canada : €800
  • Asia, Latin America, the rest of the world: €1000

Up to 4 grants per work per year.
Please note that applications for the USA continue to be processed by the Ambassade de France aux États-Unis / Villa Albertine in partnership with the fondation Face within the context of the French Immersion fund.

List 1 events

  • Europe: Venice International Film Festival , BFI London Film Festival, Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) IDFA - International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, and Stéreopsia Liège
  • Canada: Montreal Festival du Nouveau Cinéma
  • Asia: BIFAN, Kaohsiung Film Festival (KFF)Kaohsiung Film Festival (KFF)

List 2 events

  • Europe: Sheffield Doc/Fest, DOK Leipzig, Ji.hlava, Raindance, VRHAM    Hamburg, Rotterdam International Film Festival (IFFR), CPH:DOX
  • Canada: FIVARS Toronto, VIFF Vancouver
  • Asia: Taipei Film Festival

This new "French Immersion XR" fund is overseen by Unifrance.

Contact: Claire Willemin –
Short films and new writing co-ordinator:
Claire.willemin@unifrance.org

International box office results

French films at the international box office: March 2023

In March 2023, French cinema was represented in international theaters by over 310 films already distributed and over 230 new releases, registering a total of 3.2 million admissions and generating €19.6 million in ticket sales.

Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom maintained its lead at the top of the monthly charts, bolstered by 0.5 million admissions. Five other French productions, including Argonuts and Little Nicholas - Happy as Can Be, surpassed 100,000 admissions.

# Title Admissions B.O. Revenues (€) No. of Prints No. of Countries Total Admissions Total Revenues
1 Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom 496,110 3,022,283 1,265 26 2,139,306 13,607,604
2 Argonuts 471,335 2,064,433 2,715 8 817,620 4,674,391
3 Little Nicholas - Happy as Can Be 237,275 839,197 311 6 331,626 1,451,786
4 Heart of Oak 92,665 752,530 278 5 212,259 1,295,367
5 The Blue Caftan 84,880 680,791 253 9 85,289 683,726
6 Return to Seoul 72,594 593,429 179 10 108,909 909,266
7 The Crime Is Mine 52,850 497,962 108 4 52,850 497,962
8 Diary of a Fleeting Affair 50,526 386,929 175 4 122,315 774,516
9 A Happy Man 44,991 311,259 128 4 72,262 537,079
10 Pil 39,938 174,438 64 2 1,613,068 8,352,062
11 King 33,520 209,580 292 2 644,138 2,344,245
12 Alibi.com 2 31,830 258,655 190 5 46,661 487,616
13 Belle and Sebastian - Next Generation 31,163 190,982 327 9 399,463 2,095,751
14 One Fine Morning 28,070 197,137 176 8 119,555 891,217
15 Saint Omer 27,113 207,113 198 10 87,512 672,685
16 The Night of the 12th 21,182 116,143 110 6 107,479 705,630
17 Driving Madeleine 21,065 121,905 88 2 68,819 590,064
18 The Innocent 2,058 119,229 109 6 100,051 748,435
19 On The Wandering Path 19,106 224,841 46 2 19,106 224,841
20 Rise 18,526 117,148 61 2 304,849 2,398,473

A solid international box office for French titles

French cinema attracted 3.2 million spectators and generated  €19.6 million in international box office revenues in March. Admittedly, the box office was down 22% on February, but the latter had been "boosted" by the sensational arrival of Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom. March saw the highest volume of releases and films in exhibition, and the second highest cumulative number of admissions, after the pandemic. Another difference compared to the previous month is that French filmgoers were more evenly distributed between the different titles: only 25,000 tickets separate the latest Asterix from Argonuts, both of which attracted more than 450,000 filmgoers outside France and topped the chart for the second month running. The last place on the podium still belonged to animation, but this time it was Little Nicholas – Happy as Can Be that took third place. These three films each mobilized more than 200,000 moviegoers in a foreign market: Asterix in Poland, where it continues to screen (Kino Swiat, 749,000 admissions and €3.07 million in box office revenues thus far), likewise Little Nicholas (Monolith, 236,000 and €0.83 million), while Argonuts launched with success in Russia (Volga, 207,000 and €0.59 million), without forgetting the 97,000 spectators charmed in Vietnam (Lumix, €0.3 million) and the strong ongoing performances in the United Kingdom & Ireland (StudioCanal, 290,000 and €2.52 million).
As for Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, it became the first majority-French production to exceed two million admissions abroad post-Covid 19! Six productions tallied more than 100,000 spectators abroad and together concentrated 55% of French films' monthly admissions: in addition to the three titles mentioned above, this set includes the minority-French production Close (231,000 admissions), Triangle of Sadness (198,000) and Marlowe (151,000). Unfortunately, Heart of Oak just missed this symbolic threshold. 10 films were on release in more than 10 markets each, including three in more than 20: Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, Close, and Triangle of Sadness.

Poland, Russia, and Germany lead in terms of territories

 As usual, Europe remained the leading geographical area for theatrical exhibition of French cinema. In March, in the continent's western zone, more than two million moviegoers chose a French production, while more than one million flocked in the central and eastern zone. Outside Europe, admissions in Latin America doubled thanks to the warm reception given to the minority-French titles Marlowe (Diamond) and Close (Mubi), which each sold more than 100,000 tickets; a third of North American spectators for French films discovered Return to Seoul (Sony, 72,000 admissions and $0.66 million overall); finally, animation brought some color to our cinema on the big screen in Asia, carried by Argonuts in Vietnam (see above) and by the minority-French production Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness in South Korea (First Run, 54,000 and 0.34 M€).
Poland returned to the top of the ranks with 578,000 admissions, followed by Russia (285,000) and Germany (230,000); only two of the seven other markets registering more than 100,000 admissions were non-European (Mexico, 142,000, and the United States & English-speaking Canada, 130,000)

Comedies, animation, and documentaries were the most popular

 Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom enabled comedy/dramatic comedy to remain the leading genre, attracting a third of foreign viewers of French films in March. Given the solid trajectories of the above-mentioned films, it is not surprising to see an increase in the number of animation and documentary fans (Heart of Oak successfully launched in Germany with 86,000 spectators and €0.7 million, X-Verleih) compared to February. Dramas also attracted more moviegoers: the top 10 includes The Blue Caftan, which started its international career with a respectable breakthrough in The Netherlands (Cinéart, 26,000 and €0.24 million), and Return to Seoul. The majority-French productions (70% of total admissions) and French-language productions (77%) accounted for the largest share of admissions in March; although the total was lower than the previous month (-16%), the decline was less significant than that of minority-French productions (-34%) and foreign-language productions (-39%).

French films in international festivals in March 2023

 March was marked by French films studding international film festival selections, starting with Other People's Children. After premiere screenings in French film festivals in Argentina, Greece, and Israel, ahead of theatrical releases in these territories, it was part of the selection of Rendez-Vous With French Cinema in New York, where Rebecca Zlotowski and Virginie Efira presented the film at Lincoln Center, with Unifrance. Other People's Children also featured in the  Belgrade International Film Festival and Vilnius Film Festival. Mother and Son was also popular with festival programmers. It was selected in the Dublin International Film Festival, French Film Festival of Taipei , Belgrade International Film Festival , Rendez-Vous With French Cinema in New York, and Rendez-vous – Nuovo cinema francese in Rome, where its director Léonor Serraille traveled to encounter audiences (photo below). After winning a clutch of awards at the latest Goya ceremony, The Beasts (minority-French production) continued its success, receiving more awards at several film festivals: Best Film at the Dublin International Film Festival, Best Screenplay at the Belgrade International Film Festival, and three awards at the Miami Film Festival (Knight Marimbas Award, Alacran Music in Film Award & Rene Rodriguez Critics' Award).

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(French version only).

This report is based on results recorded on April 12, 2023. Since our statistics for film releases are continuously being updated, the graphics generated automatically on our website will differ from the chart featured in this article.

Top 20 - March 2023

International box-office for French films (outside France)
- From March 1 to April 2, 2023
# Title Admissions BO revenues (€) No. of prints No. of countries Total admissions Total BO (€)
1 Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom 496 110 3 022 283 1 265 26 2 139 306 13 607 604
2 Argonuts 471 335 2 064 433 2 715 8 817 620 4 674 391
3 Little Nicholas - Happy as Can Be 237 275 839 197 311 6 331 626 1 451 786
4 Heart of Oak 92 665 752 530 278 5 212 259 1 295 367
5 The Blue Caftan 84 880 680 791 253 9 85 289 683 726
6 Return to Seoul 72 594 593 429 179 10 108 909 909 266
7 The Crime Is Mine 52 850 497 962 108 4 52 850 497 962
8 Diary of a Fleeting Affair 50 526 386 929 175 4 122 315 774 516
9 A Happy Man 44 991 311 259 128 4 72 262 537 079
10 Pil 39 938 174 438 64 2 1 613 068 8 352 062
11 King 33 520 209 580 292 2 644 138 2 344 245
12 Alibi.com 2 31 830 258 655 190 5 46 661 487 616
13 Belle and Sebastian - Next Generation 31 163 190 982 327 9 399 463 2 095 751
14 One Fine Morning 28 070 197 137 176 8 119 555 891 217
15 Saint Omer 27 113 207 113 198 10 87 512 672 685
16 The Night of the 12th 21 182 116 143 110 6 107 479 705 630
17 Driving Madeleine 21 065 121 905 88 2 68 819 590 064
18 The Innocent 20 058 119 229 109 6 100 051 748 435
19 On The Wandering Path 19 106 224 841 46 2 19 106 224 841
20 Rise 18 526 117 148 61 2 304 849 2 398 473

 

International press roundup

International press roundup: April 2023

All the latest French film and audiovisual news as reported by the international press in April.

Audiovisual news has mainly been focused on Canneseries (April 14-19) and MipTV (April 17-19).

Variety covered the The Brigade series, Canal+ and STUDIOCANAL's latest production.
➡️ Read the article online

WorldScreen did a Spotlight on Focus Cyber Group Studio during MipTV.
➡️ Read the article online

As well as on Focus Mediatoon, also at MipTV.
➡️ Read the article online

The Daily Television announced that Mediawan had acquired a majority stake in the Dutch production company Submarine.
➡️ Read the article online

Other television news

Dominique Bourse revealed Cyber Group Studios's new expansion strategy to WorldScreen.
➡️ Read the article online

Mundo Plus announced the arrival in Spain of the Drops of God series, via Apple TV+.
➡️ Read the article online

TBI announced that Warner Bros Discovery had revealed its first major scripted production in Europe, which is also its first French original scripted series, directed by Just Philippot, The Mythomaniac of the Bataclan (working title).
➡️ Read the article online

In Asia, Simon, the children's animation series, has been a huge success thanks to the Year of the Rabbit, SeñalNews reported.
➡️ Read the article online

Theatrical releases

The Innocent was released in Spain and women's magazine Telva published a long interview with Noémie Merlant.
➡️ Read the article online

November, released in the same country, was warmly received by the critics: "Don't hesitate to go and see it, it is one of those films that never disappoints anyone."
➡️ Read the article online

In The Netherlands, Cinemagazine wrote about Return to Seoul: "The spectator delights in this marvelous film, and Davy Chou proves that he is a fantastic filmmaker."
➡️ Read the article online

One Fine Morning released on British screens. The Guardian published an interview with Mia Hansen-Løve: "I'd rather not film sex scenes than have virtue police on set."
➡️ Read the article online

In an article about the same film, Little White Lies focused on Léa Seydoux and asked "Is Léa Seydoux Mia Hansen-Løve's greatest on-screen muse?"
➡️ Read the article online

The American continent

The New York Times highlighted De Humani Corporis Fabrica, released mid-April in the USA.
➡️ Read the article online

In Argentina, the daily La Nación reflected on Eva Green's career in a long article accompanying the release of The Three Musketeers - D'Artagnan.
➡️ Read the article online

In Asia

In Japan, Eiga.com interviewed Jean-Jacques Annaud during the shoot of Notre-Dame on Fire.
➡️ Read the article online
 

And in Taïwan, the daily Liberty Times focused on Rise, released in the country as Jump Again.
➡️ Read the article online

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