David Bridges
With French manufacturing persevering with to develop in all primary genres, the thirtieth model of the Unifrance Rendez-Vous market kicks off for the first time in Le Havre, welcoming worldwide patrons from throughout the globe.
Remaining yr, some 200 worldwide patrons from 40 nations, along with 58 French product sales firms, attended the Rendez-Vous, and organizers count on associated numbers for the current model.
Speaking with Choice about this yr’s event, Unifrance’s president, Gilles Pélisson, and govt director, Daniela Elstner, present their insights on the newest traits, the quite a few place of the Rendez-Vous for the enterprise, and the rising worldwide attain of French programming, from high-end drama to animation and documentary fare.
Whereas worldwide streamers have been pulling once more from genuine manufacturing, French productions proceed to develop in all primary areas, Pélisson elements out.
“French manufacturing has expert common progress over the previous years, significantly when it comes to fiction. Animation has always been very strong, and this may increasingly proceed. French animation was even present on the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Video video games with the Minions! As for documentaries, they seduce patrons from all around the globe and are an crucial part of the packages confirmed in the middle of the Rendez-Vous. This good number of French packages permits product sales not solely to streamers nevertheless to broadcasters of all sorts.”
Pélisson offers that the European Union’s Audiovisual Media Suppliers Directive makes “diverse streamers seek for European content material materials.” The directive mandates that streamers in member states present a 30% quota of European content material materials. “We’re going to almost definitely see the implications ultimately, although it’s too early to draw any conclusions.”
Unifrance will announce precise enterprise figures for 2023 in the middle of the Rendez-Vous.
France Televisions
Highlights at this yr’s market embody France Télévisions’ “Zorro,” starring Jean Dujardin; Federation Studios’ “Ça, c’est Paris,” a few theater director who models out to revive his as quickly as well-known cabaret; Mediawan’s cop current “Tom & Lola”; thriller drama “The Eclipse,” from About Premium Content material materials; and ARTE Distribution’s animated documentary assortment “The Legends of Paris: a Story of the nineteenth Century Inventive Scene.”
The reveals mirror the persevering with attraction of television for filmmakers and actors and its potential for high-end content material materials.
“Observing this improvement for a while, Unifrance merged the two earlier present associations — TV and cinema — three years up to now,” Elstner notes. “This allows us to be stronger as we’re able to supply a 360-degree promotion to all of our members. We are going to take completely into consideration the needs of French abilities, however as well as worldwide distributors and producers.
“In that method, we’ve bought extended on the Rendez-Vous the promotional components for the packages: together with a Gala screening throughout the presence of the director, scriptwriter and stable and coping with our completely completely different social media to make the packages exist in any other case: ‘Ca, c’est Paris’ will most likely be our Gala Screening, ‘Zorro’ will most likely be launched on the closing night. This type of promotional work continues all 12 months lengthy. End of October this yr, for the first time, Unifrance will most likely be organizing explicit events spherical World Animation Day. MyFrenchAnimationDays (MyFAD) will most likely be highlighting French animation assortment and films, ‘The Legends of Paris,’ an animated documentary assortment, will most likely be part of it.”
The Rendez-Vous can be serving to French content material materials makers uncover new patrons and new markets.
“Remaining yr was my first participation throughout the Rendez-Vous,” Pélisson notes. “I could observe the great different the event presents to all attendees. For a world distributor, spending 4 days in a type of a bubble with patrons who’re centered on French packages brings new contacts and options. In standard markets, you don’t always have the time to speak to all people. Moreover, in the middle of the Rendez-Vous, patrons alternate amongst themselves. Within the occasion that they like a program, they could as correctly inform the consumer of 1 different nation to show display it. This phrase of mouth is important and brings new options to French productions.”
The market is rising its scope no matter newest challenges, Elstner says.
“For the Rendez-Vous Unifrance Le Havre, we do invite patrons from all around the globe. As every market group, we’re dealing with new post-epidemic questions: journey restrictions for ecological causes as an example. The actual fact of being nearer to Paris, and easy to realize with a neighborhood follow, has been part of our selection course of to maneuver from Biarritz to Le Havre. And we’ve bought new patrons attending, significantly from the U.S. and Asia.”
“Our largest markets are traditionally primarily based in Europe,” Pélisson offers. “The U.S. has been rising into an crucial companion, significantly for fiction. The Rendez-Vous unites patrons from all crucial pay and free TV broadcasters in Europe. And for this yr, we’re very fully happy to have some new firms attending from Latin America and Asia.
“For this 2024 model of the Rendez-Vous, Unifrance presents a model new venue, with and due to the great help of city of Le Havre and the realm of Normandy,” Pélisson elements out. “There’ll most likely be a definite location for every evening. Hopefully, this moreover means new options for the various French packages.”
This yr’s event can have spherical 40 territories represented and spherical 200 patrons – similar to closing yr.
“We face new challenges, and it’s our first model in Le Havre,” Elstner says. “Nevertheless with over 1,000 packages screened, we’re assured that patrons will cherish their experience.”
