Unifrance continues to support French animation on the international stage by partnering with the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market, where it will bring together under a single banner all French animation professionals, whether from the audiovisual, short film, feature film, or immersive creation sectors.

Unifrance will be meeting professionals at the market, hosting a debate on the challenges of export, another dedicated to the activities set up by the network of audiovisual attachés around the world, and promoting the French creators selected for Competition on social networks.

The Unifrance stand

The Unifrance stand at the MIFA will be located at stand number F32. This stand will be available free of charge to Unifrance members for their appointments. Each company is entitled to a maximum of 10 30-minute slots throughout the duration of the market.

We invite you to reserve your slots now by noting the name of your company in the corresponding boxes of the shared document available here.

France In Shorts partnership

Once again, Unifrance is a partner of the France in Shorts initiative, alongside the AFCA, SPI,  L'Agence du court métrage, and AnimFrance, with a stand in the market (location F.15) showcasing selected French shorts and offering a meeting space for shorts professionals and a venue for dedicated forums.

Meet Unifrance on Tuesday June 13 at 4pm for a presentation of all the systems of support it offers to French animated short film professionals abroad, in the Impérial Palace Espace Court-Métrage (first floor in the MIFA marquee).

Unifrance Conference - "Various Perspectives on French Animation Exports"

Unifrance is organizing a conference "Various Perspectives on French Animation Exports," which will take place in the Salle de la Rotonde in the Impérial Palace on Thursday June 15, at 9.15 am.

French exporters of all types of animation (features, shorts, and series) will discuss their international sales and promotion strategies.

Participants will reflect on their experiences in international sales, and discuss the specificities of selling adult and youth animation.

The debate will be preceded by a presentation of key figures for French animation exports.

Participants:

• Nathalie Lebel (L'Agence du court métrage)
• Jason Bressand (Gebeka International)
• Mélanie Errea (MIAM ! Animation)

Moderator : Benjamin Croll (Journalist)

This event is open to accredited students, Festival+, and Mifa members, without reservation, subject to availability. The discussion will take place in French.

MEAE Conference, Unifrance and the Institut Français

Unifrance is partnering with the Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères (MEAE) and the Institut Français for a conference on the activities of the diplomatic network in support of the animation sector. This conference will provide a better understanding of the missions of the audiovisual attachés, the Institut Français and Unifrance, and how the network can help you.

The conference "An international project? The audiovisual network of the Ministry of Europe and of Foreign Affairs can support you" will take place on Wednesday June 14 at 9am in the Salle Verdi in the Impérial Palace.

Participants:

• Aurélie Lachkar (Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères)
• Sébastien Onomo (Special Touch Studios)
• Christophe Pécot (Ambassade de France in Nigeria)

Moderator: Arnaud Miquel (Ambassade de France in Colombia)

This event is open to accredited students, Festival+, and Mifa members, without reservation, subject to availability. The discussion will take place in French.

Virtual reality lunch

A networking lunch dedicated to XR professionals is scheduled for Tuesday June 13. Participation in this event is by invitation only.

"Voices of French Animation" video clips

The Unifrance team will be conducting a series of interviews with the teams of the French films in Competition (shorts, features, series, and VR). The aim of these videos is to raise awareness about the leading figures in French animation today.

Find all the interviews on our social networks during the festival.

Partenership with the Annecy Music Lab

Unifrance is also renewing its partnership with Annecy Music Lab, a program run by 22D Music in collaboration with the festival, which aims to create a meeting place for young animation directors and composers. The Annecy Music Lab will take place in two stages on Friday June 16 at the MIFA Campus:

• 2.30pm: "Let’s Talk ‘Music and Animation": a conference bringing together Marie Larrivé and Pierre Oberkampf, respectively director and composer of Noir-soleil, and Nora Twomey, director, producer, and co-founder of the Irish production company Cartoon Saloon.
• 4.00pm: Let’s Meet: a moment of exchange between Annecy Music Lab participants.

For more information, you can download the presentation brochure at the bottom of this article, and feel free to follow the Lab's Instagram page

Do you have a question about our Annecy operations? Please contact us: [email protected] or [email protected].

Audiences in Annecy will have the opportunity to discover seven French feature films in Competition and three others in Special Screenings.

The French audiovisual sector is also well represented, with seven French series or TV specials in the dedicated competition.

Once again, the festival's selection highlights the diversity of French animated shorts, with 26 titles from France in several categories.

Mihai Grecu's immersive work  Sol-Air completes the French contingent.  

In addition to the selections in Competition, there are also presentations of French projects in development or production. Projects with at least one French producer were in the majority (11 out of 17) among the works presented in the Work In Progress strand this year.

French projects are also included in the MIFA pitch sessions, with a total of 17 French projects, including four feature films, five shorts, four TV series and specials, and four digital experiences.

Details of Unifrance's presence and activitites at Annecy 2023 are available here.

All French works & work-in-progress presented at the Annecy Film Festival 2023

Feature films – Official Selection

• Kensuke's Kingdom by Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry
• The Siren by Sepideh Farsi
• Chicken for Linda! by Sébastien Laudenbach and Chiara Malta
• Mars Express by Jérémie Périn
• Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds by Benoît Chieux
• The Inseparables by Jérémie Degruson

Feature Films – Contrechamp

• Robot Dreams by Pablo Berger

TV Films

• Astronome Gastronome (ep. "Au début était la crème fouettée") by Geneviève Anhoury
• Boys Boys Boys (ep. "Tristan") by Valentine Vendroux and Clawdia Prolongeau
• Edmond and Lucy (ep. "L’Adieu à Perlimpinpin") by François Narboux
• Karate Sheep (ep. "Super Croquette") by Cédric Dietsch and Renaud Martin
• Pebble Hill by Marjolaine Perreten
• Samuel by Émilie Tronche
• Tufo by Victoria Musci

Short films - Official Selection

• 27 by Flóra Anna Buda
• Astoria by Franck Dion
• Box Cutters by Naomi Van Niekerk
• Christopher at Sea by Tom CJ Brown
• From one painting… to another by Georges Schwizgebel
• Electra by Daria Kashcheeva
• The Great Arc by Camille Authouart
• The Perra by Carla Melo Gampert
• The Purple Season by Clémence Bouchereau
• Shadow of the Butterflies by Sofia El Khyari
• Love Me True by Inés Sedan
• Maurice’s Bar by Tom Prezman and Tzor Edery
• Salvation Has No Name by Joseph Wallace
• The Miracle by Nienke Deutz

Short films – Young Audience

• Wild Housemates by Armelle Mercat
• To Be Sisters by Anne-Sophie Gousset and Clément Céard
• Harvey by Janice Nadeau
• The Goose by Jan Míka

Short films – Graduation

• Houle by Timothée Sarran
• Furrie by Lucie Grannec
• Réalitude by Théophile Farant
• Mais où est donc Ornicar by Oscar Maso y Guell Rivet
• Fires by Mohammad Babakoohi
• Origines d'un Monde by Emma Zwickert
• Human Resources by Titouan Tillier, Trinidad Plass Caussade and Isaac Wenzek
• The Nuit Blanche by Audrey Delepoulle

VR Works

• Sol-Air by Mihai Grecu

Special Screenings

• Time Masters by René Laloux
• The Forêt de Mademoiselle Tang by Denis Do
• Nina and the Tales of the Hedgehog by Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli

Work in Progress

Feature films

• Amélie ou la Métaphysique des tubes by Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han
• Anzu, chat-fantôme by Yoko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita
• Au cœur des ténèbres by Rogerio Nunes
• Dans la forêt sombre et mystérieuse by Vincent Paronnaud (known as Winshluss) and Alexis Ducord
• Eugène, le mystère Falleni by Anaïs Caura
• Flow by Gints Zilbalodis
• Slocum by Jean-François Laguionie

Series

• Captain Laserhawk : A Blood Dragon Remix by Medhi Leffad

VR Works

• Ceci est mon cœur by Stéphane Hueber-Blies and Nicolas Blies
• Empereur by Marion Burger and Ilan Cohen
• Sunset Motel by Gilles Jobin and Thomas Ott

MIFA Pitches

Feature films

• Scavengers by Victor Caire, Lucas Navarro, Gabriel Grapperon, and Théophile Dufresne
• Objectopia by Grégoire Sivan, and Mikaël Fenneteaux
• La Petite Cavale by Julien Bisaro
• Ogresse by Cécile McLorin Salvant and Lia Bertels

TV series

• Pylône by Gabriel Jacquel
• Garces by Manon Tacconi
• Animal politique by Rachel Feury
• Faits divers by Adrien Vivière

VR works

• 369 by Ãnanda Safo
• Grotte by Arnaud Laffond
• Ecocity by Mathias Chelebourg
• L'Étang by Antoine Morières and Lucas Léonarduzzi

Short films

• What Comes at Night by Gaia Alari
• Le Jardin Partagé by Sophie Racine
• Pie dan lo by Kim Yip Tong
• La mujer parecida a mí by Eleonora Comelli and Ange Potier
• La nuit des dameuses by Agathe Zavaro

The 76th Cannes International Film Festival has announced its prize list, awarding the Palme d'Or to Justine Triet for Anatomy of a Fall, produced by Marie Ange Luciani (Les Films de Pierre) and David Thion and Philippe Martin (Les Films Pelléas). Triet is the third woman director to be honored in this way at Cannes – and the second French woman after Julia Ducournau, who was a member of the jury this year. Unifrance congratulates Justine Triet and her entire artistic team, as well as her producers.

In addition, Unifrance is delighted that Tran Anh Hung was awarded the Best Director Award for The Pot Au Feu, starring Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel. We also congratulate the teams behind 27, produced by Miyu Productions, which garnered the Palme d'Or in the short film category, and the co-production Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (Deuxième Ligne Films) by Tien An Pham, which won the Camera d'Or.

This awards list reflects the vitality of French cinema, with films that will travel the world, and demonstrates the strength of independent French production.

Last but not least, congratulations to all the French films and co-productions that won awards in the other sections (Un Certain Regard, Directors' Fortnight, and Critics' Week).

These numerous awards testify to the resurgence of our cinema and its openness to the world. Unifrance will accompany each film in its singularity as these titles set out to conquer international audiences.

We thank all the filmmakers, artists, and partners in France and around the world who do their utmost to uphold the values of our cinema.

French films honored at the 76th Cannes Film Festival

• Palme d’Or: Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet
• Best Director Award: Tran Anh Hung for The Pot Au Feu
• Best Actress Award: Merve Dizdar for About Dry Grasses by Nuri Bilge Ceylan (minority-French co-production)
• Caméra d'Or: Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell by Tien An Pham (minority-French co-production)
• Palme d'Or - Short Film: 27 by Flóra Anna Buda
• Un Certain Regard Jury Prize: Hounds by Kamal Lazraq (minority-French co-production)
• Oeil d'Or for Best Documentary (ex-aequo): Four Daughters by Kaouther Ben Hania
• Un Certain Regard - New Voice Prize: Omen by Baloji Tshiani (minority-French co-production)
• Un Certain Regard - Freedom Prize: Goodbye Julia by Mohamed Kordofani (minority-French co-production)
• Ecumenical Jury Special Mention: The Old Oak by Ken Loach (minority-French co-production)
• Un Certain Regard - FIPRESCI Prize: The Settlers by Felipe Galvez (minority-French co-production)

French films honored at Critics' Week 2023

• Grand Prize: Tiger Stripes by Amanda Nell Eu (minority-French co-production)
• SACD Prize: The Rapture by Iris Kaltenbäck
• GAN Foundation Distribution Prize: Pyramide Distribution for Inshallah a Boy by Amjad Al Rasheed (minority-French co-production)
• FIPRESCI Prize/Critics' Week: Levante by Lillah Halla (minority-French co-production)
• Louis Roederer Foundation Revelation Prize: Jovan Ginic for Lost Country by Vladimir Perisič
• French Touch Prize: It's Raining in the House by Paloma Sermon-Daï (French co-production share not specified)

French films honored at Directors' Fortnight 2023

• SACD Prize: A Prince by Pierre Creton

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 Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico during April 2023.

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

Unifrance: How did the Karaté Mouton animated series come about at Xilam?

Marc du Pontavice: In 2019, I asked Hugo Gittard, one of the leading creators and directors in Xilam's 25-year history, to come up with a new concept for a slapstick comedy, in other words a highly visual comedy with no dialogue along the lines of Zig & Sharko or Oggy et les Cafards. But with a new constraint: the use of 3D. I knew that Netflix favored this type of technology, and I wanted us to come to them with a visual innovation that would set us apart from previous series.
The original idea involves the classic diabolical trio: Trico, a sheep who has traveled a lot and wants to explain the attractions of modernity to his fellow sheep; Wanda, the flock leader and incidentally an ace martial artist; and the Wolf, who covets the flock to satisfy his hunger. Wacky ideas disrupt the security of the flock, which the Wolf intends to take advantage of, but Wanda keeps an eye on things and the would-be executioner becomes a victim: a tried-and-true slapstick comedy set-up.

The project appealed to Netflix, which has committed to worldwide distribution. How did you convince them?

MdP: Quite early on, during development. We quickly did a test of what the project could look like visually with a 2-minute pilot, which quickly convinced them. So much so, in fact, that they immediately ordered a first season without further development.
As Xilam has high expectations in terms of long-term catalog for this type of program, we asked to retain ownership of the IP while limiting the duration of exclusivity. This was very well accepted by Netflix, and will enable us to start marketing the series to other broadcasters from the end of 2023.

Morgann Favennec Morgann Favennec: In parallel with Netflix's commitment, another of Xilam's long-standing partners quickly positioned itself: Super RTL, which is the first German broadcaster of the series, and the only broadcaster to have benefited from this linear exclusivity on an international scale.

Karaté Mouton will hence have a second life after Netflix. How do you picture it?

MF: Marketing of the series began last October at MIPCOM Junior, and we'll be rolling it out throughout the year, from MIFA to ATF and beyond, without forgetting the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Biarritz and MIPCOM. As far as MIPCOM is concerned, as the series is an official selection in the "TV Films" category, we are present at both the festival and the trades fair, which is both an asset and a selling point.
The series will be released on Netflix in two stages: the first group of episodes has been available since March, and the second salvo will arrive shortly. We're supporting these launches as closely as possible, since we're in charge of promoting the brand on YouTube and social networks, and are also developing a game for this summer.

A slapstick comedy with no dialogue, Karaté Mouton has developed the perfect formula for telling a universal story. What makes the series unique, and what are its international strengths?

MdP: Slapstick is an extremely well-proven narrative grammar with a universal vocation, for which Xilam's expertise is unanimously recognized worldwide. This type of program appeals to a wide range of audiences, not just children. In fact, the writing is developed with two sets of viewers in mind: six to nine year olds and adults. Strangely enough, this type of work also attracts very young children, who are hooked from the age of three of four, thanks to its extremely visual, colorful, and easy-to-follow nature. The absence of dialogue is also a big advantage for the international market, not only because it eliminates the question of dubbing, but also and above all because it forces us to work on the staging and acting of the characters in a way that everyone can understand. The soundtrack itself becomes a central element of rhythm and comedy, with particular attention paid to sound design, which has its own autonomous language. Finally, the music is developed conjointly with the images, with varied and extraordinarily precise compositions.
The number of episodes (78 episodes available) is another undeniable advantage, providing a strong structure for TV channels. The relatively short format not only multiplies the number of entry points for viewers in linear broadcasting, but also integrates well with VOD catalogs, giving us the means to compete effectively with players like TikTok for the consumption of short audiovisual productions.

For the production, we called on Xilam's 3D Hub in Angoulême, which since Oggy Oggy has developed considerable expertise in hybrid images and highly graphic rendering. In general, 3D makes working with light very restrictive. And it's often difficult to find strong visual renderings in TV series. However, we managed to maintain a high level of pictorial and graphic standards, so as to create a visual proposition with a strong identity. For the choice of title, we broke with previous programs, since instead of the names of the characters, we put forward both a promise of action and aligned with comedy by juxtaposing the terms "sheep" and "karate". Karaté Mouton is therefore unlike any other slapstick, and we're proud of our ability to bring a fresh and innovative approach.

MF: To this clear promise, I would add that the series opts for a very modern graphic look, in tune with our times, and with characters that children can easily identify with. Wanda, the "badass" of the group, perfectly embodies the girl power/empowerment that many broadcasters are currently seeking.

Karaté Mouton is the first animated series for Netflix to receive funding support from the CNC. Can you tell us more about the financing of this ambitious project?

MdP: Until 2021, series financed by platforms could not access CNC funding if they didn't have a French linear broadcaster. At the end of 2021, a special fund was launched, and Karaté Mouton was the first animated series to benefit from it.
Thanks to the support of Netflix and Super RTL, as well as public funding, we were able to put together a record budget of 11 million euros for this series, enabling us to go all the way with our ambitions.

The characters created by Xilam in the past have already traveled around the world. What are your ambitions for Karaté Mouton? Are there any particular territories you'd like to reach?

MF: Naturally, Italy and India, two countries where our IPs have outperformed for many years, were the first to express interest. We are also negotiating with partners in the Middle East and China, another key territory, as well as in Europe. We have a clear aim to create Xilam's new slapstick hit, like Oggy & les Cafards and Where's Chicky?. The pre-existing reputation of a series like Zig & Sharko makes us very optimistic about the success of Karaté Mouton in the USA.

The Unifrance Short Film Prize arose from our desire to help festivals, broadcasters, and audiences around the world discover the rich palette of French short film production. Over the years, the Unifrance Short Film Awards have established a strong foothold that today gives them a legitimacy recognized well beyond our borders.
 
Unifrance has always shown its support and attachment to the short film format, to new generation filmmakers, and to emerging talents - filmmakers and producers alike - with an aim to make filmmakers' works known to the greatest number of people, and to offer them a tenfold visibility.

The 2023 selection comprised 26 titles, including 10 debut works, directed by 14 women and 15 men, in an astonishing diversity of styles and worlds. 26 films, 10 of which are the result of co-productions with Belgium, the USA, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Slovakia, and Switzerland.

The winners of the 21st Unifrance Short Film Awards were announced yesterday by Daniela Elstner during the 76th Cannes Film Festival, following the deliberations of the jury which met on May 5 at Unifrance's offices in Paris.
 

The Jury:

• Guadalupe Arensburg Caellas – Movistar+ (Spain)
• Bénédicte Bourgois – RTBF (Belgium)
• Lola Cambourieu – Co-director of the Unifrance Grand Prix Unifrance 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 (Belgium)
• Hasan Ugur – Tübingen | Stuttgart International French-language Film Festival (Germany)

The awards

Grand Prize

• Lions by Beru Tessema
  Production co.: KG Productions – Saturday Films (United Kingdom) – Préludes

Lions

Special Jury Prize

• Here Ends the World We've Known by Anne-Sophie Nanki
  Production co.: Vertical production – Black Moon Films

Here Ends the World We've Known

Grand Action Prize

• Concrete Heart by Enrika Panero
  Production co: Takami Productions

Concrete Heart

Best Actress Prize

• Lou Deleuze in Sweet Tooth by Joséphine Darcy Hopkins
  Production co.: To Be Continued (TBC) – Need Productions (Belgium) – Le Lapin Blanc Production

Sweet Tooth

Best Actor Prize

• Théo Augier Bonaventure in Roadtripper by Christophe Granger
  Production co.: Haïku Films

Roadtripper

Broadcasters' Prizes

Be TV Prize (Belgium):

• Lions, de Beru Tessema
  Production co.: KG Productions – Saturday Films (United Kingdom) – Préludes

Movistar+ Prize (Spain):

• Ghosts by (LA) HORDE : BRUTTI/DEBROUWER/HAREL
  Production co.: Ballet national de Marseille – MJZ (USA) – Henry – Toni Films

RTBF Prize (Belgium) :

• Sweet Tooth by Joséphine Darcy Hopkins
  Production co.: To Be Continued (TBC) – Need Productions (Belgium) – Le Lapin Blanc Production

Jury Special Mentions

• Salvation Has No Name by Joseph Wallace
  Production co.: Delaval Film (United Kingdom) – Autour de Minuit – Animation People (Czech Republic)
• The Purple Season by Clémence Bouchereau
  Production co.: Bandini Films – ARTE France

Distributor Prize

This award ceremony is also an opportunity to recognize the international distribution work of a distributor. Unifrance and La Fête du court métrage are keen to support the artistic approach of a distribution structure, both in the way it promotes works within the network of foreign festivals, and in the way it reinforces their exposure in commercial circuits. For its excellent export results, Unifrance and La Fête du court métrage awarded the 2023 Distributor Prize to Autour de Minuit.

Unifrance would like to warmly thank its partners for their unwavering support and commitment to a genre like no other, with a vitality and uniqueness unmatched in France.
 
Historically present at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, the undisputed cradle of short film, Unifrance has always been able to rely on this world-class event to keep its finger on the pulse of French creation and spot the works most likely to seduce the international market. Hence, over the decades, we've built up a strong relationship of trust, and worked hand in hand to promote French short films in all their facets, beyond our borders.

This is why, at a time when this festival is facing challenges, Unifrance would like to express its full solidarity with the teams at Clermont-Ferrand, who each year carry out work that is more than indispensable to discovering and revealing the best of these works and bringing them to all audiences; indispensable to carrying forward the noble ambition that we accord to culture in France and in Europe; indispensable to keeping alive our democratic ideal, of which cultural diversity is one of the major foundations.

Partners:

TitraFilm – Grand Action – Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival –  shortfilmdepot – Courant3D – La Fête du court métrage, and Bref Cinéma.

TitraFilm – Cinéma Grand Action – Festival international du court métrage de Clermont-Ferrand – Shortfilmdepot  – Sauve qui peut le court métrage – Courant3D – Bref Cinema

Our warm thanks also go to Bastien Dubois, for the visuals that illustrate this 21st edition of the Unifrance Short Film Awards.

The Three Musketeers - D'Artagnan took the top spot in our monthly chart, attracting 1.35 million moviegoers outside France.

Stable box office results for French films in theaters abroad

French films registered 3.4 million admissions and generated €21.6 million in ticket sales in foreign theaters in April. Box office revenues rose by 6% over results in March, with, once again, a high number of new releases and titles already in distribution. Unlike in March, when admissions figures were more evenly spread across the top 10 titles, results for April are more similar to February, with one title dominating the scene: The Three Musketeers - D'Artagnan. The first installment of a new screen adaptation of the famous novel by Alexandre Dumas was released on April 5, and has since then charmed 1.36 million spectators outside France. It received an enthusiastic reception in Mexico (Zima, 362,000 admissions, registering €1,28 million), Russia (Atmosfera, 308,000, and €1.23 million), Spain (DeAPlaneta, 107,000, and €700,000), Italy (Medusa/Notorious, 104,000, and €710,000), and Brazil (Paris, 91,000, and €380,000). The Three Musketeers – D’Artagnan thus ranks as the third French production to have reached over 1 million admissions in foreign markets since the start of 2023!

A fourth title also achieved this feat in April: Argonuts. This animated film clocked up close to 300,000 spectators in the UK & Ireland (StudioCanal, €2.57 million) and Russia (Volga, €820,000). It is making a strong impression in Australia, where it ranks as the third most successful French animated film of all time (Icon, 66,000 admissions and €660,000)! Only a few thousand admissions separate Argonuts, remaining at second place in our chart, and Driving Madeleine, which has won over 86,000 German moviegoers (StudioCanal, €790,000) and 80,000 in Japan (Shôchiku, €710,000). No other majority-French production has been as popular with Japanese audiences since late 2019. Six productions recorded over 100,000 spectators abroad in April (as in March), together accounting for 61% of the month's admissions to French fare: in addition to these three titles, Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom has made its mark in Portugal (Nos, 71,000 admissions, €400,000), while The Crime Is Mine achieved the second best opening for a film by François Ozon in Italy to date – after 8 Women – with a running total of 71,000 admissions (Bim, €470,000) and the minority-French production Boy From Heaven (110,000 admissions, €500,0000). Nine films are currently showing in over 10 markets, with one title, The Three Musketeers - D'Artagnan, on release in over 40 markets.

Russia, Mexico, and Italy: top 3 territories in April

As usual, Europe remains the leading geographic region for the theatrical distribution of French films. In April, in the western zone of the continent over 1.5 million spectators chose to see a French production. Outside Europe, admissions soared in Latin America thanks to the triumphant opening of The Three Musketeers - D'Artagnan (553,000 tickets sold), while admissions doubled in Oceania, bolstered by the success of Argonuts (80,000). This animation has also revitalized French cinema's position in South Africa, where it opened at 3rd place in the national charts, with close to 20,000 admissions (UIP, €62,000). Russia (528,000 admissions), Mexico (393,000), and Italy (292,000) sit at the top of the charts for April in terms of admissions, while only two of the eight other markets that registered more than 100,000 admissions were outside Europe. Moreover, it is surprising to see these two countries reappear in our list after a long period of absence. They are Brazil (121,000 admissions) and Japan (106,000), where, respectively, the hit titles The Three Musketeers - D'Artagnan and Driving Madeleine were largely responsible for the hike in admissions.

Adventure films, comedies, and dramas were the most popular genres

The Three Musketeers - D'Artagnan has put an end to the long reign of comedies/drama-comedies and has propelled adventure films to center stage, credited with half of all spectators to French films abroad in April. Given the excellent performance of these titles, it is no surprise to find comedies/drama-comedies in second position this month, while dramas relied on a large number of titles to make it into the top 3. The leading dramas were the minority-French flicks L'Immensita (70,000 admissions) and Close (64,000), in addition to the majority-French titles The Blue Caftan (51,000) and One Fine Morning (46,000). French-majority productions (with 84% of all admissions) and French-language productions (85%) took the lion's share of admissions in April. Not once in previous months had these productions achieved such a high proportion of admissions compared to French-minority and foreign-language films, with the latter inevitably losing ground with just 1 million spectators registered.

French films at international festivals in April 2023

A special mention goes to the Istanbul Film Festival, whose program this year highlighted diverse genres, themes, and talent in French cinema, notably featuring three French films that have enjoyed successful careers at recent festivals. The first of these is Saint Omer, which was also selected in April at the Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) and the Taipei French Film Festival, where actress Guslagie Malanda was in attendance for the film's presentation (photo below). After the film's designation as France's candidate at the Oscars, and its Best First Film win at the César Awards, it continues its run on the festival circuit. Next is the comedy Two Tickets to Greece, which was accompanied in Istanbul by director Marc Fitoussi, who also presented his film at the Rendez-vous – Nuovo cinema francese festival in Rome. Two Tickets to Greece was also selected at the Barcelona-Sant Jordi International Film Festival. Finally, the documentary On the Adamant, which won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, was also presented at the BJIFF. Director Nicolas Philibert accompanied this Franco-Japanese coproduction to Japan for its release late April.

> This report can be downloaded in PDF format below

(French version only)

This report is based on results recorded on May 10, 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.

The Hollywood Reporter published an interview with Justine Triet, a few days before the awards ceremony.
➡️ Read the article online

Also of note is the second Palme d'Or for French cinema, won by Flóra Anna Buda and her short 27, produced by Miyu Productions. Animation Magazine spoke about it in the article below.
➡️ Read the article online

The Film Stage presented the three journalists who formed the 2nd edition of Unifrance's Critic's Lab at Cannes:
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And Screen highlighted the Unifrance 10 to Watch Day at Cannes.
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Another important festival for French cinema was Panorama Chine (April 27-June 30). China Daily reported on it:
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The international press also reported on the latest theatrical releases of French films.

In Germany, Critic.de published a long article on De Humani Corporis Fabrica, released in the country on Mubi: "an unusual experience."
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Portugal welcomed Simone: The Journey of the Century in cinemas. C7nema published an interview with actress Elsa Zylberstein.
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Omar Sy, in Spain to present Father & Soldier, was interviewed by El Nacional: "I don't want to be a reference, I want to sleep peacefully at night."
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In Greece, The Crime Is Mine released theatrically on June 1. The daily Ethnos published an interview with Nadia Tereszkiewicz:
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In Japan, Nobody Mag focused the spotlight on One Fine Morning .
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And in Australia, Pierre Niney gave an interview to Filmink, following the release of Mascarade in this country.
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Television

The American website Vulture recommended the Japanese/French series Drops of God: "an Intoxicating Pairing."
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On the Audiovisual 451 website, we learned that Shine Ibera bought the rights to The A Talks.
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Señal News announced the agreement between Dandelooo and Midolala for the latter to handle the development of pre-sales and management of co-production partnerships and opportunities in the Chinese market for Dandelooo's programming slate.
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C21 Media revealed the acquisition of Ivory Coast-based production and distribution company Côte Ouest by Mediawan.
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World Screen announced the round table on French animation to be held at the next TV Kids Summer Festival.
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Cartoon Brew informed us that Netflix had acquired world rights to Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, which will be available on the platform from July 28.
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We end this roundup with the British magazine Drama Quarterly's article on HIP, an investigation into how screenwriters have sought to depict autism on screen.
➡️ Read the article online