Changes in local financing coupled with new opportunities in global distribution have pushed the French industry towards a more international outlook, argued panelists at a Tuesday round table presented as part of“[For certain French producers] ‘international’ used to mean who would take care of their talent when they travelled,” said film exporter. “[Only] today, with the way that we finance films having changed, that concern is much more widespread.
“It was important to have a vision for the film different from what it would have been two or three years ago,” said Couvreur, noting that she raised just under 25% of the film’s €2.5 million budget abroad. “I’m always very happy when I see another country pick a French production to represent them at the Oscars,” Fournet added, pointing out Tarzan and Arab Nasser’s “Gaza Mon Amour” as a particular success story.
Brigaud-Robert pointed out the lack of transparency when it comes to viewership numbers and a contraction in the number of possible buyers as two major hurdles to the old ways, but ultimately struck an optimistic tone when appraising the current situation.