Report on the 18th Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in Paris

01 FEBRUARY 2016

The 18th Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in Paris, organized by Unifrance from January 15-18, 2016, played host to the now customary special session of interviews between international media representatives and French artists and directors. As well as the film market held for buyers from around the world, which broke a number of records this year!

These interviews (print media, internet, and television) are intended for broadcast or publication in the countries in which the French films are scheduled for release in the first six months of 2016. This year, they were attended by 103 journalists from 34 countries, including Belgium, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Poland.

117 French artists—46 actors and actresses and 71 directors—took part in celebrations this year, including veterans of the French film industry who have contributed to the international success for French cinema for many years, such as Isabelle Huppert, Fabrice Luchini, Vincent Lindon, Claude Brasseur, Jacques Perrin, Catherine Corsini, Clotilde Courau, Xavier Giannoli, Diane Kurys, Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Jaco Van Dormael, Arnaud Desplechin, and Rémi Bezançon, as well as up-and-coming stars, such as Swann Arlaud, Jérôme Bonnell, Clément Cogitore, Félix Moati, Mélanie Bernier, Nabil Ayouch, Eva Husson, Finnegan Oldfield, Elie Wajeman, Judith Chemla, Thomas Lilti, Pierre Rochefort, Alice Winocour, among others.

The majority of these artists also participated in a special photo session with photographer Mathias Indjic.

All up, 1,024 meetings were thus programmed over four days, all held at the Paris-Opera Hotel Intercontinental.

The Rendez-Vous event was punctuated by three special evening events: the official announcement of the figures for French films abroad in 2015 made at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the launch of this year's MyFrenchFilmFestival at the Eiffel Tower, and a cocktail party held at Chanel Joaillerie to close the event.

This year also featured a new element: journalists had the opportunity to visit the animation studio TeamTO, who are the producers behind Yellowbird, one of the French animated hits of 2015 in foreign theaters.

The film market

39 French sales companies took part in the annual film market held as part of the Rendez-Vous event, which this year welcomed 465 distributorrs from 42 countries. Germany was the most strongly represented country, with 51 distribution companies making the trip to Paris. 86 film screenings were held in the theaters at the Gaumont-Pathé Capucines Cinemas, including A Mighty Team (starring Gérard Depardieu) screened as opening film. 57 of the 86 films presented had never previously been screened at a market, representing 66% of the titles screened. Attendance reached a new record high this year, with an average of 48 buyers attending each screening.

Now we'll have to wait until 2017 for the 19th Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in Paris!