Unifrance is leading the organization of the fourth meeting between French sales agents and Russian distributors, to be held from October 28 through 31 this year.
Even though Russia is one of the biggest export markets for French films (with between 50 and 60 new French titles released on Russian screens each year, which attract between 2 million and 8 million spectators), this market remains something of a mystery, and representatives from French sales companies rarely travel to Russia due to the fact that film sales are undertaken at the major international film markets.
It is with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the subtleties of this market and the various challenges faced by distributors, as well as to provide an opportunity to get to know Moscow movie theaters and their programmers, and to meet with VOD providers and independent exhibitors, that UniFrance made the decision in 2016 to accompany seven French sales companies to Moscow to meet with Russian distributors. Ssince that time, the more than positive outcomes achieved by sales companies have prompted UniFrance to repeat the event annually.
After previous years' meetings involving Gaumont, Pathé Films, Kinology, Indie Sales, Memento Films International, Other Angle Pictures, Wild Bunch, SND Groupe M6, STUDIOCANAL, EuropaCorp, TF1 Studio, Les Films du Losange, Le Pacte, Pyramide International, Bac Films Distribution, Charades, Elle Driver, France TV Distribution, The Bureau Sales, MK2 Films, and Playtime, it is now the turn of Loco Films, Luxbox, and WTFilms to make their first trip to the Russian capital, along with Bac Films, Charades, Indie Sales, and Pyramide International (whose sales agents operating in the Russian market have changed since their initial trip) to travel to Moscow to spend three intense days packed with meetings.
During their stay, the sales agents will attend a presentation of the VOD platform Yandex and take part in a round table with the full range of Russian distributors, followed by a pitching session of new films by sales agents to be held at the Pioner Cinema (photo). In addition to this, a tour of Moscow movie theaters is planned, including multiplexes and arthouse venues. One day and a half will be set aside for the sales companies to organize individual meetings, some of which will be held in the offices of the distributors.
Once these new meetings have been completed, a total of 24 French sales companies will have been accompanied by UniFrance to Moscow.
