Five years after the first study on this subject, this new publication reports on the evolution over the last few years and explores observations over a 25-year period.
Once again, the great diversity, abundance, and circulation of French film production outside its borders allow it to maintain its rightful place in the world market. It is composed of a wide range of genres, analyzed in this study: animation, biopic, comedy/drama, documentary, drama, fantasy/horror/science fiction, war/history, crime, and thriller/adventure.
The study of genres by territory offers a fragmented view of the circulation of French films. Comedy, which dominates in terms of titles and admissions, also remains the leading genre internationally, but to a lesser extent, thereby allowing other groups of films to flourish. Thrillers, adventure films, and fantasy, horror, and science fiction films, particularly in foreign languages, have given French cinema access to theaters in so-called "emerging" markets and those where the English language reigns supreme. Documentary films accounted for more tickets outside France, mainly driven by titles focused on nature and portraits of famous people.
While crime films are losing ground, but can still count on Italian, Japanese, and South Korean viewers, who are particularly keen on these films, animation is the genre that has seen a significant increase in titles produced and in the number of spectators (particularly in Africa and the Near and Middle East, Asia, and Eastern Europe), which has not slackened since 2007. While they can only count on a few films per year, biopics and historical and war films are very often a safe bet in foreign markets thanks to solid average audience figures per title.
Drama, which represents a solid base of moviegoers and also ensures the traditional image of French arthouse films, shows extreme stability both in the evolution of its results and in the comparison of its performances in France and abroad.
Country by country, audiences have developed a specific relationship with French films, and this study sheds light on it in a stimulating, original, and instructive way that challenges prejudices and clichés. Given the consequences of the current pandemic, this publication is also intended as a compass to help us find our way through the years and the five continents, and to affirm the diversity and place of French cinema on the world stage, which it wishes to preserve.
This study can be downloaded in PDF format below (French version only).
Study
UniFrance - Étude Genres 2021