The Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Biarritz, the world's largest market dedicated to French audiovisual programs, will take place from September 3 to 7. At this key event for the industry, buyers from 48 countries will be able to discover over 1,000 audiovisual programs covering all genres (fiction, animation, documentary, live performance, and entertainment), presented by 58 distributors of French audiovisual works.
New buyers welcomed at the market
Over 200 buyers are expected from 48 countries around the world. For the second year running, Unifrance has also invited the main French broadcasters to the Rendez-Vous.
For 16.5% of the accredited companies, this will be their first time at the Rendez-Vous, including HBO Max Nordic (Scandinavia), Talking Pictures TV (UK), Current Time TV (Czech Republic), Kino Polska TV (Poland), Nessma TV (Tunisia), POPS Worldwide (Vietnam), TV Monaco (Monaco), and inflight company Moment (France). The companies Al Jazeera (Qatar), NHK Enterprises for its Mystery Channel (Japan), and ZDF Studios (Germany) will also be present, with the first participation of buyers positioned in genres not represented at previous editions.
Of the companies present, 9.9% are VOD companies, such as Sooner / EYZ Media (Germany), Proximus (Belgium), SK Broadband (South Korea), Pluto TV South Hub (Spain), France Channel (USA), Olympusat (USA), OTTera (USA), United Media (Serbia), Blue Entertainment AG (Switzerland), and True Visions (Thailand).
In terms of distributors, 58 French companies are expected to attend.
> The full list of participating companies can be found here.
A wide range of programs
In 2022, the Unifrance viewing platform was revamped to give buyers greater flexibility in discovering the plethora of programs offered by French distributors.
This year, thanks to an optimized viewing tool offering French distributors enhanced editorial and program highlighting possibilities, buyers will be able to discover the more than 1,000 programs on offer, representative of the diversity of French audiovisual creation. Once again, the platform gives each company the opportunity to highlight a flagship program, with advantageous visibility in the Screening Room dedicated to the event.
This platform will open to buyers on Thursday, August 24, 2023. Participants will also be able to view all the programs directly in the market, in Biarritz, in a dedicated video library area.
A record artistic presence
As part of its strengthened international promotion strategy, particularly with regards to audiovisual production, a large number of artists and artistic teams are expected to take part on an unprecedented scale throughout the event.
Accredited participants will be able to preview the first two episodes of Season 3 of Parliament, sold by France tv distribution, in the presence of the series' creator and director Noé Debré, and actors Xavier Lacaille and Liz Kingsman.
The artistic teams will also be on hand to present their programs and meet with international buyers during the thematic lunches and dinners organized on the occasion of the Rendez-Vous.
The fiction series All This I Will Give to You, sold by Film & Picture, will be accompanied by Dolores Redondo, author of the novel Todo esto te daré, from which the series is adapted, screenwriter Pascal Fontanille, and actor Bruno Solo.
The creator and director of the Athleticus series, Nicolas Deveaux, will also be in Biarritz for the cocktail party organized by Xilam Animation around its collection of sports-related programs.
And rounding off this update, director Benjamin Clavel will represent his documentary The Matrix: Generation, sold by The Party Film Sales, during the Rendez-Vous closing ceremony.
> The full list of thematic lunches and dinners can be found here.
Promoting the Rendez-Vous on social networks
Unifrance will take advantage of the presence of these teams to meet the artists who contribute to expanding the influence of French audiovisual creation internationally. The organization will produce a series of video clips aimed at the general public abroad, made available on Unifrance's social networks.
Unifrance will also meet with international buyers and French distributors, to discuss the recipes for success of French programs abroad.
French audiovisual export figures for 2022 revealed in Biarritz
On Monday September 4, 2023, the CNC and Unifrance will jointly present the 2022 export figures for French audiovisual programs at a press conference to be held at the Bellevue, in the Salle Vagues, which will also be broadcast online in English.
The 29th Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Biarritz enjoy the invaluable support of the French government, CNC, PROCIREP, and the City of Biarritz. Unifrance would also like to thank the event's official suppliers: Brimoncourt and Estandon; and its media partners: C21, Écran Total, Prensario, and TBI.
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