From September 2 to 6, the 30th Unifrance Rendez-Vous took place for the first time in Le Havre, on the Normandy coast. This change of scenery brought a new energy to this anniversary edition, which was conducive to meetings and professional exchanges.
The City of Le Havre and the Région Normandie extended a particularly warm welcome to participants, and showcased the region to great effect, whether during the opening evening at the Bibliothèque Oscar Niemeyer, where participants were welcomed by Édouard Philippe, Mayor of Le Havre and President of the Communauté Urbaine Le Havre Seine Métropole, or during the cocktail reception organized in Deauville at the Franciscaines, at the invitation of Hervé Morin, President of the Région Normandie. Both underlined the importance of the audiovisual sector at the local level, and its cultural and economic importance.
Export figures for French audiovisual programs in 2023 were announced on Tuesday, September 3, by the CNC and Unifrance, at the opening of the Rendez-Vous, reporting sales that remained at a high level of €203.4 million. This is the third time in 30 years that sales have exceeded the €200 million mark, reflecting the quality and diversity of audiovisual works in all genres, which continue to appeal to the international market. Against this buoyant backdrop, the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre enabled 180 international buyers from some 40 countries to discover over 700 programs presented by 56 audiovisual distribution companies.
Of the 180 buyers present, 80% represented linear channels and 15% VoD services. This was a first-time participation for 17% of the companies present, and for 16% of the buyers. In terms of genres, 29% said they were looking for animation programs, 55% for fiction, and 64% for documentaries, bearing in mind that some buyers do not limit themselves to a single genre. In terms of delegations, the 10 most represented countries this year were Spain, Poland, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, USA, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
Once again, the Rendez-Vous provided a privileged setting for exchanges between French distributors and foreign buyers, in advance of the fall international markets. A sentiment shared by several buyers, including Guillermo Sierra, buyer for the American Hispanic channel HITN (also available here) : “I think we're in an industry based on relationships. Over the years, we've met a lot of people and made real friendships. Big markets are wonderful because you get to see a lot of content from all over the world and meet a lot of people, but proximity, sharing several meals a day, and meeting in a small space make a huge difference. We're always very grateful to organizations like Unifrance that make these moments possible."
Throughout the Rendez-Vous, participants were able to discover the flagship programs featured at convivial lunches and dinners, as effective as ever in promoting the programs, as well as at screenings, which were also well attended. For the gala evening on Tuesday, September 3, showrunner and director Marc Fitoussi, actresses and dancers Nastasia Caruge, Audjyan Alcide, Océane Giustiniani, and Mia-Jade Guendjian, and producers Michel Feller (Mon Voisin Productions – Mediawan) and Stéphane Sperry (Federation Studio France) made the trip to present the exclusive first episode of the Ça, c'est Paris series, created by Fitoussi, Edgard F. Grima, and Jérôme Bruno, and distributed by Federation Studios. In the spirit of the series, guests were treated to an exclusive show presented by dancers from the legendary Paradis Latin.
Paradis Latin dancers and actors Nastasia Caruge, Audjyan Alcide, Océane Giustiniani, and Mia-Jade Guendjian, and showrunner Marc Fitoussi at the gala evening at the Unifrance Rendez-vous in Le Havre. © Jérémy Charbaut / Unifrance
As a new feature of the Rendez-Vous, Deadline presented scriptwriter, director, and showrunnerr Noé Debré with the very first Deadline French TV Disruptor Award. The award recognizes the most outstanding international television talent. Debré was present in Deauville to receive the award, and delivered a concise and powerful acceptance speech: “When I was told I was to receive the ‘Disruptor’ award for French television, I wondered what the word ‘Disruptor’ meant. I saw that it was a term used mainly in tech. Thinking about it, I realized that for the series that won me this award today, Parliament and Zorro, the first partners had always been public television. So, if we want more 'Disruption', we need more public television.”
Hervé Morin (President of the Région Normandie), Daniela Elstner (Executive Director of Unifrance), Noé Debré (screenwriter and director), Gilles Pélisson (President of Unifrance), and Stewart Clarke (journalist at Deadline) at the presentation of the first Deadline French TV Disruptor Award at Les Franciscaines in Deauville
© Jérémy Charbaut / Unifrance
The top 5 screenings on the Rendez-Vous Screening Room
Top dramatic fictions
- The Eclipse, series written by Cécile Lorne, Hélène Duchateau, and Baptiste Filleul, and directed by Franck Brett, distributed by About Premium Content
- Tom and Lola, series written by Camille Couasse and Sarah Farkas. and directed by Jason Roffé, distributed by Mediawan Rights
- The Black Widow, series written by Franck Ollivier, and directed by Philippe Dajoux, distributed by Film & Picture
- Ça, c'est Paris, series written by Marc Fitoussi, Edgard F. Grima, and Jérôme Bruno, and directed by Marc Fitoussi, distributed by Federation Studios
- Sea Shadows, series written by Jonathan Rio and Monica Rattazzi, and directed by David Hourrègue, distributed by France tv distribution; ex-aequo with Carpe Diem, series written by Julien Guérif and Pierre Isoard, and directed by Pierre Isoard, distributed by Newen Connect
Top documentaries
- The Legends of Paris: A Tale of the 19th century Artistic Scene, series written by Amélie Harrault, Valérie Loiseleux, and Céline Ronté, and directed by Amélie Harrault, distributed by ARTE Distribution
- De l’assiette à l’océan, written and directed by Julien Challandes and Malaury Morin, distributed by Only Distrib
- Une pastorale américaine, directed by Auberi Edler, distributed by Mediawan Rights
- Humans Before Neanderthals, directed by Emma Baus, distributed by ZED; ex-aequo with Le rêve de Léonard: les secrets du vol dans la nature, written and directed by Clément Champiat, distributed by Java Films; and with Decoding Animal Culture, directed by Alexandra Ternant and Hervé Glabeck, distributed by Terranoa
Top animations
- Lana Longbeard, series written by Baljeet Rai and Alice Prodanou, and directed by Franz Kirchner, distributed by APC Kids
- The Tinies, series directed by Wassim Boutaleb Jutai, distributed by MIAM! distribution
- Samuel, series written and directed by Émilie Tronche, distributed by Folivari
- No-No, series directed by Mathieu Auvray, Jean-Sébastien Vernerie, and Martin Granica, distributed by Autour de Minuit; ex-aequo with La Vie de château, series written by Clémence Madeleine-Perdrillat, directed by Clémence Madeleine-Perdrillat and Nathaniel H'Limi, distributed by Xilam Animation; ex-aequo with Where's Chicky?, series directed by William Hoareau, distributed by Xilam Animation; and Woolly Woolly, written and directed by Emmanuel Linderer, distributed by Festivaal Distribution
Check out the video content produced during the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre on the Unifrance YouTube channel:
- Recording of the 2023 audiovisual export figures press conference
- Interviews with buyer/seller duos
- Interview with Noé Debré by Deadline journalist Stewart Clarke, as part of the Deadline French TV Disruptor Award ceremony
Click here to get news and information about the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre
Media Gallery
© Jérémy Charbaut / Unifrance
© Jérémy Charbaut / Unifrance
Les danseuses du Paradis latin, les comédiennes et danseuses Nastasia Caruge, Audjyan Alcide, Océane Giustiniani et Mia-Jade Guendjian et le showrunner Marc Fitoussi à l’occasion de la soirée de gala des Rendez-vous d’Unifrance au Havre
© Jérémy Charbaut / Unifrance
© Jérémy Charbaut / Unifrance
Hervé Morin (Président de la Région Normandie), Daniela Elstner (Directrice générale d’Unifrance), Noé Debré (scénariste et réalisateur), Gilles Pélisson (Président d’Unifrance) et Stewart Clarke (journaliste chez Deadline) lors de la remise du premier Deadline French TV Disruptor Award aux Franciscaines à Deauville
© Jérémy Charbaut / Unifrance
© Jérémy Charbaut / Unifrance
