5.22 billion francs were invested in the 171 French films produced in 2000, a rise of 16% compared to 1999. (03/12/01)
According to figures from France's Centre National de la Cinématographie, this 730 million-franc increase is due, in particular, to investment in big-budget films. Whereas in 1999 only 2 films posted budgets of over 100 million francs, 8 films crossed the mark in 2000, including "Astérix et Obélix: mission Cléopâtre", "Brotherhood of the Wolf", "Vidocq", "The King is Dancing" and "The Prince of the Pacific". The average budget stood at 30.7 million francs, the second highest figure of the decade after 1997, the year of "The Fifth Element". On the other hand, the number of French films produced fell slightly, down from 181 in 1999 to 171, of which 145 were majority-French productions (against 150 in 1999) and 26 were minority-controlled coproductions.
