Unifrance invites French distributors and buyers from around the world to the 32nd Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre, the premier market for French audiovisual programs, which will be held for the third consecutive year on the Normandy coast, from September 7 to 10, 2026.
Hit scripted series, internationally acclaimed animated programs, and prestigious documentaries: the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre features, over the course of three days, more than 350 programs—including about 50 exclusive screenings—as well as some 50 leading distributors gathered at the world’s only market entirely dedicated to French audiovisual productions. A unique event that allows buyers to identify their next big hits.
On Monday, September 7 in the evening, the Rendez-Vous open with a cocktail reception hosted by Mr. Édouard Philippe, Mayor of Havre and President of the Communauté urbaine Le Havre Seine Métropole at the MuMa, le Musée d’art moderne André Malraux. Earlier in the afternoon, a tour of Le Havre will be offered to participants who have registered for it, so they can discover the city’s rich history and architecture and enjoy a convivial get-together.
The market and video library will be open to accredited attendees starting Tuesday, September 8, from 9 am to 6 pm, at the Carré des Docks, to host meetings between members and allow buyers in attendance to view the latest French audiovisual programs across a wide range of genres: scripted drama, animation, documentaries, and live performance. These programs will also be available on the event’s online viewing platform. The market and video library will remain open until Thursday, September 10, at 1 pm.
At the same time, French distributors and journalists covering the event will be invited to a morning of panel discussions on Tuesday, September 8, from 10 am to 12 pm at the Carré des Docks. As is the case every year, the highlight of the morning will be the exclusive joint announcement by the CNC and Unifrance of the export figures for French audiovisual programs in 2025. The full program of conferences for the 2026 Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre will be revealed at a later date.
September 8 will conclude on a high note with an Off Screen Party, starting at 7 pm, to be held at La Grande École, a former school that has been converted into a welcoming space dedicated to sharing, discussion, and learning.
On Wednesday, September 9, participants will be invited by Mr. Hervé Morin, President of the Région Normandie, for a cocktail reception at the Abbaye de Montivilliers, a former Benedictine convent founded in the 7th century. It is the perfect setting to conclude this year’s three-day event, and to gather people around Normandy’s finest chefs and producers, and to offer participants an exceptional gastronomic experience worthy of the region’s reputation.
On Tuesday, September 8, and Wednesday, September 9, during lunchtime hours, accredited guests will be invited to watch, on the big screen, several highly anticipated productions at the Pathé Docks Vauban movie theater.
Lunches planned as part of the event will be served alongside the screenings.
Tuesday, September 8
12 pm to 1 pm: The documentary Beasts of the Colosseum (52’), written by Lucas Poisson and Nicolas Brénéol, directed by Nicolas Brénéol, produced by AH! Production for Novo 19, and distributed by Balanga.
At the beginning of our era, Rome, home to a million inhabitants, was captivated by the Venationes—spectacles featuring wild beasts rather than gladiators. Lions, panthers, elephants, and bears were captured on the Empire’s frontiers with the help of legionnaires. What perilous routes did they take to transport their wild prey across Africa and Europe? By what extraordinary means were these dangerous animals brought back to Italy? And what traces remain of this practice today? Reinventing Historical Documentary Through AI In Beasts of the Colosseum, AI opens a spectacular window onto history through scientifically grounded reconstructions generated from rigorously validated sources. Developed in close collaboration with leading experts such as historians Katia Schörle, Jordan Houston and Éric Teyssier, the film combines immersive storytelling with historical accuracy.
1 pm to 2 pm: The scripted series Swapped (6x52’), created and written by Alexandra Echkenazi and Vincent Robert, directed by Vania Leturcq and Savina Dellicour, produced by Lincoln TV for France 2, and distributed by France tv distribution.
Starring: Lula Cotton Frapier, Barbara Probst, Jonathan Zaccaï, David Kammenos, Cécile Rebboah, Olivia Côte, Alexia Giordano, Lauréna Thellier, David Talbot, Ralph Amoussou, Baptiste Carrion-Weiss, Younès Boucif, Anne Coesens.
Paris, 1889. Hoping to offer her baby a better future, Rose leaves her rural home to become a wet nurse for a bourgeois family. She meets Odette, a midwife, who warns her: she won’t be allowed to keep her own child with her. A risky solution presents itself to Rose: secretly exchange her baby with that of Hélène de Gersande, a mother grieving the sudden loss of her infant.
Rose, Odette, and Hélène—three women from very different backgrounds—will have to join forces to carve out a place for themselves in a male-dominated world, and claim their freedom.
Wednesday, September 9
12 pm to 1 pm: The documentary Lady Liberty: Secrets of an Icon (52’), created by Flore Kosinetz and Julien Johan, directed by Julien Johan, produced by Gedeon Programmes for ARTE, and distributed by Terranoa.
This iconic statue was a gift from France to the new-born American Republic and was the first crowd-funded monument of all time. A symbol of emancipation and freedom, which took two decades to be completed. The film features original 3D virtual reconstitutions of Auguste Bartholdi’s Atelier in Paris and travels back in time to bring viewers at the heart of the Statue’s original construction, revealing the founding ideals of our democracies.
1 pm to 2 pm: The scripted series Red and Black (4x52’), adapted from Stendhal's novel, written by Georges-Marc Benamou and Gilles Taurand, directed by Gaël Morel, produced by Siècle Productions for France Télévisions, and distributed by Wild Bunch Distribution.
Starring: Victor Belmondo, Camille Razat, Virginie Ledoyen, Patrick Timsit.
A gripping tale of ambition, desire, and inner conflict, The Red and the Black follows Julien Sorel—a brilliant yet deeply conflicted young man—caught between passion and power. Torn between the tender Louise de Rénal and the fiercely proud Mathilde de La Mole, Julien’s pursuit of greatness leads him down a path where love, pride, and hypocrisy collide… with tragic consequences….A gripping tale of ambition, desire, and inner conflict, The Red and the Black follows Julien Sorel—a brilliant yet deeply conflicted young man—caught between passion and power. Torn between the tender Louise de Rénal and the fiercely proud Mathilde de La Mole, Julien’s pursuit of greatness leads him down a path where love, pride, and hypocrisy collide… with tragic consequences…
For this third edition in Le Havre, Unifrance has revitalized its format: a condensed program and a selection of works with strong international potential, reflecting the vitality and creativity of French film and audiovisual production—which is recognized and acclaimed around the world. All the more reason not to miss the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre - 2026!
Unifrance warmly thanks the Ville du Havre and the Région Normandie for their continued trust and looks forward to a collaboration that augurs, once again, to be both promising and worthy of the event.
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© Jérémy Charbaut / Unifrance
© Jérémy Charbaut / Unifrance
