Since the beginning of 2002, movie admissions in France have hit 134.06 million spectators, a rise of 0.6% over the same period last year.
This rise is even more significant if we analyze the period from September 2001 to September 2002: up 5.4% over the previous 12 months.
French films' market share is estimated at 37.4% since the start of the year (representing 50 million admissions), against 43.6% over the same period in 2001. Even if this shows a decline as against 2001, the figure remains in the high range compared to preceding years' figures.
The fall season has got off to a promising start for French films at home: their market share for the month of September has been evaluated at 48.8%, compared to 46.8% in September 2001.
7 French films currently feature in the Top 20 films of 2002, once again bearing witness to the diversity of styles among French filmmakers at this time. They include "Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra" by Alain Chabat with its 14.5 million admissions score, as well as "8 Women" by François Ozon, "Ball and Chain" (aka "Dead Weight") by Alain Berbérian and Frédéric Forestier, "Euro Pudding" by Cédric Klapisch, "Monsieur Batignole" by Gérard Jugnot, "The Race" by Djamel Bensalah, and "Amen" by Constantin Costa Gavras.
Source: Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) and the magazine "Le Film Français."
