Attendance figures for French films released in theaters abroad in 2012 reached 140 million spectators (+88%), generating €875 million in ticket sales (+100%).
These figures set a new attendance record for French films in international theaters, breaking the previous record of 2008 (84.2 million admissions).
The record-breaking performances of 2012 differ significantly, however, from those of 2008 (with a variation of 55 million admissions between the two years). The figures of 2012 are primarily attributed to exceptional performances by The Artist (13 million admissions), The Intouchables (31 million admissions), and Taken 2 (46 million admissions). These 3 films, all financed in the majority by France, together account for 65% of all admissions registered by uniFrance Films in theaters around the world in 2012. The Intouchables stands out as the most successful French-language production of all time in international theaters.
In addition to these three triumphant titles, 20 million admissions were registered by other majority French films shot in the French language: Asterix & Obelix: God Save Britannia, A Monster in Paris, and Amour (Love) all topped the million admissions mark, while 8 titles in this category achieved between 500,000 and 1 million admissions (including Houba! On the Trail of the Marsupilami, What’s in a Name?, Delicacy, Service Entrance [The Women on the 6th Floor], and Rust & Bone), and some thirty titles registered between 100,000 and 500,000 admissions (including In the House, Holy Motors, Farewell My Queen, and The Snows of Kilimanjaro).
Minority French productions shot in French attracted a total of 2 million admissions, ranking as the second best performance by films in this category in the past ten years, largely due to the success of auteur films such as Le Havre, Elles, The Kid with a Bike, Café de Flore, and Sister.
And while Amour (Love) will represent Austria at the upcoming Academy Awards, for which it is nominated in five categories, its financing, production language, cast, producer Margaret Menegoz, and its director Michael Haneke's agent François Samuelson are all French - which serves to illustrate the vitality of current French productions and co-productions.
Bolstered by the results of the three standout titles of 2012, attendance figures showed an increase in all market regions. 2012 was an exceptional year, particularly in Western Europe, where French films registered record highs in theater attendance, with the highest figures recorded since the early 2000s in 13 markets, and Asia posting the highest increase in admissions of all market regions in 2012 compared to 2011.
Nevertheless, these outstanding results cannot obscure the structural difficulties currently impacting the distribution of French films abroad, such as difficulties in gaining access to theaters, which are dominated to a large degree by American blockbusters. On the bright side, upcoming months will see the international release of a number of titles with strong commercial potential, including Mobius by Eric Rochant, L’Ecume des jours by Michel Gondry, Blood Ties by Guillaume Canet, and Malavita by Luc Besson.
