Now at the beginning of May, we are delighted to unveil the new Unifrance website. It is the product of extensive collaborative efforts involved in the overhaul of our digital and communication tools that was initiated two years ago at the time of the adoption of our new visual and graphic identity. This is an important step for our association, as we now benefit from a unified platform that reflects the new Unifrance. This website embodies our expanded and strengthened strategy that fully integrates television industry creation. It is also a more efficient tool to serve all professionals–you, our members, as well as foreign buyers, who are our priority users. Our website also highlights even more strongly our initiatives and information services aimed at local audiences around the world, in line with our new content guidelines. We wish to thank the Unifrance teams, in particular our digital teams, for bringing this complex project to completion, at the same as other essential operations such as the merging of databases and the launch of a new shared viewing tool for the film and television sectors.
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 will see the opening of the 76th edition of the world's most prestigious film festival. Over ten days, Cannes will become the beating heart of the international movie scene, where all of the most distinctive artistic perspectives will come together and interact. The festival thus offers an exceptional showcase for the multiplicity of creative expression, and notably for French films, which enjoy a prominent position at the event. Indeed, over 80 films produced or coproduced by France are interspersed within the various Cannes sections this year, with a historically high presence of women directors, and even an equal balance in the French-majority films. Congratulations to everyone! We applaud all of the French film teams, represented in all of the festival sections and selections–directors, screenwriters, actors, producers, distributors, exhibitors, and sales companies–who, through their hard work, commitment, and their imaginations, constitute the strength and renown of our cinema industry.
Unifrance will accompany professionals and artists in order to facilitate dialogue and convivial moments based around French creations. We will operate a booth at the Marché du Film–which has, among its missions, to welcome our producer and distributor members–in addition to our famous Unifrance Terrace, which, as is the case each year, will host the crews from French films selected at the festival at our customary meetings with the international media.
A broad-ranging plan of action is also in place to shine a light on our artists, in particular the new generation, represented by Unifrance's 10 to Watch selection, whom we be welcoming on May 24 and 25. A large number of video formats will also be shared on our website and social media throughout the festival period. Furthermore, as we see that funds allocated by the press to criticism are decreasing, Unifrance will continue the Critic’s Lab this year. This mentoring project initiated by our association in 2022 aims to foster the emergence of talented film critics by inviting to Cannes three young novices–from English-language press outlets, selected by their peers– to cover events relating to French cinema. It is also an opportunity to emphasize the crucial importance of criticism as a vehicle for enhancing the visibility and reputation of films with audiences.
A Day of Reflection and Discussions that Unifrance is co-hosting with the CNC will be held once again on the CNC's beach, focusing on innovation in the field of marketing as a new resource for promoting the diversity of creative works.
We are thrilled to be meeting up with you on the Croisette to join together in celebration of cinema, which, despite still being in recovery mode in many countries after three tough years, is showing a vibrant creative energy at this time. We wish you all an excellent festival!
Serge Toubiana, Daniela Elstner, and Hervé Michel
President, Executive Director, and Vice-President of Unifrance
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