The annual round table was held on April 3 at the Palazzo Farnese, headquarters of the Ambassade de France in Italy, on the occasion of the 15th edition of the French film festival Rendez-vous – Nuovo cinema francese.
The Italian film industry is undergoing a major transformation, and a panel of experts gathered to debate the issue at a conference opened by Martin Briens (Ambassadeur de France in Italy), Asia Ruperto (Cinecittà), and Daniela Elstner (Unifrance). On the agenda: the state of film and audiovisual markets, distribution challenges, and financing issues.

Martin Briens, Ambassadeur de France in Italy, welcomed the guests, reminding them that France and Italy have been each other's leading production partners for many decades.

Daniela Elstner reminded participants that Italy is an essential territory for French cinema, and that the results in 2025 are already excellent, thanks in particular to Emilia Pérez and Flow.  In a context of winning back viewers, and in a highly charged geopolitical climate (where culture also suffers its share of threats), she stressed that Franco-Italian collaboration is a cornerstone, that our proximity must be maintained, and collaborations strengthened.

A return to pre-pandemic levels?
After years marked by the pandemic, cinema attendance in Italy is back on track. Davide Novelli (representing Cinetel, and also working for distributor PiperFilm) gave an overview of the sector.
The return of younger audiences, low attendance figuress among senior citizens, national cinema's market share at 25%, multiplexes' momentary loss of momentum due to fewer American releases (itself linked to strikes in Hollywood), summer torpor increasingly countered thanks in particular to pricing operations, strong development potential: these were the highlights of the presentation, which suggested that a return to pre-crisis levels was conceivable.

Producing in Italy: opportunities and constraints
While Italian film and audiovisual production (Federico Scardamaglia, from Leone Film Group, spoke of a veritable golden age for series in Italy) is dynamic, some wondered about the number of works produced.
The relationship with streaming platforms was also discussed, with a particular focus on the crucial issues of the ownership of works and preserving the diversity of the landscape.
Financing was another major issue, with a focus on the role of tax credits, television channels, regional authorities, and the development of international co-productions.

Tax credits: what are the prospects?
Rossella Gaudio (DGCA-MiC) provided a wealth of information on current reforms, and in particular on the arrival of the latest decrees governing tax incentives for the film industry.
French producers were not short of questions to help them better understand the contours of the current decrees, which are nonetheless awaiting final validation and possible adjustments by the end of May.

The participants

France

• Priscilla Bertin / Silex Films
• Marc Dhrami / Normaal
• Laura Duyck / Air France
• Sophie Loyrette / CNC
• Sylvie El Sayegh / Cofiloisirs
• Bertrand Faivre / Le Bureau Films
• Charlotte Fuga / ZED
• Diane Jassem / Koro Films
• Julie Mateille / About Premium Content
• Stéphane Millière / Gedeon Media Group
• Frédéric Niedermayer / Moby Dick Films
• Nathalie Pinguet / Superights
• François Ragueneau / STUDIOCANAL
• Antoine Rein / Karé Productions
• Apolline Rauche / Cofiloisirs
• Silvia Simonutti / Goodfellas

Italy

• Francesca Andreoli / Cinedora
• Carlotta Ca’Zorzi / Fandango
• Claudia Croce / Cattleya
• Rossella Gaudio / DGCA-MiC
• Davide Novelli / Cinetel
• Federico Scardamaglia / Leone Film Group

An international sales company specializing in comedy, Other Angle Pictures, headed by Olivier Albou and Laurence Schonberg, is behind The French Comedy Club, a mini-festival of French comedies in the USA launched in 2022, which takes place over two days in a Los Angeles cinema. The format arose from the realization that French comedies are almost never shown at festivals, and are distributed even less in the U.S., apart from on certain platforms.

Hence the decision to once again present six recent films (compared to four last year) on April 26 and 27, at the Lumiere Cinema in Beverly Hills, to Los Angeles film professionals (buyers, agents, producers) as well as to the general public. The aim is to generate business around French comedies in general. The films are being handled by various sales agents.
 

The six films presented this year:

• God Save the Tuches by Jean-Paul Rouve
• With or Without Kids by Elsa Blayau
• How to Make a Killing by Franck Dubosc
• Natacha (Almost) Air Hostess by Noémie Saglio
• Guess Who's Calling! by Fabienne Godet
• 100 Million by Nath Dumont

The French Comedy Club's official site

This Franco-Algerian project, presented as part of the festival's co-production forum, won this award presented in partnership with TitraFilm, in the presence of the director.
 
The documentary, which will benefit from subtitling financing and membership of the Unifrance college of feature film producers, is produced in France by Eugénie Michel-Villette(Les Films du Bilboquet) and Oualid Baha (Tact Production), and in Algeria Karim Moussaoui (Guelta Film).
 
Unifrance thanks the festival and TitraFilm!

This audiovisual market took place just before the Rendez-vous – Nuovo cinema francese in Rome, which runs from 2 to 6 April.

A cocktail party wad held on the evening of Tuesday 1 April.

Attending companies :

• About Premium Content
• Ampersand
• Arte Distribution
• Beliane
• CLPB Rights
• Dandelooo
• France tv distribution
• Normaal
• OBLE
• Only Distrib
• Prime Entertainment Group
• Script Line
• STUDIOCANAL
• Superights
• The Party Film Sales
• ZED

The Marching Band, Emmanuel Courcol's new film, received the sixth Audience Award (after Les Éblouis in 2020, Petite fille in 2021, En corps in 2022, Pour la France in 2023, and The Animal Kingdom in 2024).

We should note: the Audience Award is voted for by festival-goers, who are invited to rate the films after the screenings. At the end of the festival, thanks to the support of Air France, one of these spectators was randomly selected to win a round-trip ticket for two to Paris..

This year's event also saw the presentation of the 4th Best Emerging Filmmaker Award to Koya Kamura's Winter in Sokcho, a prize designed to draw attention to the unique cinematic point of view of emerging French filmmakers (only first and second films are considered), and their interpretation of France's new and diverse identities.

Winter in Sokcho had its world premiere at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival). The student jury praised the film's exploration of French identity, the special spiritual connection between strangers, its warmth and creative use of animated interludes, calling it an “impressive debut.”

In honor of the festival's 30th edition, an exceptional 30th Anniversary Award was created, and given to Jonathan Millet's Ghost Trail, in which a former prisoner of the Syrian regime is determined to confront his torturer, who he has encountered again in an entirely different context. This award was also commended by the student jury, who praised the film's “precious, rare tension,” its humanity in the treatment of a Syrian refugee’s story, and its “bold” and “experimental” stylistic elements.

Last but not least, ticket sales for the 30th edition were up on last year, continuing a trend with previous editions, which have witnessed increasing sales. Over 8,500 tickets were issued, including 467 for school screenings. 150 people attended the free conferences. Of the 23 features in this year's program, more than half were directed by women, four were debut features, and eight filmmakers had already presented films at previous editions of the Rendez-Vous.

Unifrance: How did Zig & Sharko come about?

Marc Du PontaviceMarc Du Pontavice: Zig & Sharko was born in 2008, three years after Oggy and the Cockroaches landed on Gulli, and became a phenomenal success. I was looking for a new slapstick comedy and suggested to Olivier Jean-Marie that we invent a three-character set-up to create something fresh. The first season was commissioned by TF1 and Canal+, but got off to a slow start. 

It was with the second season, on Gulli, that Zig & Sharko successfully took hold and spread internationally. The show followed in Oggy's footsteps in Asia, Germany, Italy, South Africa, etc., and it was thanks to YouTube (35 million subscribers worldwide) and then Netflix (40 million hours streamed in 2023 alone) that the program took off in the United States and South America. To the point of surpassing the success of Oggy.
 

The series has come a long way since its creation 15 years ago, although the central set-up – namely Sharko's desire to eat Marina and Zig's desire to protect her – have remained the same over the four seasons. How do you manage to maintain continuity while bringing something new to each season?

Marc du Pontavice: When you're working with visual comedy material (what the Americans call physical comedy), and you're working on fairly short format lengths (seven minutes) with a high volume of episodes (78 per season), repetition can't be sustained over the long term. Even if perseverance and stubbornness are at the heart of the narrative, each new season requires an evolution and refresh of the framework. With Oggy, we chose to invent new characters, and with Zig & Sharko,we changed the role of the mermaid, Marina. This evolution was made all the more necessary by the fact that society's view – and therefore that of the artists – of women has come a long way and progressed for the better.

In the first season, Marina was a rather isolated, immobile character, existing only in the eyes of Zig and Sharko. The arrival of Hugo Gittard and Andres Fernandez, who took the helm from the second season completely changed this positioning. Marina was reintegrated into the show with a very proactive role, and it was Zig who found himself expelled into the jungle. And of course, in the third season, Marina changes roles, becoming captain of the liner that takes the whole collective on board. It's quite fascinating to see how a cartoon evolves over time in the line with society's gaze. This is essential when we're talking to children, who are naturally very influenced when it comes to these underlying messages.
 

Marina's character has grown in importance over the seasons, particularly in Season 4, when she acquires legs with incredible powers. Why was this character development essential?

Marc du Pontavice: Here, the story of Marina's role continues to evolve. Up until now, even with the change of role, Marina was still constrained by her status as a mermaid. Giving her legs, and super-powerful ones at that, completes the character's transformation as she becomes perfectly autonomous and often the driving force behind the show's action. Of course, all this is done with visual creativity and plenty of comedy to stay true to the DNA of the slapstick genre.
 

The silent cartoon format gives the characters very clear intentions, making them both endearing and universal. What impact do you think this has on the series?

Marc du Pontavice: All fictional series must answer a question that is the most important above the characterization: what does the character want? And in comedy, the simpler the answer to this question, the clearer and more understandable the character will be, and the more comedy can arise from the situations they encounter. 

Then there's the sophisticated work of characterization itself. Even if they're the 'baddies', slapstick characters have to be endearing. You have to be constantly caught up in the dynamics between the persecutor and victim, swaying between Zig's and Sharko's desires. 

The originality of Xilam's slapstick style lies in the fact that each character, behind the initial appearance of their role, is in fact both persecutor and victim. So that, despite their sometimes questionable actions, we fall in love with them to the point of wishing them success. In fact, and this is undoubtedly one of the strengths of our approach, our characters, even in their apparent “villainy,” are full of emotion and fragility – and children love that.
 

The series has been a great international success with broadcasters and audiences alike, winning the Unifrance TV Export Award 2024 for Season 3, in the Animation category. How do you explain the series' worldwide success?

Safaa BenazzouzSafaa Benazzouz: It's true that the series has been a resounding international success, which has been reinforced with each new season. We've won over all types of clients: from traditional broadcasters to American networks, as well as SVOD and AVOD platforms, and a YouTube operation handled expertly by our digital team since 2014.

Each season has brought something new whilst retaining the series' original DNA, enabling us to kick-start sales cycles and renew the first seasons quickly.

Comedy is a highly sought-after genre for broadcasters and platforms; it's what kids want to see. The universality of the format, the dynamic pace and the sheer volume available (312 seven-minute episodes) are other major reasons for the international success of this franchise. Our heroes' personalities are well-defined and likeable, making them a must-see!

We're looking forward to celebrating the brand's 15th anniversary this year! On the agenda: exclusive interviews, never-before-seen content, collaborations... all to be followed closely on our networks!
 

Digital distribution accounts for a significant proportion of the series' international exports. How has this contributed to its success with foreign audiences?

Safaa Benazzouz: Digital distribution has enabled us to reach the whole world directly, and to build a reputation even in countries where we had no TV broadcasters. Also, the series is dialogue-free, our heroes have quickly found an audience on every continent! This notoriety has enabled the program to perform well not only on TV channels, but also on various SVOD/AVOD platforms worldwide, including Gulli (France), Super RTL (Germany), Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery (France, Africa, Italy), DeAgistini (Italy), MTV3 (Finland), NRK (Norway), Ketnet (Belgium), Panda Kids (Portugal), TVP (Poland), RTL (Hungary), ERT (Greece), Viacom 18 (India), Youku (China), and Iqiyi (China). 

On YouTube, Zig & Sharko is our most established franchise, with over 35 million subscribers and 10 billion views on all continents. The annual average reaches 3.7 billion views across the seven channels dedicated to the program. In fact, we have language versions of the channels, even though the series is dialogue-free, to bring us even closer to our audience.

We also have social accounts dedicated to the series on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and, more recently, Snap, which are updated every week, enabling us to create strong communities among several target audiences. These accounts have a combined total of six million subscribers. We regularly receive “fan art” on social networks and even by post from all over the world – which is a testament to the love audiences have for our heroes.

A key festival for professionals, NewImages has organized:

• the Paris XN Days, inviting some 30 international professionals to mingle with the French ecosystem. 
• the Industry Days, featuring conferences and workshops on a variety of themes, and providing an opportunity for in-depth reflection on artistic, technological, and societal issues.
• the XR Market, dedicated to projects in production and distribution.

 
And to bridge the gap between professionals and the public, some 15 immersive works will be presented in Competition. An Out of Competition program will be dedicated to the theme of “Alterities.”   
 
Unifrance is organizing an XR initiation day for its members on Wednesday April 9, and is a partner of the Paris XN Days cocktail. 

The French selection at the 8th NewImages

XR Competition

• Another Place by Domenico Singha Pedroli
• Duchampiana by Lilian Hess
• Ito Meikyu by Boris Labbé
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom by Kenichi Suzuki

Out of Competition

• Oto's Planet by Gwenaël François
• Impulse : Playing With Reality by Barry Gene Murphy and May Abdalla
• The Castaways by Sam Lecoeur

--> Catalogue can be downloaded here

While working in Strasbourg on her latest animated short, Weijia Ma has to rush back to China when France enters lockdown during the Covid pandemic. On her arrival, another lockdown awaits her. Fourteen days in a hotel, like a bear in a cave. From the surreal plane flight to the quarantine period, the director recounts this experience through a filmed diary, with a great deal of humor, inventiveness, and a touch of romantic comedy.

To coincide with the Visions du réel documentary festival, experience the surreal lockdown journey through the eyes of director Weijia Ma in this short documentary, selected for the 2021 festival, where it was awarded a Special Mention.

Special thanks to Les Valseurs production company.

Pour voir le film, cliquez sur l'image ci-dessous (ST anglais et français disponibles)

Le programme Match Me! permet aux producteurs participants d’élargir l’horizon de leurs collaborations, relations et partenariats : une étape essentielle pour celles et ceux qui souhaitent comprendre comment évoluer dans l’univers passionnant de la (co)production internationale. 

Match Me! 2025 aura lieu du 8 au 10 août. Le programme prévoit des rencontres individuelles et des activités de réseautage sur mesure avec des partenaires potentiels, dans le but de renforcer les relations et les intérêts mutuels, d’identifier d’éventuels coproducteurs et de consolider la visibilité internationale des producteurs.

Cette opération s’inscrit dans le cadre du soutien d’Unifrance pour faciliter le passage du court au premier long-métrage. 

Date limite pour le dépôt de candidatures : 6 mai 2025 à 18h (CEST)

Critères d’éligibilité

• La société de production doit être adhérente à Unifrance sur l’année en cours
• Avoir produit ou coproduit au moins quelques courts-métrages et pas plus d’un long-métrage de fiction ou documentaire
• Vous souhaitez élargir votre réseau international

Conditions

• Le partenariat prévoit la prise en charge du programme, de 4 nuitées pour les 3 producteurs sélectionnés, et de 3 déjeuners networking organisés par le festival.
• Le transport restera à la charge des participants.
• Attention : Les producteurs sélectionnés s’engagent à être présents à l’entièreté du programme, aux activités et sur les dates prévues (du 8 au 10 aout 2025).
• Les candidatures sont à envoyer ici

Contact Unifrance : tiziana.degidio@unifrance.org
Contact Locarno : locarnopro@locarnofestival.ch