The Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in New York, French Film Festival in Yokohama, Séries Mania, Filmart, Rendez-vous - Nuovo cinema francese in Italy, preceded this year by a new audiovisual mini-market in Milan: French film directors, actresses, actors, and professionals from the French film and audiovisual industry experienced with the support of Unifrance, four intense and efficacious weeks of activity on the international scene.
The period was just as productive in Paris, in the field of market research and analysis – a strategic issue for promotion – with the complete overhaul of monthly market indicators concerning available data on the international circulation of French works.
Economic intelligence is one of the organization's strengths. Gathering data on foreign theatrical releases, festival selections, television broadcasts, and distribution on platforms is one of Unifrance's long-standing missions. The film and audiovisual sectors thrive on data, especially that relating to audience figures, but often remain opaque in many respects, particularly when it comes to platform audiences, one of the best-kept secrets in the industry.
Throughout the year, Unifrance, with the help of numerous partners, compiles information and studies the results of French films abroad. The primary aim is to provide its members with accurate information on the release and distribution of their productions. It then communicates about successes and awards, as well as about trends in the distribution of films and audiovisual content.
Three monthly indicators have been redesigned: the first concerns French films in cinemas, the second French works on SVOD platforms, and the third French works on TV channels – all, of course, international. The aim is to provide a monthly overview of the presence of French films in the various sectors and formats, with figures and analysis, and a common visual identity for greater clarity and accessibility.
For each category, we've designed rankings, charts, graphs on box-office trends, breakdowns by territory, key figures, and commentaries. Taken together, these data should give everyone a better understanding of the distribution of films and audiovisual productions abroad. A “overview” section will also provide access to a number of articles on recent trends in the sector.
Short films have not been forgotten: from now on, every month, all selections and awards – for all formats – are listed in a news item sent to all members and included in the monthly newsletter.
In an environment where the reliability of information and the rigor of analysis are more valuable than ever, we hope that these indicators will enable you to better grasp developments on foreign markets, so that together we can remain as close as possible to the needs and challenges of exporting and promoting our works internationally.
Daniela Elstner and Gilles Renouard
Executive Director and Director of Cinema of Unifrance