France’s sales agents have been busy this week at Unifrance’s annual Rendez-Vous With French Cinema, the biggest market for French films outside of Cannes.
The meeting is unfolding online in Paris due to the pandemic from January 13-15. Over 40 sales companies are presenting around 140 new French films to 800 international buyers.
Seven executives talk to Screen about their hot new projects, their plans for the online European Film Market in early March and when they believe Cannes could take place this year.
Alexis Cassanet - head of international sales and distribution, Gaumont
What titles are you focusing on at the RDV?
A new Gaumont production called The Colors Of Fire, based on an adaptation of a literary phenomenon by Pierre Lemaitre. It has an ambitious €14m budget and is directed by Clovis Cornillac with Léa Drucker, Benoit Poelvoorde and Olivier Gourmet in the cast.
We’ll also screen Albert Dupontel’s Bye Bye Morons. It achieved an exceptional result over just nine days on release last October, achieving one of Dupontel’s best ever openings with 719,365 admissions, within the context of a curfew. We’re also screening body-swap comedy, Family Swap by Jean-Patrick Bene, Vicky And Her Mystery by Denis Imbert and Aline, The Voice of Love, Valérie Lemercier’s love letter to Céline Dion.
What objectives do you have for this market?
To reconnect with our buyers and get a snapshot of the state of all the different international markets. We all continue to work on our deliverable films that have already been completed and to put the spotlight on The Colors Of Fire.
Has it been more difficult to find good French films suitable for the international market this year?
We had a lot of films already in the pipeline that have benefited from the fact that shoots have been able to continue in spite of the current health situation. All our shoots have been able to complete including for Franck Dubosc’s Rumba Therapy, the Foenkinos brothers’ Fantasies and Yvan Attal’s The Accusation.
Looking beyond the RDV, how do you plan to approach the online European Film Market (EFM) in March?
We’re working on exclusive content for the EFM with new promo reels and are also planning to launch two new big productions in very different genres at the market.
How do you see the rest of 2021 panning out?
We’re playing it by ear. You need to be highly adaptable and able to come up with innovative marketing as we did for our digital sales launch for Aline.
Do you think Cannes will take place this year? And if yes, do you think it will unfold in May, or later?
I sincerely hope so. I think Cannes will do the maximum it can to happen in the best way possible. Virtual events can fill a gap but they’ll never replace human contact when it comes to transmitting the vision of the directors and auteurs we support.
Would you like a decision sooner rather than later?
If a late decision allows us to all re-meet, we’ll do what it takes to adapt.
Alice Lesort - head of international sales, Les Films du Losange
What titles are you focusing on at the RDV?
Benoît Jacquot’s Suzanna Andler, which we’re market-premiering ahead of its public premiere in Rotterdam. The film has pre-sold to a number of territories but no-one has seen it so the distributors are discovering it at the RDV.
We’re also working on Nicolas Maury’s My Best Part, which was selected for the Cannes 2020 label and then TIFF Industry Selects. We’re hoping to consolidate sales on the back of its promising release in France in October, which sadly was cut short by the closure of cinemas two days after its launch.
We’ve also got Alain Guiraudie’s upcoming film Viens Je T’Emmène. It’s in post-production but we don’t have any images to show as yet. Nonetheless, we’re very happy to be able to start pitching it to distributors, to show there are exciting projects coming up and to look to the future.
What objectives and hopes do you have for this market?
To continue the job of finding international partners to show our films in their countries with more determination than ever. We know that because of this crisis, a lot of films will not have the international career they deserve in terms of their potential and artistic qualities, but we need to keep trying with even more flexibility. It will also be an opportunity to catch up on the news of our distributors and partners because I know this second wave has been terrible. Even if we’re in regular contact, the market will help me to get a wider, up-to-date picture of the situation.
Has it been more difficult to find good French films suitable for the international market this year?
No, lots of shoots have gone ahead, albeit under very difficult conditions for the producers and crews, but the films exist. It’s not the offering that is lacking but rather the demand.
Looking beyond the RDV, how are you going to approach the EFM?
Even if it’s a virtual market, we’re going to treat it like a major market, which it is.
How do you see the rest of 2021 panning out?
The coming months risk looking a lot like 2020, with a reduced number of “fresh” films on which to concentrate our efforts and lots of catalogue sales. Like everyone, I hope the situation will improve this summer. We’re not going to get back to “how it was” from one day to the next but I hope at least that in the second half of the year, our films will once again be able to screen in cinemas. Working in this context of permanent fog where nothing is certain and everything keeps changing is exhausting for everyone.
Do you think Cannes will take place this year? And if yes, do you think it will unfold in May, or later?
I don’t have a crystal ball but given the rhythm at which the vaccination programme is advancing in France, I doubt the festival will be able to take place in May.
Olivier Albou - president, Other Angle
What titles are you focusing on at the RDV?
We’re premiering four new films: Retirement Home, Spoiled Brats, The Butcher’s Daughter, and Savage Days. We’ll also unveil never-seen footage for Olivier Dahan’s Simone and Mona Achache’s Valiant Hearts.
What objectives and hopes do you have for this market?
To reconnect with buyers at the beginning of the year and to get them to focus on our French films and find the right ones for them.
Has it been more difficult to find good French films suitable for the international market this year?
Surprisingly and in spite of the major events due to Covid, I am really pleased with our line-up for this year, we have about the same number of films with more diversity in genre, size and language.
Looking beyond the RDV, are you going to treat the online EFM like a real market?
We have to even if it’s another digital one, but we really need a physical market to keep our business and relationships going.
How do you see the rest of 2021 panning out?
I’m not expecting anything to go back to normal this year. I’m just trying to find opportunities where I can.
Do you think Cannes will take place this year? And if yes, do you think it will unfold in May, or later?
We’ll just have to wait and see and adapt to the situation. I would be really surprised if it takes place in May or even in its normal form in June.
Would you like a decision sooner rather than later?
It’s a hard question to answer, there is lots at stake.
Camille Neel - head of international sales, Le Pacte
What titles are you focusing on at the RDV?
We’re launching Olivier Peyon’s drama Tokyo Shaking starring Karine Viard as a banking executive who finds herself caught up in the events around Japan’s 2011 earthquake and Fukushima disaster. Wild Bunch Distribution hopes to release it theatrically in France in April and we’re introducing it to the market as a completed film. We’re also showing the comedy Three Times Nothing, Nadège Loiseau’s new film after A Bun In The Oven. Le Pacte is releasing it in France but has yet to date it. It’s a great concept about three homeless men who jointly win €300,000 in the lottery, which isn’t enough to set them up for life but still changes it radically. One buyer pitched it back to me as, “A Ken Loach film in reverse”.
What objectives do you have for this market?
I’ve got strong hopes that we’ll seal deals. Even if the situation is complicated, we’re in a new year and I think it could be the moment when buyers start looking to the future and the reopening of cinemas, especially with vaccination programmes now taking shape. These aren’t festival titles but rather films aimed at the public. They’re both entertaining and intelligent, which is what I think the distributors will be looking for as we come out of the crisis.
Has it been more difficult to find good French films suitable for the international market this year?
There were delays both for films stuck in post-production and productions waiting to shoot but this meant filmmakers and producers had more time to develop other projects. I think the future will be rich.
Looking beyond the RDV, how are you going to approach the EFM now it is online?
We’re going to treat it like a proper market. Our approach will also depend on whether we get our films into its selection. We’ve submitted a couple of titles and our strategy will depend on the outcome. The EFM will be closer to a potential reopening of cinemas than the Rendez-Vous, I think the pace is going to pick up.
How do you see the rest of 2021 panning out?
I’m trying to stay positive. I believe that once cinemas start opening up there could be a quick rebound. There is a real desire among the public to see films in cinema theatres and not only on small screens. I think there will still be a place for independent films and foreign-language works in our different markets, although I think it will be abominably competitive in the beginning to get screening slots because a lot of screens will be taken up with blockbusters.
Do you think Cannes will take place this year? And if yes, do you think it will unfold in May, or later?
That’s the $10 million question. They will do all they can to ensure that Cannes takes place whether it is in May, June or July – I don’t think it will be after that. I think initially they’re really going to try to keep the May dates and then will make a decision at the last minute like last year. I don’t dare predict anything on the dates as it’s impossible to understand what is possible. There are so many factors to take into account, like whether later dates would clash with the local tourist industry, or whether professionals will be prepared to travel.
Nicolas Brigaud-Robert - managing partner, Playtime
What titles are you focusing on at the RDV?
We have a market première at the Rendez-Vous for Playlist, the debut feature of graphic novel artist Nine Antico. I believe this shows our commitment to support the event.
What objectives and hopes do you have for this market?
We are happy to touch base with our clients early in the year and to exchange thoughts on how they see their respective markets coming out of Covid.
Has it been more difficult to find good French films suitable for the international market this year?
We’ve been lucky. The films we boarded last year have all managed to shoot this spring and summer. So our line-up for 2021-2022 has not suffered in terms of pick-ups.
Looking beyond the RDV, how are you going to approach the EFM?
At this point we know EFM will be virtual, so we will be adapting our marketing and sales efforts to that reality.
How do you see the rest of 2021 panning out?
Better.
Do you think Cannes will take place this year? And if yes, do you think it will unfold in May, or later?
We do hope that Cannes will happen and actually we strongly believe it will. Even if in the end it is not the same as a “normal” Cannes, a true competition with a Palme d’Or will surely bolster both the mood and the market.
Would you like a decision sooner rather than later?
When you run a company – and the film business is no exception – the earlier you have information to make decisions, the better off you are.
Charlotte Boucon - director of international sales and distribution, SND
What titles are you focusing on at the RDV?
The whole slate of course. We’re very happy that we have the opening film Delicieux, which has done good pre-sales across Europe. We hope to continue the discussions we got underway at the AFM for Pil’s Adventures, Kompromat and Kandisha.
What objectives and hopes do you have for this market?
We know that the situation is very complicated with cinema shut in many places, notably in Europe. I hope the market and its actors will continue to look to the future, which has been the case until now. The cinemas will reopen and the public will undoubtedly be back.
Has it been more difficult to find good French films suitable for the international market this year?
That’s not something we’ve felt at SND. Our productions have kept shooting and we continue to acquire at a steady pace.
Looking beyond the RDV, how are you going to approach the EFM now that it is digital?
Like any other market.
How do you see the rest of 2021 panning out?
It’s difficult to make predictions. Until now our approach has been to stay informed, act in good time, adapt and be flexible. I’m hoping of course that the pandemic comes to an end and that physical markets restart and we can meet people in person again.
Do you think Cannes will take place this year? And if yes, do you think it will unfold in May, or later?
I wouldn’t dare make any sort of prediction.
Would you like a decision sooner rather than later?
We have to trust them and that they will advise us in good time.
Laure Parleani, Agathe Valentin, Bérénice Vincent - partners, Totem
What titles are you focusing on at the RDV?
We’re launching Sheroes, the debut film of Aude Pépin. She followed midwife and activist Chantal Birman in her final days of work, ahead of her retirement. It a magnificent portrait of this midwife who has accompanied mothers for 50 years at the same time as fighting for women’s rights. We’ll also continue sales on Gagarine on the territories that remain, notably Latin America and Russia, as well as Bound about the art of Shibari from the perspective of women.
What objectives and hopes do you have for this market?
We’re happy to be able to reconnect with distributors with new promising titles that are faithful to the values we want to defend and promote. The RDV seems to be eagerly awaited by the distributors. Even if it’s virtual and the end of 2020 was tough, they’ve responded with a large and strong presence. We going to set up our 2021 which will be busy for Totem. We’ll be launching new films at the virtual EFM, ahead of others at Cannes.
Has it been more difficult to find good French films suitable for the international market this year?
At Totem, we want to promote cinema from around the world. Nationality has never been a key criterion for us even if we’re attached to French films. We look above all at the direction and story. Like everywhere in the world, France has suffered shooting stoppages.
Looking beyond the RDV, how are you going to approach the EFM now that it is digital?
We launched Gagarine last year under exactly the same conditions rather than in a physical market. It was a very positive experience and the film was sold in more than 40 territories. We intend to repeat the same operation with the films we launch at the EFM.
How do you see the rest of the 2021 panning out?
We hope that the EFM will be the last big market that takes place virtually and that we will be able to meet up with everyone physically at Cannes. We won’t return to the frenetic pace of before and the endless trips but this won’t be a bad thing. The economy of the sector needed a rethink. For us, 2021 will also be marked by the production of Iris Brey’s documentary, which we’re producing, alongside working on two co-productions.
Do you think Cannes will take place this year? And if yes, do you think it will unfold in May, or later?
Given it is the most important festival in the world in terms of business, we really hope Cannes will take place. If it doesn’t, that would be catastrophic for the whole industry. It would mean that the world health situation had not improved which in turn would mean that culture hasn’t been able to restart again.
Would you like a decision sooner rather than later?
At an organisational level, this uncertainty is very complicated to manage for everyone. A late decision would threaten all the efforts we put into our work so yes a decision as early as possible is key but at the same time, we’re conscious of the complexity of this decision.
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