Film production remained buoyant in France in 2024 with a total of 309 films produced in the country, 3.7% more than in 2023, according to the annual report of the CNC, the country’s national film organisation.
Total investment in French films reached €1.44bn, up 7.5% on 2023, the second best in history after 2008’s record €1.49bn.
The total number of French films produced remained stable at 231, on par with 2023’s 236 films and the pre-pandemic average of 233 films per year.
The number of co-productions increased to 130 titles, 10 more than in 2023, driven by an increase in foreign majority films, which stood at 78 in 2024 compared to 62 in 2023. Belgium was the leading majority co-production country with 30 features followed by Germany with eight. Belgium was also the top territory as a minority co-producer with 17 films ahead of Germany with 14.
Foreign contributions to French films were up by 16% to €275m and French investments rose by 6% to €1.17bn.
Broadcasters account for 35% of the total investment with €411.6m, a 7% rise on 2023. Canal+ led the charge with €180.4m, followed by France Télévisions with €60.2m, TF1 with €54.6m, M6 with €36.7m, and Arte with €2.8m.
Global streamers accounted for 18.6% of investments for a total of €76.4m from Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Max.
Public support, including automatic and selective aid from the CNC plus regional funding, remained stable, accounting for 7.6% of funding at €89.2m.
Budgets boom
The average budget for films produced in France hit an all-time high of €5.09m in 2024, up for the fourth consecutive year and the highest since 2016.
The rise was driven by bigger-budget French-initiated productions, defined as those over €7m, with a total of 50 films made in that category, up from 37 in 2023, accounting for 21.6% of the total.
“Middle-of-the-road” films, however, have declined. Films with budgets between €4m-€7m accounted for 16.9% of films produced over the year, and 17 fewer films than the year before; while films between €1m-€4m accounted for 37.2% of total projects, 13 fewer than in 2023.
Films with budgets under €1m represented 24% of productions, totalling 56 projects.
The most expensive productions in 2024 were Luc Besson’s Dracula - A Love Tale and Cedric Jimenez’s Chien 51, although their budgets weren’t revealed.
The average budget for fiction films was €5.3m, up by 17% compared to 2023. Animated films had an average budget of €18.1m, three times more than last year’s average of €6.4m.
The average budget for films directed by women, however, fell from an average of €3.9m in 2023 to €3.5m in 2024. Just two films from female filmmakers had budgets over €10m. French women directors were behind just 25% of French-initiated films, a total of 56 titles over the year, which is on par with 2023 after a record 29.8% in 2022.
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