On Tuesday, September 3, during the Unifrance Rendez-Vous Le Havre 2024, the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC) will unveil the latest data on the export of French audiovisual programs. This highly anticipated annual press conference, co-presented with Unifrance, will take place at 3 p.m. in the Auditorium du Carré des Docks.
Strong performance of French cinema in 2023
The latest figures reveal that 2023 was a strong year for French cinema on the international stage. French films attracted 37.4 million spectators worldwide, generating €234.0 million in box office revenues. These figures represent significant growth, with a 38.5% increase in admissions and a 37.8% rise in revenues compared to the previous year. However, despite this positive trend, the numbers have not yet returned to pre-Covid-19 levels.
French films continued to consolidate their position in international theaters, playing a crucial role in drawing audiences back to cinemas post-pandemic. The data shows a notable rise in admissions for majority-French productions, which surged by 74.7%, and for French-language films, which saw a 53.6% increase. Art-house films also made a strong showing, with 14.6 million admissions recorded.
In 2023, more than 220 new French films were screened in over 2,800 international theaters, with seven films surpassing the one million admissions mark and 61 films exceeding 100,000 admissions—a 14-film increase compared to the previous year. Western Europe remains the leading region for French cinema, with a 38.5% increase in audience numbers. Notably, Central and Eastern Europe were the only regions to record more admissions in 2023 than in 2019 and 2018.
French films shine at international festivals
French cinema also maintained a strong presence at major international festivals in 2023. French films represented 23.1% of all titles selected at ten major festivals, including Cannes, Venice, and Sundance. Although this figure reflects a slight decrease of 1.1 points compared to 2022, France remained the top country in terms of the number of films selected, screened, and awarded at these prestigious events. A total of 256 French films were selected, marking a 7.6% increase from the previous year.
National films and series continued to find success on international SVOD platforms. In July 2023, French productions accounted for 4.6% of all films and stand-alone productions available on these platforms, with more than 5,000 titles accessible to global audiences. France ranked as the seventh most represented country for series on SVOD platforms, with 2.5% of series originating from France.
The export of French audiovisual programs also saw impressive results in 2023. Popular titles included the crime drama Profilage, particularly successful on AXN channels in Poland and the Czech Republic; the animated series Grizzy and the Lemmings, which captivated audiences not only in Europe but also in Australia, Brazil, and Canada; and the documentary series Hollywood’s Best Film Directors, which topped charts in the UK thanks to frequent broadcasts on TCM.
International recognition further underscored the strength of French audiovisual content, with A Very Ordinary World winning the International Emmy Award for Best Short-Form Series.
