Markets

On the 25th edition of the Rendez-vous d'Unifrance in Paris, and as part of the Export Day that took place on Tuesday, January 10, Unifrance unveiled its booklet illustrating the figures for French films in theaters, at festivals and on SVOD platforms internationally in 2022.

In 2022, French films generated 27 million admissions and generated 167.4 million euros in receipts in international theaters.

The box office was up 51.8% compared to 2021. It was however 32.5% down on the symbolic threshold of 40 million calculated over the past decade (excluding exceptionally successful films with over 10 million admissions): this discrepancy being due to the fall in worldwide cinema-going compared to 2019. Furthermore, French cinema has managed to preserve its place in theaters, at festivals, and on SVOD platforms internationally.

The trend is positive in 2022 for French cinema after three complicated years linked to the pandemic and its consequences on attendance levels in cinemas around the world. In an international market that is certainly showing signs of improvement but remains fragile, particularly for art house films. However, French cinema is doing rather well, particularly in Europe, which is consolidating its position as a natural market and priority zone for the circulation of our films.

This recovery is largely based on the success of several commercial productions, and in particular family films, with a notable success for animation, which accounts for ¼ of French admissions abroad.

We can hope that this trend will continue in 2023 thanks to several promising films with substantial budgets; we know that these successes are a guarantee of success in reaching the general audience and achieving effective results that benefit all French films, in particular Art House films.

This evolution is undoubtedly due to the strengths of French cinema, pillars on which to build for the future: a strong, lively and diversified production, with an unwavering number of releases, where other films are weaker or rarer; a solid and dynamic artistic and commercial ecosystem, with a network of exporters and distributors who are particularly committed and ardent defenders of our cinema around the world; a strong appeal of our 7th art - the numerous selections and awards in the world's biggest festivals prove it.

French films are present in the top 10 international festivals at a level not seen in 10 years, and 36% of these films were directed by women in 2022. These elements demonstrate the vitality of our production and the incomparable capacity for creativity and renewal of our cinema.

It will take several years to grasp the new habits of audiences around the world, but this transition period makes Unifrance's mission on the international scene more essential than ever to encourage the meeting of French creators, directors, and artists with audiences around the world.

Sanctuarizing the cinema and the unique experience it offers to audiences around the world to discover a film, especially young viewers, requires more than ever the support of our foreign partners as well as French artists essential to meet this challenge.