With French manufacturing persevering with to develop in all foremost genres, the thirtieth model of the Unifrance Rendez-Vous market kicks off for the first time in Le Havre, welcoming worldwide patrons from throughout the globe.

Final yr, some 200 worldwide patrons from 40 nations, along with 58 French product sales firms, attended the Rendez-Vous, and organizers count on associated numbers for the current model.

Talking with Selection about this yr’s event, Unifrance’s president, Gilles Pélisson, and govt director, Daniela Elstner, present their insights on the latest traits, the quite a few place of the Rendez-Vous for the enterprise, and the rising worldwide attain of French programming, from high-end drama to animation and documentary fare.

Whereas worldwide streamers have been pulling once more from genuine manufacturing, French productions proceed to develop in all foremost areas, Pélisson elements out.

“French manufacturing has skilled regular progress over the past years, particularly in terms of fiction. Animation has at all times been very robust, and this may proceed. French animation was even current on the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Video games with the Minions! As for documentaries, they seduce patrons from all around the world and are an necessary a part of the packages proven in the course of the Rendez-Vous. This nice variety of French packages permits gross sales not solely to streamers however to broadcasters of all types.”

Pélisson supplies that the European Union’s Audiovisual Media Providers Directive makes “varied streamers search for European content material.” The directive mandates that streamers in member states present a 30% quota of European content material materials. “We are going to most likely see the implications sooner or later, though it’s too early to attract any conclusions.”

Unifrance will announce precise enterprise figures for 2023 in the course of the Rendez-Vous.

Highlights at this yr’s market embody France Télévisions’ “Zorro,” starring Jean Dujardin; Federation Studios’ “Ça, c’est Paris,” a few theater director who items out to revive his as quickly as well-known cabaret; Mediawan’s cop current “Tom & Lola”; thriller drama “The Eclipse,” from About Premium Content materials; and  ARTE Distribution’s animated documentary assortment “The Legends of Paris: a Story of the nineteenth Century Creative Scene.”

The displays mirror the persevering with attraction of television for filmmakers and actors and its potential for high-end content material materials.

“Observing this development for some time, Unifrance merged the 2 earlier current associations — TV and cinema — three years in the past,” Elstner notes. “This allows us to be stronger as we’re in a place to offer a 360-degree promotion to all of our members. We will take completely into consideration the needs of French expertise, however in addition worldwide distributors and producers.

“In that approach, we’ve got prolonged on the Rendez-Vous the promotional elements for the packages: including a Gala screening within the presence of the director, scriptwriter and solid and dealing with our totally different social media to make the packages exist otherwise: ‘Ca, c’est Paris’ will probably be our Gala Screening, ‘Zorro’ will probably be introduced on the closing evening. This sort of promotional work continues all year long. Finish of October this yr, for the primary time, Unifrance will probably be organizing particular occasions round World Animation Day. MyFrenchAnimationDays (MyFAD) will probably be highlighting French animation collection and movies, ‘The Legends of Paris,’ an animated documentary collection, will probably be a part of it.”

The Rendez-Vous may also be serving to French content material materials makers uncover new patrons and new markets.

“Final yr was my first participation within the Rendez-Vous,” Pélisson notes. “I may observe the nice alternative the occasion presents to all attendees. For a world distributor, spending 4 days in a form of a bubble with patrons who’re centered on French packages brings new contacts and alternatives. In conventional markets, you don’t at all times have the time to talk to everybody. Additionally, in the course of the Rendez-Vous, patrons alternate amongst themselves. In the event that they like a program, they may as properly inform the client of one other nation to display screen it. This phrase of mouth is essential and brings new alternatives to French productions.”

The market is growing its scope no matter newest challenges, Elstner says.

“For the Rendez-Vous Unifrance Le Havre, we do invite patrons from all around the world. As each market group, we’re coping with new post-epidemic questions: journey restrictions for ecological causes for instance. The very fact of being nearer to Paris, and simple to achieve with a neighborhood practice, has been a part of our choice course of to maneuver from Biarritz to Le Havre. And we’ve got new patrons attending, particularly from the U.S. and Asia.”

“Our largest markets are historically based mostly in Europe,” Pélisson supplies. “The U.S. has been rising into an crucial companion, significantly for fiction. The Rendez-Vous unites patrons from all crucial pay and free TV broadcasters in Europe. And for this yr, we’re very fully glad to have some new firms attending from Latin America and Asia.

“For this 2024 version of the Rendez-Vous, Unifrance presents a brand new venue, with and because of the nice assist of town of Le Havre and the area of Normandy,” Pélisson elements out. “There will probably be a distinct location for each night. Hopefully, this additionally means new alternatives for the varied French packages.”

This yr’s event can have spherical 40 territories represented and spherical 200 patrons – identical to remaining yr.

“We face new challenges, and it’s our first version in Le Havre,” Elstner says. “However with over 1,000 packages screened, we’re assured that patrons will cherish their expertise.”