For its third Cannes Film Festival as a partner, from May 14 to 25, France Télévisions is giving itself the means to gain further momentum, despite a 7th art mired in accusations of sexual violence. “French cinema is being overtaken by a MeToo which is startingdeclared Manuel Alduy, director of cinema at France Télévisions, on April 23. As a co-financier, we respect the presumption of innocence but we have decided to support the freedom of speech”. This is how the group pre-financed the next film by Judith Godrèche, at the origin of a complaint against the filmmakers Jacques Doillon and Benoît Jacquot, that it prohibits any homage to Gérard Depardieu, or that it inform producers that it will suspend the broadcast of any film about which revelations relate.
“First French cinema theater”
Last year, Cannes coverage was already considered unparalleled, with 35 million French people affected, compared to 28 million a year earlier. The opening and closing of the festival, at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., brought together 2.2 million and 3.3 million viewers respectively on France 2. This year, the mistress of ceremonies will be Camille Cottin (Ten percent…), and the group will host several of its flagship shows on the Croisette. Besides 8:30 p.m. Sunday with Laurent Delahousse on France 2, followed by Nice gesture with Pierre Lescure (renewed next year), several talk shows will be mobilized on France 5: C to youwith Anne-Élisabeth Lemoine (the team going to Cannes in a part called ” the following “), C this evening with Karim Rissouli, The Great Bookstore with Augustin Trapenard. Added to it What an erawith Léa Salamé, Saturday evening on France 2, and of course Culture Box.
Objective: to show that there is no better setting than public service for the big screen. The group will broadcast around forty films during the fortnight, almost all of which will be visible in replay on France.tv, which was not the case two years ago, at the start of the partnership. Overall, France Télévisions screens 350 films per season and around a hundred short films, 65% of which have been pre-purchased. Ultimately, 500 films will be able to be watched on the platform. “We remain by far the leading French cinema venue, the second being France.tv which grew by 15% in 2023”underlines Stéphane Sitbon-Gomez, the director of antennas and programs, who refuses to talk about the budget but affirms that it is lower than that of Canal+, the previous partner. “If TV were done as it is done in Cannes, it would be particularly sober and inexpensive”he said, recalling that he only has One production team on site.
One way to respond to the CFE-CGC which filed a complaint following “pharaonic expenses” of its leaders who would have cost the taxpayer 112,000 euros in ten days after their trip to Cannes in the suites of the Majestic in 2023 – which the group contests by evoking a bartering operation [troc, échange] not having cost “one euro of public money”. With 15 films in co-production at Cannes, an annual budget of 63 million euros (+5% in 2023) and a market share of nearly 40% of the 72 million admissions for French films, France Télévisions will go to the Croisette with the idea of giving “want to go to theaters”. Its images will be used throughout the year as the films are released.
