The Inoxtag documentary has sparked controversy in the French cinema world, because the distributor MK2 has notably exceeded the broadcast limit of 500 screenings, set by the sector.
Inoxtag’s documentary is a hit on YouTube and in theaters. “Kaizen” has already accumulated more than 23 million views, this Tuesday, four days after its release on the platform. And the YouTuber’s success is also taking place in theaters.
His ascent of Everest attracted more than 340,000 spectators on Friday and Saturday at preview screenings, according to figures given on Sunday by his distributor, MK2.
“Kaizen” poses a problem, however, because the documentary ignores the rules established to protect all players in the cinema industry,” Olivier Henrard, interim president of the National Center for Cinema and the Animated Image (CNC), emphasizes to our colleagues at 20 Minutes. Financial sanctions are being considered against MK2.
Problematic broadcast on TF1
In France, since January 2022, a specific legal framework called “media chronology” controls the distribution schedule of films according to the media.
Mandatory delays are imposed between the release of a film in theaters and its broadcast on television channels or video-on-demand platforms. The broadcast of Kaizen on TF1, on October 8, just a few weeks after its release in theaters, constitutes an infringement.
According to the law in force, the film released in cinemas must wait 22 months before arriving on a free channel. “Kaizen could create an unfortunate precedent, since the distributor MK2 has clearly and knowingly exceeded the limit of 500 screenings,” adds Olivier Henrad.
Session limit exceeded
The YouTuber’s documentary has an “exceptional visa” that allows the film to be shown in 500 screenings over two days: a limit that was exceeded by the distributor MK2. In fact, 800 screenings of “Kaizen” were broadcast over two days.
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“The demand for Kaizen took us by surprise,” a programmer who prefers to remain anonymous told our colleagues. “An incredible number of theaters wanted it, so we added screenings. Unheard of.”
The CNC does not, however, want financial sanctions to be decided in criminal law. “We will have to think again about this regulation to ensure that the movie theater does not become an accessory, and perhaps consider more dissuasive sanctions,” Olivier Henrard explained to 20 minutes.
And he added: “These exceptional sessions, which are an essential breath of fresh air and which must be preserved, must not, however, call into question the balance of the sector.”
Inoxtag at the summit of Everest: the YouTuber’s documentary has accumulated more than 18 million views, “it’s unheard of”
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