Latest in Unifrance

European sales veteran Daniela Elstner, head of Paris-based sales company Doc & Film international, has been appointed as the new managing director of French cinema promotion organization UniFrance. Elstner replaces Isabelle Giordano who is leaving at the end of July after six years. Her selection was approved…

Without a marquee English-language title to boost overall performance, French films in 2018 saw a precipitous drop in overseas admissions, totaling 40M versus 2017’s 82.5M. That 52% tumble is matched by a 51% slide in receipts to 237M euros, export body Unifrance reported today in Paris. In its findings, Unifrance…

Anchored heavily by Luc Besson's Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets, French film exports in 2017 saw a dramatic increase versus 2016's precipitous dive. Unifrance, the body that promotes French film abroad, said tonight in Paris that 80.5M tickets were sold to homegrown movies outside France in 2017 which was…

Jia Yueting, the founder of China's cash-strapped LeEco, has stepped down as Chairman of the internet and technology giant's main listed unit, Leshi Internet Information. The move comes amid mounting pressure on debt-laden LeEco. Assets connected to the company and valued at $182M were recently frozen by a Shanghai…

Best Actress Golden Globe winner and presumed Oscar Best Actress nominee Isabelle Huppert was honored in Paris this evening by Unifrance, the organization that promotes French cinema worldwide. At the Ministry of Culture, Huppert accepted the French Film Award in recognition of all of her work, and particularly Elle…

In 2016, French film admissions at home hit their second-highest number in 50 years — including an increase of 3% for local pics versus 2015. Abroad, it's a different story. Unifrance, the organization that promotes French film overseas, reports today that ticket sales in foreign markets dipped to 34M, down 69% on…

French film export body Unifrance launched the 6th edition of its My French Film Festival this evening in Paris, unveiling the titles that comprise the lineup for the online-only competition. Jury president Nicolas Winding Refn was in attendance on the first level of the Eiffel Tower where he said he loved the concept…

The Mark Osborne-helmed Le Petit Prince has become France's top animated export in two decades. After debuting in Cannes in May, the film went on to make $67.5M around the world — and that’s without the U.S., where Paramount releases the film on March 18. Typically action movies have been the biggest draw: The U.S…

French Charlie Hebdo documentary It’s Hard Being Loved By Jerks (C’est Dûr D’Etre Aimé Par Des Cons) originally was  released locally in 2008 by Pyramide. Following last month’s deadly attacks at the satirical magazine’s Paris headquarters, Pyramide re-released it on January 22 in 110 theaters. The recent events have…

Daniel Emmerson Joins Michael Fassbender’s Production Company Producer Daniel Emmerson has joined Michael Fassbender and Conor McCaughan’s London-based production outfit DMC Film. The company is in postproduction on Slow West, the feature debut of director John Maclean, who won the 2012 BAFTA for Best Short Film for Pi…

Tribeca And Doha Film Fest End Partnership After four years of collaboration, the Doha Film Institute and Tribeca Enterprises have announced the dissolution of their partnership on the Doha Tribeca Film Festival. Doha Film Institute CEO Abdulaziz Al-Khater says the Qatar-based festival will continue in a “new niche&#8221…

The Gilles Bourdos-directed Renoir debuted in Un Certain Regard at Cannes last year where Samuel Goldwyn Films acquired it for the States. It’s been dated for a March 29 release, but before that Renoir will screen at the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema which kicks off tonight in New York. Celebrating its 18th year, the…