The Deauville Congress, which is the biggest annual convention for French cinema operators, took place from 23 to 26 September in Normandy. Representatives from the French film sector took part in a week of internal and public discussions on trends and challenges and on the future of cinema In addition to exhibitors of all sizes and locations, the event also gathered French distributors, producers, manufacturers, service providers as well as representatives from the CNC (the French Cinema Centre).
The first day of the convention involved a series of internal debates, with small/medium/large cinema companies meeting together to discuss their specific concerns. Representatives from each category then presented key outcomes, which mostly focused on access to film, use and misuse of “temporary visa” for event releases, box office results and arthouse reforms. The sustainability issue ranks high among the priorities of the French Cinema Federation (FNCF), with the main session of the Congress dedicated to the work of the “Sustainability Committee”, one year after its creation. The Committee is composed of seven members and is headed by exhibitor Marie-Christine Desandré. Marie-Christine showcased the results of the questionnaire sent to all FNCF members about awareness and daily implementation of green practices in cinemas. Based on the results of the survey and with the support of the sustainability consulting firm La Base, the Committee developed a tool to generate personalised roadmaps that cinemas can follow to go greener, tailored to their business model, venues, financial resources etc. These roadmaps are meant as practical guides to accompany exhibitors and suggest where to start, with immediate and concrete actions focusing on energy, waste, water, food, skills, communication and mobility. The CNC presented their latest study comparing energy consumption of xenon projectors and laser projectors, showing how the latter are four times less energy-intense, have a three times lower environmental impact and produce less carbon emissions. Furthermore, the CNC announced a series of training programmes about responsible and sustainable cinema management, which cinema staff can attend on a voluntary basis and free of charge in each French region until 2025. The whole session can be re watched here.
The afternoon session was dedicated to national film policies and support mechanisms, with the CNC engaging with cinema operators in the room on a broad range of topics including, but not limited to, changes to the film education schemes, automatic support for cinemas, media chronology (windows) and the requirements for temporary visa for event releases. This open conversation was introduced by a recorded speech of the French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, who emphasised the CNC’s efforts to promote cinema-going across the whole country, with recent public support to travelling cinemas, local film festivals and measures to attract young audiences.
In the evening the UNIC team organised a get together with some French mentees and mentors of the current and past editions of the UNIC Women UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership programme who were attending the Deauville Congress.
The conference was capped by a beautiful homage to the successful French director and actress Valérie Lemercier – mostly known for French comedies.
The final day of the Congress, the traditional distributors’ day, invited French cinema operators to watch over 300 film trailers from 32 distribution companies.
Congratulations again to FNCF colleagues for this successful convention!