Unifrance has revealed that in 2023, French films attracted 37.4 million spectators and generated €234.0 million in international box-office revenues. Attendance levels for French films on the big screen outside France continued to gain momentum, increasing by 38.5%, without however returning to pre-Covid-19 levels. French films also strengthened their position at festivals and on SVOD platforms.
MOVIE THEATERS
• 37.4 million admissions (+38.5%*)
• €234.0 million in box office revenues (+37.8%*)
• 29.7 million admissions for majority-French productions (+74.7%*)
• 30.1 million admissions for French-language productions (+53.6%*)
• 14.6 million admissions for productions classified as arthouse
• 220+ new films & 2,800+ new releases screening international theaters
• 7 films exceeding 1 million admissions (=)
• 61 films exceeding 100,000 admissions (+14)
• Western Europe remains the leading geographic zone in terms of audience numbers (+38.5 %)
• Central and Eastern Europe is the only region to record more entries in 2023 than in 2019 and 2018
FESTIVALS
In terms of international festivals, 23.1% of all titles selected at ten major international festivals were French (-1.1 point compared with 2022). 256 French films were selected at ten major international festivals (+7.6% more than 2022). For the third year running, France was the country with the most films selected, screened, and awarded at ten major international festivals, including BAFICI, Berlinale, Busan, Cannes, Locarno, Rotterdam, San Sebastian, Sundance, Toronto, and Venice.
SVOD PLATFORMS
Regarding global SVOD platforms, Ampere Analysis confirmed 4.6% of films and stand-alone productions available on international SVOD platforms in July 2023 were French (majority-financed). More than 5,000 French films and stand-alone productions were present on international SVOD platforms in July 2023. Of the sample of 114 international platforms studied (excluding France), 2.5% of series on SVOD platforms worldwide were French. Mubi was the platform offering the largest choice of French works in its catalog (22.4%), followed by The Criterion Channel (17.4%), and Ipla (12.5%). A further three platforms featured more than 10% of French productions: Filmin (10.9%), Tivibu (10.3%), and Mediaset Infinity (10.2%). With 4.1% of French films and stand-alones, Netflix is the third global platform behind Mubi and GuideDoc (4.7%), followed by Curiosity Stream (3.9%) and HBO Max (3.4%).
AUDIOVISUAL
French programs and series stood out internationally in 2023. In Fiction, "Profilage" was the most popular title, particularly on AXN channels in Poland and the Czech Republic. In Animation, "Grizzly and the Lemmings" from HARI, is a success not only in Europe but also the series is also being shown on the small screen in Australia, Brazil, and Canada. In the Documentary segment, "Hollywood's Best Film Directors" was boosted to the top of the charts by numerous broadcasts on TCM in the UK. Not to mention the recognition to "A Very Ordinary World" that won the International Emmy Award for Best Short-Form Series.
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