UniFrance
Founded in 1949 and strengthened thanks to its merger with TV France International in 2021, Unifrance is the organisation responsible for promoting French cinema and TV content worldwide.
| Founded | 1949 |
|---|---|
| Type | Film |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Location | |
Official language | French |
President | Serge Toubiana |
Executive Director | Daniela Elstner |
Vice-President | Hervé Michel |
| Website | en |
Located in Paris, Unifrance employs around 50 staff members, as well as representatives based in the USA, in China, and soon in Japan. The organisation currently brings together more than 1,000 French cinema and TV content professionals (producers, filmmaking talents, agents, sales companies, etc.) working together to promote French films and TV programmes among foreign audiences, industry executives and media. .[1]
Missions
Unifrance works under public supervision, particularly that of the CNC (Centre national du cinema et de l’image animée). Its primary mission is to support the export of French films and television programmes around the world. This is enabled through a systematic presence at the main international festivals and markets (Berlin, Séries Mania, MIPTV/MIPCOM, Cannes, Locarno, Venise, Toronto, San Sebastián, MIA, IDFA, Busan, ATF etc.). To further expand reach, Unifrance organises the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris and Biarritz, the world’s largest markets dedicated to French films and television programmes. Unifrance is also developing digital tools to enable foreign broadcasters, distributors and festivals to view films.
Unifrance also supports professionals, artists and French productions internationally, from production to distribution, including promotion, by means of tailored assistance and tools: referencing of works and professionals, networking mechanisms, travel funding, organisation of meetings with the press, creation of content… In order to promote French films and television works among international spectators, Unifrance organises or supports many festivals throughout the world, and implements actions favouring exchanges between artists and professionals and the international public: masterclasses, round tables, Q&As, production of digital content for social media, expositions…
The organisation also contributes to the development in French creation with actions in favour of short films and through highlighting innovative, high potential formats (VR, documentary, animation, genre films and series, etc.).
Moreover, Unifrance offers support to its members and professionals in the sector via adapted tools and economic surveying: this includes monitoring the international box office and the position of French films and TV programmes on SVOD platforms, production of statistics and studies on market trends. Finally, Unifrance aims to raise awareness of the French film and television industry among key market players: distributors, broadcasters, producers, artists, press, exhibitors, VOD platforms and foreign institutions.
References
- "French Culture - Unifrance". Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the US.