More than 130 filmmakers, screenwriters and producers have signed an open letter from the SRF (French Directors’ Association) addressed to the French Culture Minister, Françoise Nyssen, demanding swift action in support of young cinematic creation, which is facing hard times owing to the current situation.

Underlining the high artistic standards of current French feature films, as demonstrated by the Caméra d'Or awards won at Cannes by Party Girl [+lee también:
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entrevista: Marie Amachoukeli, Claire …
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entrevista: Houda Benyamina
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For the SFR, "the solution is simple: authorise a maximum of 70% of public funding in the budget of these films. In this respect, let us not forget that French legislation is the toughest in Europe (...) For up-and-coming filmmakers, whose projects have been chosen on account of their artistic qualities through extremely selective mechanisms (the CNC’s advance on receipts, for instance), the capping of public support drastically affects the production, imagination, and artistic and visual ambition of the projects: reduced crews, non-existent extras, ever-tighter shooting periods, pared-down screenplays… This insecurity is spreading continuously and is curbing the blossoming of a new generation of auteurs, actors and crew members."

Requesting that the minister make the most of the debates on the draft budget bill in order to "guarantee greater equality between films requesting the tax credit, a fiscal measure that should be accessible to all, without exception", the SRF highlights the fact that the financial cost of such an amendment would be "negligible, bearing in mind its artistic and economic effectiveness, especially since very few films are affected." 

The first signatories of the open letter include filmmakers Claire Denis, Catherine Corsini, Céline Sciamma, Rebecca Zlotowski, Katell Quillévéré, Pascale Ferran, Tonie Marshall, Agnès Jaoui, Julie Bertuccelli, Jacques Audiard, Robert Guédiguian, Bertrand Bonello, Pierre Salvadori, Cédric Klapisch, Nicolas Philibert and Lucas Belvaux, in addition to producers Pascal Caucheteux and Grégoire Sorlat, Philippe Martin and David Thion, Jean Bréhat and Muriel Merlin, Sylvie Pialat and Benoît Quainon, Marianne Slot, Marie Masmonteil, Didar Domehri, Marie-Ange Luciani, Gilles Sacuto and Miléna Poylo, Patrick Sobelman, Bertrand Gore, Nathalie Mesuret and Sandra Da Fonseca, Tom Dercourt, Laurent Lavolé and Bertrand Faivre.