14/01/2011

Last year saw lacklustre results for French cinema abroad with 57.2m admissions, according to estimates published by Unifrance. This is a 17.9% downturn compared to 2009 and a score far from the 2008 record (84.2m viewers), mainly because there were no powerhouse releases such as Taken [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (31.3m viewers over 2008-2009).

On the other hand, box office gross declined by only 6.1% to €330m and French-language films rose by 11.9% (+36% in the United States), representing over half (55.2%) of French feature admissions abroad for the first time since 2005.

With 38.9% of admissions, Western Europe returns as the foremost market for French films, ahead of North America (27.5%), Asia (15%), Central and Eastern Europe (8.1%), Latin America (6.3%), the Pacific (2.2%) and Africa (2%). Italy saw a spectacular 142% increase to 4.59m admissions, claiming second place in the world rankings of territories for French films, behind the United States (13.1m viewers).

Spain is in third position with 4.1m admissions (+25%), ahead of Germany (3.47m, -30% and a second consecutive year of decline). Next in line are Japan (3.34m, +25%), Russia (3m, +41%), the United Kingdom (2.46m, on the rise), China (2.43m, -43%), Belgium (2.16m, -12%) and Mexico (2.2m). A total of 900,000 admissions were also recorded for the Netherlands (+51%, a record since 1996 when Unifrance statistics began for this country).

The top French titles with the most foreign admissions in 2010 include The Ghost Writer [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (6.57m viewers), From Paris With Love (6.56m) and Oceans [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (6.52m). They are followed by The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (3.18m), The Concert [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Mihaileanu
film profile] (1.92m) and Little Nicolas [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (1.9m).

Meanwhile, 2011 looks promising with continued runs for, among others, Heartbreaker [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile] (which attracted 748,000 viewers in 2010 in only nine territories), Of Gods and Men [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Beauvois
film profile] (600,000 admissions in six countries), Her Name Was Sarah [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (488,000 admissions on three territories) and Potiche [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (320,000 admissions so far).

(Translated from French)