26/06/2003

France’s state broadcasters pledged more support for film production, especially for independent producers and distributors. On Tuesday 24 June, Marc Tessier, on behalf of France Télévisions signed a three-year agreement - starting in 2004 - with Coline Serreau on behalf of Writers-Directors-Producers association, ARP, and Robert Guédiguian and Alain Terzian, the delegates of BLOC (The Film Organisations’ Liaison Office). The agreement will become operational in 2004
The agreement is also binding for the 10 industry guilds and associations that make up BLOC (the French Film Directors’ Guild, the French Producers’ guild, the Independent Producers’ Guild, the French Film Producers and Exporters Guild...). The agreement was stipulated by a panel of pre-eminent industry representatives whose efforts succeeded in promoting numerous schemes encouraging diversity.
Under the terms of the deal, France Télevisions is to air at least 360 films per year, with late evening slots set aside for French and European films, especially those by independent companies that also own the terrestrial broadcast rights. In return, the French industry organisations agreed to actively lobby the government and authorities to rule in favour of films being broadcast at prime time on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The agreement also calls for France Télévisions to increase the amount it invests in film production. Under current legislation, they are obliged to earmark 3.2 per cen of their annual turnover for this purpose, as a result of this new deal, additional monies will be made available from the CNC’s support fund for France Télévisions’ subsidiaries, France 2 Cinéma and France 3 Cinéma. A special fund for independent theatrical distribution may also be set up.

(Translated from French)