27/09/2005

Positive final results for the initiative It's never too late to see it properly which allowed, from the 14th to the 27th of September, many spectators to revisit 10 recent quality French features released on a small number of prints which disappeared too quickly due to the large number of French releases. Organised in Paris and region and in Normandy, the event led notably by Claire-Lise Muse, Georges Goldenstern (director of the Cinéfondation du Festival de Cannes), Michèle Soulignac (director of the Périphérie, aid for documentaries) and the filmmaker Claude Duty closed yesterday with a debate conducted by Jean-Michel Frodon (editor of Cahiers du Cinéma) and bringing together among others, exhibitors, producers such as Patrick Sobelman (Agat Films), institutions (François Hurard du CNC) and distributors like Isabelle Dubar (ID Distribution), Régine Vial (Les Films du Losange ) and Dominique Welinski (Ciné Classic). A discussion which covered numerous themes such as how to fight the predominance of studio subsidiaries and networks, the increase in promotion costs, the status of the independent distributor and the artistique and economic relevance of releasing a film on just a handful of prints. .

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In 2004, 560 films came out in French cinemas (among them 239 French features), distributed with 75 907 prints. Of this record number, American production represented around 48% of the prints and 23 films (of those 15 US films) monopolised more than 600 prints, 22% of the prints in circulation. This inflated number of releases and the strategy of creating a stranglehold with a massive invasion of screens have been detrimental to the life of a number of quality French and European films who do not have enough time to create word-of-mouth.

According to Claire-Lise Muse, It's never too late to see it properly has allowed the public to reveal a real desire to have access to these filmsand a will from the directors to adapt to new forms of screening. We plan to circulate this programme in other French regions, perhaps in certain European towns such as theatres in London, Rome and Barcelona, partners of the Fondation Gan for cinema."
Among the films selected within the framework of the first edition of It's never too late to see it properly are Tiresia by Bertrand Bonello, (official selection at the Cannes Festival of 2003), Supernova (Expérience #1) by Pierre Vinour, Dancing by trio Patrick Mario Bernard – Pierre Trividic – Xavier Brillat, La Fin du règne animal by Joël Brisse, Mimi by Claire Simon and Les petits fils by Ilan Duran Cohen (Grand prix Horizons - Venise 2004).

(Translated from French)