13/06/2006

There is good news for cinema attendance in France, according to the latest estimates published by the Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC). From January through May of 2006 the market share of domestic films stood at 49.3%, compared to 45.5% for the same period in 2005.

Meanwhile, 2006 admissions for US productions (41.2%) were down compared to for the first five months of 2005 (44.9%). These figures reflect the overall healthy admission figures in France, which at the end of May totalled 91.12m, up 22.2% on the same period in 2005.

The record for the best first semester (102.4m in 2004) is now achievable and, if current trends continue, 2006 may even be as good as the exceptional 2004 season (195.3m admissions). Admissions figures for April and May were 34% higher than in 2005.

The big box office hits of 2006 so far have been four French comedies: Les Bronzés 3 [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Patrice Leconte (10.3m admissions), Camping [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Fabien Oteniente (4.7m in six weeks), The Valet [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Francis Veber (3m) and OSS 117 [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Michel Hazavanicius (2.2m), followed closely by Orchestra Seats [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Danièle Thompson (1.9m), the animated feature Astérix and the Vikings [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Stefan Fjeldmark and Jesper Moller (1.3m) and Jean-Philippe [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Laurent Tuel (1.2m).

European cinema is currently peaking, thanks in part to the popularity of Pedro Almodovar’s Volver [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Agustín Almodóvar
interview: Carmen Maura
interview: Pedro Almodóvar
interview: Pénélope Cruz
film profile], which drew 1.1m filmgoers in only three weeks on screens. The film had the best per screen average and garnered a further 386,000 admissions in its third week on 404 screens.

The Caiman [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean Labadie
interview: Nanni Moretti
film profile] by Nanni Moretti registered 158,460 admissions in three weeks from 186 screens; Sophie Scholl [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by German director Marc Rothemund drew 71,059 filmgoers in eight weeks from 31 prints; The Secret Life of Words [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Isabel Coixet
film profile] by Spain’s Isabel Coixet garnered 94,784 admissions in seven weeks (and on 57 screens); and Crime Novel [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michele Placido
film profile] by Michele Placido was still on 43 screens after 11 weeks, with 360,057 admissions.

(Translated from French)