10/04/2007

Last Friday marked the creation of a new professional alliance of French film producers, the Association des Producteurs de Cinéma, which regroups the members of the former Chamber of Film Producers Union (CSPF, see news) and former employees of the Union of Film Producers (UPF, presided over by Alain Terzian).

Two months ago, approximately a dozen producers resigned from the UPF because of disagreements over a merger of the two unions, planned to take place last year. Among them were highly popular producers such as Marc Missonnier and Olivier Delbosc (Fidélité), Thomas Langmann (La Petite Reine), Charles Gassot (Produire à Paris), Éric and Nicolas Altmayer (Mandarin Films), Alain Attal (Les Productions du Trésor), Éric Névé (La Chauve Souris) and Philippe Godeau (Pan Européenne).

The 120 companies of the new association include Eskwad, Hirsch, Légende, Wild Bunch, Vertigo, Les Films du Kiosque, Epithète Films, Rezo Productions, Galatée Films, Pyramide Productions, Arcapix, Rectangle, Les Films Manuel Munz and Aliceleo.

Their objective is to play a significant role in "negotiations involving the future of film production, in particular the defence and promotion of independent production in all its diversity, relations with broadcasters and, in the short term, the signing of a collective agreement…that would structure long-term employment in the sector."

At its first board of management meeting, the association appointed Éric Altmayer (Mandarin Films) as president and Attal, Jean Cazès (Initial Productions), Jean-François Lepetit (Flach Film) and Missonnier as vice presidents.

The board also includes Frédéric Brillion (Epithète Films) as treasurer, Jean Cottin as secretary and Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre (Mact Productions) as a member.

(Translated from French)