The National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC) has suspended its Social Media Creation Support Fund "until further notice," just hours before its official launch at the Frames Festival in Avignon. This abrupt decision comes amid heightened tensions surrounding the program designed to support online content creators. CNC President Gaëtan Bruel, in a statement, described the situation as "unprecedented in its level of aggression," with threats targeting both members of the allocation committee and staff members of the institution, according to AFP.
A political controversy that has become unmanageable
This new fund was intended to replace the CNC Talent program, created in 2017, with an increased budget of €3 million per year, up from €2 million previously, according to AFP. It aimed to support projects distributed on social media platforms, while excluding content related to political news and refocusing on creations with artistic or heritage value. However, for several weeks now, this mechanism has been the target of sustained attacks from the right and far right, particularly on social media.
The controversy began with statements from the streamer Ultia, who was briefly appointed to the commission responsible for allocating these grants. During a Twitch live stream, she explained that she would more readily support projects led by people she admired and would reject applications deliberately submitted by the far right. According to AFP, she was immediately dismissed by the CNC (National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image) before even taking her seat, citing principles of impartiality and neutrality. But the controversy didn't end there and continued to escalate, ultimately making any calm deliberation impossible, according to Gaëtan Bruel.
A decision with immediate consequences for the creators.
The suspension of the fund immediately sparked strong reactions within the sector. The Union of Influencers and Content Creators denounced to AFP "a major setback for many content creators who need support mechanisms to develop their projects." Beyond the political dispute, it is indeed an entire segment of digital creation that finds itself weakened, in an environment where funding remains scarce and often precarious.
This case also reveals the growing pressure on cultural institutions when they operate in the digital sphere. The CNC did not eliminate this fund; it froze it under pressure from an increasingly volatile climate. But this retreat already represents a symbolic victory for its critics and opens a new chapter of tensions surrounding public funding for online creation.
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