A few months before the 2027 presidential election, four major French cinema organizations are urging candidates to make the seventh art a national strategic priority. In a manifesto unveiled on Wednesday, November 4, directors, screenwriters, and producers present twelve commitments aimed at protecting film financing, creative independence, and French cultural sovereignty amid economic and political changes in the sector.
French cinema intends to have influence in the upcoming presidential campaign. Gathered at the ARP Cinematographic Meetings in Le Touquet, four professional organizations made public a manifesto addressed to future Élysée candidates. The Société civile des auteurs-réalisateurs-producteurs (ARP), the Syndicat de la production indépendante (SPI), the Société des réalisatrices et réalisateurs de films (SRF), and the Union des producteurs de cinéma (UPC) ask political leaders to make specific commitments to preserve the French model. The signatories consider the sector to be going through a period of fragility, between budget restrictions, international competition, and challenges to certain support mechanisms for creation.
In their text, the professionals believe that French cinema is at the heart of a political confrontation regarding its financing and place in society. They especially want it to be recognized as a strategic asset for France, on par with other sectors contributing to the country’s international influence. Pierre Jolivet, director and vice-president of the ARP, regrets that cultural issues occupy an insufficient place in political debates. The organizations are particularly concerned about the National Rally’s criticisms of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC), as well as its project to privatize public broadcasting.
Financing of French cinema at the center of concerns
The mobilization takes place amid tensions around the 2027 budget project. Several measures considered in recent weeks have met opposition from professionals, notably the increase of VAT applicable to Canal+ offers and the reduction of resources allocated to France Télévisions. These two groups play an essential role in financing French films, thanks to their investment obligations in creation. A decrease in their resources could therefore impact production budgets, especially for independent films and works with intermediate means.
In mid-October, more than 170 filmmakers, including Jacques Audiard, Justine Triet, and the Dardenne brothers, had already signed an op-ed to warn about the possible consequences of these budgetary directions. The new manifesto extends this mobilization by making concrete proposals. The signatories notably request the sanctuarization of CNC resources, whose financing relies on earmarked taxes levied on cinema tickets, broadcasters, and digital platforms. This system redistributes part of the sector’s revenues towards the production of new works and constitutes one of the foundations of the French cultural exception.
Embedding cultural sovereignty in the Constitution
Among the twelve proposed commitments, the organizations wish to embed French and European cultural sovereignty in the Constitution. They thus intend to strengthen the legal protection of public policies aimed at supporting creation and preserving the diversity of works. The manifesto also plans to guarantee the independence of public broadcasting and ensure it sustainable funding. The signatories also advocate for an evolution of aid allocation rules, to favor production companies predominantly owned by French or European stakeholders.
The question of ownership of cultural enterprises holds an important place in their demands. Jérôme Enrico, president of the ARP, considers it necessary to protect French cinema against risks of concentration and takeover by large foreign groups. The organizations notably want to strengthen control over international investments in cinemas. They also request consolidation of the media chronology, which organizes the release windows of films between their theatrical release, television exploitation, and arrival on streaming platforms. For professionals, this balance helps preserve investments in production and the attractiveness of cinemas.
Artificial intelligence and working conditions among priorities
The manifesto also addresses technological transformations in the sector. Faced with the development of generative artificial intelligence, the organizations demand better protection of copyright and remuneration for rights holders when their works are used to train or feed AI systems. They also want mandatory identification of artificially generated content. These proposals come as creative professionals question the consequences of these technologies for writing, directing, acting, and production professions.
The signatories finally defend maintaining the intermittent work regime in the entertainment industry and strengthening image education. They recall that cinemas form a cultural network present in more than 1,700 French municipalities, with nearly 6,500 screens. To extend their mobilization, the four organizations plan to release a campaign of four short films in cinemas at the beginning of 2027. The goal is to raise audience awareness of the economic and cultural stakes of the sector before the presidential election. It remains to be seen what place the various candidates will give to these proposals in their programs, as public finance decisions could deeply influence the future of French film production.
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