Franck Gastambide paid a particularly moving tribute to Nicolas Altmayer, who died at the age of 61 in a road accident on Monday in Deux-Sèvres. The film producer lost his life alongside his partner, Mathilde Favier, Dior's public relations director. For Franck Gastambide, this loss represents the passing of a colleague of fifteen years, but above all, a mentor with whom he maintained a close, daily relationship.
Nicolas Altmayer and Mathilde Favier killed in a collision with a truck
The accident occurred Monday afternoon on departmental road 938 in Airvault, Deux-Sèvres. Nicolas Altmayer and Mathilde Favier were traveling in a Mini when they collided with a truck traveling in the opposite direction. According to initial reports following the tragedy, their vehicle was attempting to overtake another vehicle when it was struck by the truck. Nicolas Altmayer and Mathilde Favier died in the accident. An investigation has been launched to determine the precise circumstances of the collision. Nicolas Altmayer was a prominent figure in French film production. With his brother Éric, he ran Mandarin and contributed to the production of numerous successful films, including Brice de Nice , OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies , OSS 117: Lost in Rio , Potiche , My Crime , and Monsieur Aznavour.
"He was the first to believe in me."
The passing of Nicolas Altmayer is a particularly poignant loss for Franck Gastambide. Their collaboration began some fifteen years ago and gradually blossomed into an extremely close relationship. The director and actor owes him a significant part of his film and television career. Nicolas Altmayer notably produced * Les Kaïra *, Franck Gastambide's first feature film, released in 2012, before continuing to work with him on his subsequent projects.
"It's a terrible shock. From Les Kaïras to Stones, which will be released in cinemas in 2027, Nicolas produced all my films and series. He was the first to believe in me , " Franck Gastambide confided after the announcement of his death.
"I spoke to him on the phone just yesterday morning."
The actor also revealed that he was still in contact with Nicolas Altmayer just hours before the accident. The two men spoke daily. "I spoke to him on the phone as recently as yesterday morning. We talked every day ," said Franck Gastambide.
Nicolas Altmayer had supported the director well beyond his initial successes. He notably produced Pattaya , Taxi 5 , and Medellín , as well as the series Validé and La Cage . Their collaboration was set to continue with Stones , slated for a 2027 theatrical release.
"My mentor, the father I wish I'd had."
In his tribute, Franck Gastambide describes a relationship that went far beyond the professional sphere. After fifteen years spent developing films and series together, he considered Nicolas Altmayer one of the most important people in his life.
" For fifteen years, he was not only my producer but also my mentor, the father I would have liked to have ," he confides.
A leading figure in French cinema passes away at 61.
Nicolas Altmayer and his brother Éric had built a particularly extensive filmography. After their first productions in the 1990s, the two brothers notably contributed to several major successes of French popular cinema. Nicolas Altmayer worked with Jean Dujardin on Brice de Nice and then on the OSS 117 saga . His filmography also includes Trois Zéros , Les Chevaliers du ciel , and several films by François Ozon. More recently, he was among the producers of Monsieur Aznavour , directed by Grand Corps Malade and Mehdi Idir.
Mathilde Favier, for her part, had held important positions at Dior for over 15 years, where she was director of public relations. A prominent figure in the world of fashion and luxury, she regularly attended events for the French fashion house.
The simultaneous deaths of Nicolas Altmayer and Mathilde Favier on Monday have thus struck two different worlds: that of cinema and that of fashion. For Franck Gastambide, it represents above all the brutal loss of the man who had been with him since his beginnings and whom he considered to be much more than just his producer.
