European buyers are heading to Paris this week to attend Unifrance’s annual Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, which opens on January 13 with the world premiere of Bertrand Usclat and Martin Darondeau’s debut feature Comedie Francaise.
The film, sold by Charades, is about the hours leading up to a performance at France’s famed titular state theatre.
French films sold by French sales agents will take centre stage at the Rendez-Vous. The event is the first stop for the European industry on the film festival circuit, just ahead of Sundance and Berlin, and provides a focused first look at the French titles that could screen at festivals throughout the year.
“The Rendez-Vous is the appetiser before Cannes’ main course,” as Daniela Elstner, executive director of Unifrance, puts it.
The mini-market and parallel press junket this year expects to draw some 1,000 attendees from more than 40 countries. This includes some 400 film buyers and around 40 French film sales companies. In addition, Unifrance is expecting some 100 TV buyers and 50 French TV sellers to attend, plus over 100 European journalists for film and TV junkets.
Film screenings will run from January 13-15, and audiovisual programmes on January 14. The parallel film and TV market takes place from January 13-17.
With some 70 market screenings, finished films are the main event, but sellers will also start talking to buyers about new French projects and use the time to soft-launch upcoming non-French projects.
“It is one of the rare markets only where market screenings can really generate buzz or where buyers can still sell finished films on the spot,” Elstner suggests. “I always hear many, many buyers at festivals who tell me, ‘I bought that film at the Rendez-Vous’.”
This year, all buyers will be under one roof, concentrated at the Hotel Pullman Montparnasse, the market’s main venue, with market screenings concentrated at the adjacent Pathé Parnasse and 7 Parnassiens cinemas. Unifrance covers accreditation and accommodation in Paris, and most European buyers are a quick flight or train journey away.
The event is widely admired by other national export agencies with shallower pockets.
“It’s a very pleasant experience,” Elstner agrees. “[Buyers] can go to sleep, wake up and head downstairs to the market, enjoy the restaurants in the neighbourhood and walk to screenings.”
Attendees are also invited to a slew of soirées in addition to Unifrance-hosted events, such as industry breakfasts for animation distributors or Spanish buyers, and working sessions.
The event’s setting means “sales agents have more time with buyers”, says Elstner.
Signed contracts
The event is a major one for Unifrance, representing around 10% of its annual budget. For Elstner, a sign the event has been lucrative is namely “buyers leave with signed contracts”.
She adds: “I love leaving the hotel Pullman late at night and seeing European distributors attached to their computers who say, ‘I can’t talk to you, we’re closing a deal.’ That means the event has been a success.”
This year’s French Cinema Award, given to an industry figure who has been key to French cinema’s global reach, will be presented to filmmaker Cedric Klapisch during a ceremony at the headquarters of the Ministry of Culture.
Other highlights include the sixth edition of its ‘Export Day’ bringing together producers, sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, talent and French organisations for an afternoon at the CNC; the €10,000 Distribution Award, launched last year with the CNC to recognise the most innovative and ambitious release strategy for a French film; and a new similar Broadcaster Award in the audio-visual space.
The 2026 10 to Watch roster of rising talents will also be unveiled.
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