French filmmaking bodies sign landmark agreement on compensation for screenwriters

France’s organisations representing writers and producers have signed an agreement backed by the CNC to better recognise and compensate screenwriters of feature films. 

Film producers organisations API, SPI and UPC, screenwriters association SCA, directors guild SRF, authors’ rights group SACD and writer-director-producer association ARP signed the ‘Interprofessional Agreement on Contractual Practices between Screenwriters and Producers of Feature-Length Fiction Films’ at the CNC’s Paris headquarters on Wednesday (October 15).

Similar accords have already been made in the audiovisual industry for screenwriters of fiction, documentaries and animation, but this is the first to cover screenwriters and writer-directors of feature films.

The agreement, which takes effect in mid-January 2026 and lasts for three years, includes a guaranteed minimum writing fee to be paid before a film goes into production and due regardless of whether the film is made or not. The fee is calculated based on the film’s financing and will be adjusted for inflation.

It also stipulates that screenwriters must be mentioned in the opening credits of the film, alongside the names of the director and producer, and given a more prominent place in the communication around its release, such as in press kits and film posters. The CNC said it plans to conduct studies to monitor changes in fees paid to screenwriters, particularly to assess parity between salaries for female and male screenwriters.

Following the signing, CNC president Gaëtan Bruel said: “Writing is at the heart of our creation and its renewal: it is therefore in the general interest of the industry that the role of authors be fully recognised and that their remuneration reflect this role. This is why this agreement constitutes a great collective victory for French cinema, demonstrating a cohesion that is particularly necessary to face the many challenges that lie ahead.”

SRF called the agreement “the result of many years of negotiations and represents a fundamental step forward for the remuneration of writing, which until now had been completely unregulated.” However, it emphasised that the agreement “is only a first step” and added that “SRF will not be satisfied with these initial measures” and that “these amounts do not reflect the reality of writing work.”

The organisation said it would assess the impact of the new rules in 18 months alongside the CNC and other signatories.

Independent producers union SPI called upon culture minister Rachida Dati to “extend the agreement to make it binding on all professionals involved in French film production”.

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