BFI and CNC sign new moving image co-operation agreement

As France’s President Macron makes his state visit to the UK this week, the BFI and France’s CNC (Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée) today signed an ambitious Moving Image Co-operation Agreement at BFI Southbank, London to support closer collaboration between the two institutions to the benefit of the industries, culture and audiences in both countries. The agreement was signed by BFI Chief Executive Ben Roberts and CNC’s President Gaëtan Bruel in the presence of French Culture Minister Rachida Dati and UK Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism Chris Bryant.  

Drawing on the existing strong relationship between the UK and France’s screen sectors, both industrially and culturally, and the ongoing collaboration between the CNC and the BFI, the agreement will enable the institutions, both founding members of EFAD (European Film Agency Directors Association), to establish a policy of strategic co-operation to enhance cultural diversity, widen audiences and strengthen their respective industries.  

Joint areas of activity included in this MOU Agreement are:  

• Public policies around support measures in the film, audiovisual and moving image sector including topics such as independent, local production and the distribution, promotion and exhibition of diverse works to audiences in both countries, artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, intellectual property and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
• Education, with a focus on providing moving image culture to young audiences
• Heritage, including restoration, preservation and collaboration on specific projects
• Events to facilitate greater business and professional relationships between UK and French companies with a focus on, but not limited to, co-production
• Mutual knowledge sharing between BFI and CNC through an employee exchange programme
• Audience development and support measures for cinemas, festivals and national online platforms with a focus on encouraging UK audiences for French films and vice versa 

Creative Industries Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “We may be very different in many ways but the UK and France certainly know how to make great films that inspire, amuse and challenge us. Our exchange is always amicable but we want to take it to another level, screen by screen, camera by camera, cinema by cinema.”

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati said: “France and the United Kingdom are two great film nations, with strong institutions that have a global vision of cinema and a desire to support independent creativity. Today, this issue is directly linked to cultural sovereignty. I am convinced that we can work with the United Kingdom to develop fruitful exchanges in support of independent creativity.”  

Ben Roberts, BFI Chief Executive said: “The UK and France are two of Europe’s most dynamic filmmaking nations. We have a long history of collaboration, including through co-production and the distribution and exhibition of each other’s films across all platforms. We share mutual values and a commitment to cultural diversity, including an appreciation for creativity and storytelling and our filmmakers have always been inspirational and influential to each other. Co-production is one of the most meaningful ways we can continue this shared exchange — and this initiative of knowledge building and collaboration has been built in that spirit. In the UK we have created the conditions to foster this through the UK Global Screen Fund and carefully designed Audio-Visual Expenditure Credits including the new Independent Film Tax Credit of 40%.” 

CNC’s President Gaëtan Bruel said: “This agreement is good news for our industries and professionals. We have already organised several co-production meetings to strengthen links and co-production between France and the UK. But we still want to do more, and we can do more, by exchanging ideas between real partners on the common challenges facing our industry: the return of audiences to cinemas and our European independence in front of the giants of global competition.” 

The British Film Commission and Film France CNC also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today, with the aim of recognising and enhancing the collaboration between the UK and French screen industries, as well as further incentivising inward investment film and high-end TV production in the two territories. Both film commissions aim to foster a seamless, film-friendly service for inward investment film and high-end TV productions working across both territories. Their MoU builds on the positive impact such collaboration is having internationally, with partnership agreements already in place between the British Film Commission and Spain, Italy, Austria, Norway, Malta and the Netherlands. Recent film and HETV productions that filmed or did their VFX work in both territories include: The Amateur, Prime Target, Heads of State, Damsel, The Lord of the Rings, Rings of Power Season 2.