France Télévisions Warns RN Budget Would Gut French Cinema — SkimNews
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- Manuel Alduy, France Télévisions' film chief, warned that the Rassemblement National's plan to privatize public broadcasting would eliminate public TV investment in French feature films, producing 'fewer French films' and 'impoverished' financing.
- The Rassemblement National's budget proposal would slash public broadcasting funding by €3.5 billion by 2028 (a 90%+ cut), dismantle the National Film Board (CNC), and keep only Arte and franceinfo in public hands.
- France Télévisions invests more than €60 million annually in pre-financing over 60 films — nearly a third being first or second features — many of which would struggle to find financing from commercial broadcasters or streamers focused on mainstream fare.
- France's outsized role in international cinema was visible at Cannes, where 81% of official selection premieres were financed by France; France Télévisions co-financed 7 of the 22 competition titles, including the Palme d'Or winner 'Fjord.'
- More than 170 filmmakers including Jacques Audiard, Justine Triet and the Dardenne brothers signed an Oct. 14 Le Monde open letter warning the cuts could lead to 400 fewer French films over five years.
- Canal+ chairman Maxime Saada threatened to void the company's €1 billion ($1.1B) five-year film investment agreement if the government doubles VAT on pay-TV from 10% to 20% — a move costing Canal+ roughly €200 million annually.
- Netflix became France's largest private contributor to local production in 2025 with €308 million invested, trailing France Télévisions' €476 million — and is now calling for a cap on its own investment obligations, adding a second front of industry concern over streaming standardization.
Why it matters: French cinema's financing ecosystem — anchored by public broadcaster pre-sales, CNC levies on ticket sales, and Canal+ commitments — would face simultaneous shocks: RN's 90% public broadcasting cut, a doubled pay-TV VAT, and Netflix pushing to cap its contributions. With France backing 81% of Cannes' official selection, the proposed changes would ripple well beyond French borders into independent international cinema.
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