Quebec cinema has never been as present on French screens as it was last year. By the end of December, no fewer than 13 feature films produced in the province of La Belle will have been shown in cinemas in France in 2023, twice the average of five films per year over the last decade.
While stakeholders surveyed by Le Journal are pleased that so many Quebec films are being released in France, they believe this significant increase is more a coincidence than a sudden surge in interest in La Belle province’s cinema.
“I would like it to be like this every year, but I have the impression that it is quite specific to the current context at the end of the pandemic,” explains Guillaume Sapin, the founder and director of the Vues du Québec festival (in Lozere). , which also manages the My Quebec Cinema in France platform.
“The Quebec films we saw in France this year were shot during or after the pandemic, but they were on hold in terms of production or distribution. As luck would have it, they came out the same year.”
With his festival and his page dedicated to Quebec cinema in France (which has more than 12,000 subscribers), Guillaume Sapin has set himself the task of presenting Quebec cinema to the public and to French broadcasters.
With the works of filmmakers already well-known in France, such as Xavier Dolan, Monia Chokri and Denys Arcand, the task is easier. The comedy “Simple as Sylvain” by Monia Chokri, which was released two weeks ago, attracted more than 77,300 viewers to French cinemas in its first week in cinemas – a good start.
Address young target groups
However, the challenge is greater when it comes to marketing the films of up-and-coming filmmakers such as Lawrence Côté-Collins (Bungalow) or Geneviève Albert (Noémie dit oui).
“In France, between 15 and 20 films are released in cinemas every week. Therefore, it is not always easy to find a place for Quebec cinema, notes Guillaume Sapin.
“I believe that the key to long-term success is to appeal to a young audience who may gradually become interested in Quebec cinema. That’s the bet made by certain distributors like Wayna Pitch, who will soon release The Diver and Humanist Vampire Seeks Consenting Suicidal.”
Timothée Donay, a former distributor who now works as head of strategy for communications agency LuckyTime, agrees:
“I think that one of the best ways to sell Quebec cinema was to promote the freshness of French-language cinema, which is not American cinema,” he says, “because the most popular are well-known Quebec directors (like Denis Villeneuve ) tour the United States.” States. It is important to show French audiences that wonderful films are also made in French in Quebec.”
Quebec films released in France in 2023:
Goodbye happiness (January 11)
Noémie says yes (April 26)
Like a wave (May 31)
Caiti Blues (July 19)
Vikings (August 2)
The Ocean Seen from the Heart (September 13)
Bellechasse (September 27th)
Hail Bitch (October 4th)
No harassment in my cabin (October 11th)
Katak, the brave beluga (October 25)
Simple like Sylvain (November 8th)
Will (November 22nd)
Bungalow (December 6th)
And coming in 2024…
The Diver (January 3)
Shitty day (January 3rd)
Humanist Vampire Seeks Consented Suicide (March 20)