CNC unveils changes to film support fund system

France’s Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC) has unveiled changes to the way it supports film production in the country, with producers able to access funding automatically if they accumulate a number of points granted for meeting certain criteria.

CNC president Frédérique Bredin said that the system required reform in the light of changes to the way the sector worked, driven by digitization and the internationalization of production.

The CNC said that the new points system would take into account factors such as the rise in importance of digital visual effects, but would also give additional credit for the extent to which a film is produced in France. Bredin said that the latter move would, alongside the implementation of new tax credits, boost production activity in France. He said the system would also place greater value on the work of writers, graphics designers and other professionals involved in the creative process. The system will also be geared towards the support of French-language production.

The move follows a report compiled by Alain Sussfeld last year and a consultation with industry stakeholders including groups representing writers, producers, distributors and others.

Writers copyright collection society SACD welcomed the changes – in particular the attribution of an additional point to authors in the 100-point scale used to assess projects, and additional recognition for scriptwriters.