Cinema of France - wikipedia Cinema of France See also : French comedy films Cinema of France Gaumont palace in Paris, c. 1914 No. of screens 5,653 ( 2014 ) Main distributors Twentieth Century Fox ( 14.6 % ) Warner Bros. ( 9.8 % ) UGC ( 6.9 % ) Produced feature films ( 2014 ) Total 258 Animated 9 ( 3.49 % ) Documentary 37 ( 14.34 % ) Number of admissions ( 2014 ) Total 208.9768 million National films 91.26 million ( 44.4 % ) Gross box office ( 2014 ) Total € 1.33 billion National films € 563.01 million ( 43.1 % ) Cinema of France refers to the film industry based in France. The French cinema comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad. France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its significant contributions to the art form and the film - making process itself. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle Vague, began in the country. It is noted for having a particularly strong film industry, due in part to protections afforded by the French government. Apart from its strong and innovative film tradition, France has also been a gathering spot for artists from across Europe and the world. For this reason, French cinema is sometimes intertwined with the cinema of foreign nations. Directors from nations such as Poland ( Roman Polanski, Krzysztof Kieślowski, and Andrzej Żuławski ), Argentina ( Gaspar Noé and Edgardo Cozarinsky ), Russia ( Alexandre Alexeieff, Anatole Litvak ), Austria ( Michael Haneke ), and Georgia ( Géla Babluani, Otar Iosseliani ) are prominent in the ranks of French cinema. Conversely, French directors have had prolific and influential careers in other countries, such as Luc Besson, Jacques Tourneur, or Francis Veber in the United States. Another element supporting this fact is that Paris has the highest density of cinemas in the world, measured by the number of movie theaters per inhabitant, and that in most `` downtown Paris '' movie theaters, foreign movies which would be secluded to `` art houses '' cinemas in other places are shown alongside `` mainstream '' works. Philippe Binant realized, on 2 February 2000, the first digital cinema projection in Europe, with the DLP CINEMA technology developed by Texas Instruments, in Paris. With 205.34 million tickets sold in 2015 and 212.71 million in 2016, France is the third biggest film market in the world both in terms of admissions ( after the United States and India ) and revenues ( after the United States and Japan ). It is the most successful film industry in Europe in terms of number of films produced per annum, with a record - breaking 300 feature - length films produced in 2015. France is also one of the few countries where non-American productions have the biggest share : American films only represented 44.9 % of total admissions in 2014. This is largely due to the commercial strength of domestic productions, which accounted for 44, 5 % of admissions in 2014 ( 35.5 % in 2015 ; 35.3 % in 2016 ). Also, the French film industry is closer to being entirely self - sufficient than any other country in Europe, recovering around 80 -- 90 % of costs from revenues generated in the domestic market alone. In 2013, France was the 2nd largest exporter of films in the world after the United States. A study in April 2014 showed the positive image which French cinema maintains around the world, being the most appreciated cinema after American cinema. Contents 1 History 1.1 After World War I 1.2 Post -- World War II 1.2. 1 1940s -- 1970s 1.2. 2 1980s 1.2. 3 1990s 1.2. 4 2000s 1.2. 5 2010s 2 Government support 2.1 Co-production 3 Festivals 4 Film distribution and production companies 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External links History A scene from Louis Lumière 's La Sortie des usines Lumière ( 1895 ) Les frères Lumière realized the first projection with the Cinematograph, in Paris on 28 December 1895. The French film industry in the late 19th century and early 20th century was among the world 's most important. Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the cinématographe and their L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat in Paris in 1895 is considered by many historians as the official birth of cinematography. The early days of the industry, from 1896 to 1902, saw the dominance of four firms : Pathé Frères, the Gaumont Film Company, the Georges Méliès company, and the Lumières. Méliès invented many of the techniques of cinematic grammar, and among his fantastic, surreal short subjects is the first science fiction film A Trip to the Moon ( Le Voyage dans la Lune ) in 1902 ). In 1902 the Lumières abandoned everything but the production of film stock, leaving Méliès as the weakest player of the remaining three. ( He would retire in 1914. ) From 1904 to 1911 the Pathé Frères company led the world in film production and distribution. At Gaumont, pioneer Alice Guy - Blaché ( M. Gaumont 's former secretary ) was made head of production and oversaw about 400 films, from her first, La Fée aux Choux, in 1896, through 1906. She then continued her career in the United States, as did Maurice Tourneur and Léonce Perret after World War I. In 1907 Gaumont owned and operated the biggest movie studio in the world, and along with the boom in construction of `` luxury cinemas '' like the Gaumont - Palace and the Pathé - Palace ( both 1911 ), cinema became an economic challenger to legitimate theater by 1914. After world War I After World War I, the French film industry suffered because of a lack of capital, and film production decreased as it did in most other European countries. This allowed the United States film industry to enter the European cinema market, because American films could be sold more cheaply than European productions, since the studios already had recouped their costs in the home market. When film studios in Europe began to fail, many European countries began to set import barriers. France installed an import quota of 1 : 7, meaning for every seven foreign films imported to France, one French film was to be produced and shown in French cinemas. During the period between World War I and World War II, Jacques Feyder and Jean Vigo became two of the founders of poetic realism in French cinema. They also dominated French Impressionist Cinema, along with Abel Gance, Germaine Dulac and Jean Epstein. In 1931, Marcel Pagnol filmed the first of his great trilogy Marius, Fanny, and César. He followed this with other films including The Baker 's Wife. Other notable films of the 1930s included René Clair 's Under the Roofs of Paris ( 1930 ), Jean Vigo 's L'Atalante ( 1934 ), Jacques Feyder 's Carnival in Flanders ( 1935 ), and Julien Duvivier 's La belle equipe ( 1936 ). In 1935, renowned playwright and actor Sacha Guitry directed his first film and went on to make more than 30 films that were precursors to the New Wave era. In 1937, Jean Renoir, the son of painter Pierre - Auguste Renoir, directed La Grande Illusion ( The Grand Illusion ). In 1939, Renoir directed La Règle du Jeu ( The Rules of the Game ). Several critics have cited this film as one of the greatest of all - time, particularly for its innovative camerawork, cinematography and sound editing. Marcel Carné 's Les Enfants du Paradis ( Children of Paradise ) was filmed during World War II and released in 1945. The three - hour film was extremely difficult to make due to the Nazi occupation. Set in Paris in 1828, it was voted Best French Film of the Century in a poll of 600 French critics and professionals in the late 1990s. Post -- world War II 1940s -- 1970s Alain Delon was known as much for his beauty as for his acting career and holds an enduring status as a leading man in French cinema. In the magazine Cahiers du cinéma founded by André Bazin, critics and lovers of film would discuss film and why it worked. Modern film theory was born there. Additionally, Cahiers critics such as Jean - Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Claude Chabrol, Jacques Rivette and Éric Rohmer went on to make films themselves, creating what was to become known as the French New Wave. Some of the first films of this new genre were Godard 's Breathless ( À bout de souffle, 1960 ), starring Jean - Paul Belmondo, Rivette 's Paris Belongs to Us ( Paris nous appartient, 1958 -- distributed in 1961 ), starring Jean - Claude Brialy and Truffaut 's The 400 Blows ( Les Quatre Cent Coups, 1959 ) starring Jean - Pierre Léaud. From 1959 until 1979, Truffaut followed Léaud 's character Antoine Doinel, who falls in love with Christine Darbon ( Claude Jade from Hitchcock 's Topaz ) in Stolen Kisses, marries her in Bed & Board and separates from her in the last post-New Wave movie Love on the Run. Many contemporaries of Godard and Truffaut followed suit, or achieved international critical acclaim with styles of their own, such as the minimalist films of Robert Bresson and Jean - Pierre Melville, the Hitchcockian - like thrillers of Henri - Georges Clouzot, and other New Wave films by Agnès Varda and Alain Resnais. The movement, while an inspiration to other national cinemas and unmistakably a direct influence on the future New Hollywood directors, slowly faded by the end of the 1960s. Brigitte Bardot was one of the most famous French actresses in the 1960s. The French actress Leslie Caron with Maurice Chevalier on the set of Gigi ( 1958 ). During this period, French commercial film also made a name for itself. Immensely popular French comedies with Louis de Funès topped the French box office. The war comedy La Grande Vadrouille ( 1966 ), from Gérard Oury with Bourvil and Terry - Thomas, was the most successful film in French theaters for more than 30 years. Another example was La Folie des grandeurs with Yves Montand. French cinema also was the birthplace for many subgenres of the crime film, most notably the modern caper film, starting with 1955 's Rififi by American - born director Jules Dassin and followed by a large number of serious, noirish heist dramas as well as playful caper comedies throughout the sixties, and the `` polar, '' a typical French blend of film noir and detective fiction. In addition, French movie stars began to claim fame abroad as well as at home. Popular actors of the period included Brigitte Bardot, Alain Delon, Romy Schneider, Catherine Deneuve, Jeanne Moreau, Simone Signoret, Yves Montand, Jean - Paul Belmondo and Jean Gabin. Since the Sixties and Seventies they are completed and followed by Michel Piccoli, Philippe Noiret, Annie Girardot, Jean - Louis Trintignant, Jean - Pierre Léaud, Claude Jade, Isabelle Huppert, Anny Duperey, Gérard Depardieu, Patrick Dewaere, Jean - Pierre Cassel, Miou - Miou, Brigitte Fossey, Stéphane Audran and Isabelle Adjani. The 1979 film La Cage aux Folles ran for well over a year at the Paris Theatre, an arthouse cinema in New York City, and was a commercial success at theaters throughout the country, in both urban and rural areas. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and for years it remained the most successful foreign film to be released in the United States. 1980s Jean - Jacques Beineix 's Diva ( 1981 ) sparked the beginning of the 1980s wave of French cinema. Movies which followed in its wake included Betty Blue ( 37 ° 2 le matin, 1986 ) by Beineix, The Big Blue ( Le Grand bleu, 1988 ) by Luc Besson, and The Lovers on the Bridge ( Les Amants du Pont - Neuf, 1991 ) by Léos Carax. These films, made with a slick commercial style and emphasizing the alienation of its main characters, was known as Cinema du look. Camille Claudel, directed by newcomer Bruno Nuytten and starring Isabelle Adjani and Gérard Depardieu, was a major commercial success in 1988, earning Adjani, who was also the film 's co-producer, a César Award for best actress. The historical drama film Jean de Florette ( 1986 ) and its sequel Manon des Sources ( 1986 ) were among the highest grossing French films in history and brought Daniel Auteuil international recognition. According to Raphaël Bassan, in his article `` The Angel : Un météore dans le ciel de l'animation, '' La Revue du cinéma, n ° 393, avril 1984. ( in French ), Patrick Bokanowski 's The Angel, shown in 1982 at the Cannes Film Festival, can be considered the beginnings of contemporary animation. The masks erase all human personality in the characters. Patrick Bokanowski would thus have total control over the `` matter '' of the image and its optical composition. This is especially noticeable throughout the film, with images taken through distorted objectives or a plastic work on the sets and costumes, for example in the scene of the designer. Patrick Bokanowski creates his own universe and obeys his own aesthetic logic. It takes us through a series of distorted areas, obscure visions, metamorphoses and synthetic objects. Indeed, in the film, the human may be viewed as a fetish object ( for example, the doll hanging by a thread ), with reference to Kafkaesque and Freudian theories on automata and the fear of man faced with something as complex as him. The ascent of the stairs would be the liberation of the ideas of death, culture, and sex that makes us reach the emblematic figure of the angel. 1990s The Palme d'Or ( `` Golden Palm '' ), the most prestigious award given out at Cannes Film Festival. Jean - Paul Rappeneau 's Cyrano de Bergerac was a major box - office success in 1990, earning several César Awards, including best actor for Gérard Depardieu, as well as an Academy Award nomination for best foreign picture. Luc Besson made Nikita in 1990, a movie that inspired remakes in both United States and in Hong Kong. In 1994, he also made Léon and in 1997 The Fifth Element, which both became a cult favorite and launched the careers of Natalie Portman and Milla Jovovich. Jean - Pierre Jeunet made Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children ( La Cité des enfants perdus ), both of which featured a distinctly fantastical style. In 1992, Claude Sautet co-wrote ( with Jacques Fieschi ) and directed Un Coeur en Hiver, considered by many to be a masterpiece. Mathieu Kassovitz 's 1995 film Hate ( La Haine ) received critical praise and made Vincent Cassel a star, and in 1997, Juliette Binoche won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The English Patient. The success of Michel Ocelot 's Kirikou and the Sorceress in 1998 rejuvenated the production of original feature - length animated films by such filmmakers as Jean - François Laguionie and Sylvain Chomet. 2000s In 2001, after a brief stint in Hollywood, Jean - Pierre Jeunet returned to France with Amélie ( Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain ) starring Audrey Tautou. It became the highest - grossing French - language film ever released in the United States. The following year, Brotherhood of the Wolf became the second - highest - grossing French - language film in the United States since 1980 and went on to gross more than $70 million worldwide. Marion Cotillard ( left ) and Jean Dujardin ( right ), both awarded with an Academy Award in United States, for their respective roles in La Vie en Rose ( 2007 ) and The Artist ( 2011 ). In 2008, Marion Cotillard won the Academy Award for Best Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of legendary French singer Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, the first French - language performance to be so honored. The film won two Oscars and four BAFTAs and became the third - highest - grossing French - language film in the United States since 1980. Cotillard was the first female and second person to win both an Academy Award and César Award for the same performance. At the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, Entre les murs ( The Class ) won the Palme d'Or, the 6th French victory at the festival. The 2000s also saw an increase in the number of individual competitive awards won by French artists at the Cannes Festival, for direction ( Tony Gatlif, Exils, 2004 ), screenplay ( Agnès Jaoui and Jean - Pierre Bacri, Look at Me, 2004 ), female acting ( Isabelle Huppert, The Piano Teacher, 2001 ; Charlotte Gainsbourg, Antichrist, 2009 ) and male acting ( Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila and Bernard Blancan, Days of Glory, 2006 ). The 2008 rural comedy Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis drew an audience of more than 20 million, the first French film to do so. Its $193 million gross in France puts it just behind Titanic as the most successful film of all time in French theaters. In the 2000s, several French directors made international productions, often in the action genre. These include Gérard Pirès ( Riders, 2002 ), Pitof ( Catwoman, 2004 ), Jean - François Richet ( Assault on Precinct 13, 2005 ), Florent Emilio Siri ( Hostage, 2005 ), Christophe Gans ( Silent Hill, 2006 ), Mathieu Kassovitz ( Babylon A.D., 2008 ), Louis Leterrier ( The Transporter, 2002 ; Transporter 2, 2005 ; Olivier Megaton directed Transporter 3, 2008 ), Alexandre Aja ( Mirrors, 2008 ), and Pierre Morel ( Taken, 2009 ). Surveying the entire range of French filmmaking today, Tim Palmer calls contemporary cinema in France a kind of eco-system, in which commercial cinema co-exists with artistic radicalism, first - time directors ( who make up about 40 % of all France 's directors each year ) mingle with veterans, and there even occasionally emerges a fascinating pop - art hybridity, in which the features of intellectual and mass cinemas are interrelated ( as in filmmakers like Valeria Bruni - Tedeschi, Olivier Assayas, Maïwenn, Sophie Fillières, Serge Bozon, and others ). 2010s Léa Seydoux at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. One of the most noticed and best reviewed films of 2010 was the drama Of Gods and Men ( Des hommes et des dieux ), about the assassination of seven monks in Tibhirine, Algeria. 2011 saw the release of The Artist, a silent film shot in black and white by Michel Hazanavicius that reflected on the end of Hollywood 's silent era. French cinema continued its upward trend of earning awards at the Cannes Festival, including the prestigious Grand Prix for Of Gods and Men ( 2010 ) and the Jury Prize for Poliss ( 2011 ) ; the Best Director Award for Mathieu Amalric ( On Tour, 2010 ) ; the Best Actress Award for Juliette Binoche ( Certified Copy, 2010 ) ; and the Best Actor Award for Jean Dujardin ( The Artist, 2011 ). In 2011, the film Intouchables became the most watched film in France ( including the foreign films ). After ten weeks nearly 17.5 million people had seen the film in France, Intouchables was the second most - seen French movie of all - time in France, and the third including foreign movies. In 2012, with 226 million admissions ( 1,900 million USD ) in the world for French films ( 582 films released in 84 countries ), including 82 million admissions in France ( 700 million USD ), 2012 was the fourth best year since 1985. With 144 million admissions outside France ( 1,200 million USD ), 2012 was the best year since at least 1994 ( since Unifrance collects data ), and the French cinema reached a market share of 2.95 % of worldwide admissions and of 4.86 % of worldwide sales. Three films particularly contributed to this record year : Taken 2, The Intouchables and The Artist. In 2012, films shot in French ranked 4th in admissions ( 145 million ) behind films shot in English ( more than a billion admissions in the US alone ), Hindi ( ? : no accurate data but estimated at 3 billion for the whole India / Indian languages ) and Chinese ( 275 million in China plus a few million abroad ), but above films shot in Korean ( 115 million admissions in South Korea plus a few millions abroad ) and Japanese ( 102 million admissions in Japan plus a few million abroad, a record since 1973 et its 104 million admissions ). French - language movies ranked 2nd in export ( outside of French - speaking countries ) after films in English. 2012 was also the year French animation studio Mac Guff was acquired by an American studio, Universal Pictures, through its Illumination Entertainment subsidiary. Illumination Mac Guff became the animation studio for some of the top English - language animated movies of the 2010s, including The Lorax and the Despicable Me franchise. In 2015 French cinema sold 106 million tickets and grossed € 600 million outside of the country. The highest - grossing film was Taken 3 ( € 261.7 million ) and the largest territory in admissions was China ( 14.7 million ). Government support As the advent of television threatened the success of cinema, countries were faced with the problem of reviving movie - going. The French cinema market, and more generally the French - speaking market, is smaller than the English - speaking market ; one reason being that some major markets, including prominently the United States, are reluctant to generally accept foreign films, especially foreign - language and subtitled productions. As a consequence, French movies have to be amortized on a relatively small market and thus generally have budgets far lower than their American counterparts, ruling out expensive settings and special effects. The French government has implemented various measures aimed at supporting local film production and movie theaters. The Canal+ TV channel has a broadcast license requiring it to support the production of movies. Some taxes are levied on movies and TV channels for use as subsidies for movie production. Some tax breaks are given for investment in movie productions, as is common elsewhere including in the United States. The sale of DVDs is prohibited for four months after the showing in theaters, so as to ensure some revenue for movie theaters. Recently, Messerlin and Parc ( 2014, 2017 ) described the effect of subsidies in the French film industry. Co-production The French national and regional governments involve themselves in film production. For example, the award - winning documentary In the Land of the Deaf ( Le Pays des sourds ) was created by Nicolas Philibert in 1992. The film was co-produced by multinational partners, which reduced the financial risks inherent in the project ; and co-production also ensured enhanced distribution opportunities. Les Films d'Ici. La Sept - cinéma. Rhône - Alpes European Cinematographic Centre. Canal+. Rhône - Alpes région. Centre National de la Cinématographie. Fondation de France. Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs ( France ). Rai 3. BBC Television. Télévision Suisse Romande. In Anglophone distribution, In the Land of the Deaf was presented in French Sign Language ( FSL ) and French, with English subtitles and closed captions. Festivals Name Est. City Type Details Website Amiens International Film Festival 1982 Amiens Special interest Annual festival focusing on the cinemas of Europe, Asia and Latin America. http://www.filmfestamiens.org Festival du Film Merveilleux Paris International Annual film festival celebrating the imaginary, the Wonder and magic from all over the world. http://www.festival-film-merveilleux.com/ Annecy International Animated Film Festival 1960 Annecy Special interest http://www.annecy.org Festival du Film Européen Beauvais - Oise 1990 Beauvais Europe http://www.beauvaisfilmfest.com Festival International du Film Ecologique de Bourges 2005 Bourges Environmental http://www.festival-film-bourges.fr/english/ecological-film-festival.php Cabestany Short Film Festival 1981 Cabestany International Annual short film festival http://www.courts-metrages.org Cannes Film Festival 1939 Cannes International One of the world 's oldest, most influential and prestigious festivals, it is held annually ( usually in May ) at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. http://www.festival-cannes.com CineHorizontes -- Festival de cinéma espagnol de Marseille 2001 Marseille Special interest One of the best Spanish film festivals in France http://www.cinehorizontes.com Cinéma du réel -- International Documentary Film Festival 1978 Paris Special interest http://www.cinereel.org Créteil International Women 's Film Festival 1978 Créteil Special interest Showcase of films by female directors. http://www.filmsdefemmes.com/ Deauville American Film Festival Deauville Special interest Annual festival devoted to American cinema. http://www.festival-deauville.com/ Deauville Asian Film Festival 1999 Deauville Special interest Annual festival devoted to Asian cinema. http://www.deauvilleasia.com/ ÉCU The European Independent Film festival 2006 Paris Special Interest Annual festival devoted to independent cinema. http://www.ecufilmfestival.com/ Fantastique semaine du cinéma Nice International Annual festival devoted to horror and fantastic cinema ( Festival du Film Fantastique ) cinema http://www.cinenasty.com/ Hallucinations Collectives 2008 Lyon Special interest Annual festival devoted to Horror, fantastic, strange and culte cinema. http://www.hallucinations-collectives.com Fantastic'Arts 1994 Gérardmer Special interest Annual festival devoted to horror and fantastic cinema ( Festival du Film Fantastique ) cinema http://www.gerardmer-fantasticart.com/ Festival du Film Polonais Cat. Studios 2007 Perpignan Special interest Annual festival devoted to Polish cinema. http://www.catstudios.net Festival du Film Web Oloron - Sainte - Marie Special interest Festival International du Film de Montagne 1984 Autrans Mountain film first week in December http://www.festival-autrans.com Festival Pocket Film Paris Special interest Mobile phone film festival. http://www.festivalpocketfilms.fr Festival international du film des droits de l'homme de Paris 2003 Paris International Features and shorts documentaries on human rights issues. Once a year, in February or March. Also present in other cities in France. http://www.festival-droitsdelhomme.org/paris/ International Festival of Audiovisual Programs Biarritz Special interest http://www.fipa.tm.fr International student short - film festival of Cergy - Pontoise 1991 Cergy - Pontoise International Student Festival http://lefestivalducourt.org/ Marseille Film Festival 1989 Marseille International Held in July http://www.fidmarseille.org/ NollywoodWeek Paris 2013 Paris Special Interest Annual festival in late May showcasing the top new films from Nigerian filmmakers and Nollywood http://www.nollywoodweek.com/ Festival du Cinéma européen de Lille 1984 Lille Special interest European short movies competition http://www.filmcourt-lille.com Paris Film Festival 2003 Paris International Annual festival held in between June to July. http://www.pariscinema.org/ Premiers Plans Angers Special interest Showcase of European directorial debut films. http://www.premiersplans.org/ Three Continents Festival 1979 Nantes Special interest Annual festival is devoted to the cinemas of Asia, Africa and Latin America. http://www.3continents.com Tréguier International Film Festival 2009 Tréguier International Annual festival held in July. Open to all filmmakers. http://www.treguierfilmfest.com Utopiales -- Nantes International Science - Fiction Festival 1998 Nantes Special interest Annual sci - fi festival. http://www.utopiales.org/ European Student Film Festival 2006 Paris International Has competition, November 14 to 18, 2012 http://www.esff.org/ Film distribution and production companies Notable French film distribution and / or production companies include : Ad Vitam Alfama Films ARP Sélection Bac Films Diaphana Films EuropaCorp Gaumont Haut et Court KMBO Le Pacte Les Films du Losange Mars Films MK2 Pan-Européenne Pathé Pyramide Distribution Rezo Films SND Films StudioCanal UGC Wild Bunch See also Film portal France portal European Union portal Cinema of the world List of French films List of French actors List of French directors List of French - language films French film awards New French Extremity World cinema References ^ Jump up to : `` Les chiffres clés du cinéma français en 2014 dévoilés avant Cannes ''. CNC. ^ Jump up to : `` 2014, un très bon cru pour le cinéma français ''. Europe 1. ^ Jump up to : Alan Riding ( 28 February 1995 ). `` The Birthplace Celebrates Film 's Big 1 - 0 - 0 ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ 20 questions about studying in France Archived 2011 - 05 - 04 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Cahiers du cinéma, n ° hors - série, Paris, April 2000, p. 32 ( cf. also Histoire des communications, 2011, p. 10. ). Jump up ^ Cf. Binant, `` Au cœur de la projection numérique ``, Actions, 29, Kodak, Paris, 2007, p. 12. Archived May 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Claude Forest, `` De la pellicule aux pixels : l'anomie des exploitants de salles de cinéma '', in Laurent Creton, Kira Kitsopanidou ( sous la direction de ), Les salles de cinéma : enjeux, défis et perspectives, Armand Colin / Recherche, Paris, 2013, p. 116. ^ Jump up to : `` CNC -- fréquentation cinématographique ''. www.cnc.fr. Jump up ^ http://www.fncf.org/updir/1/cp_annee_2010.pdf Jump up ^ `` World domination by box office cinema admissions ''. GreenAsh. Retrieved 19 April 2012. Jump up ^ `` CNC -- flux ''. www.cnc.fr. Jump up ^ `` The French System and Managing Co-productions ''. Skillset. 20 April 2008. Archived from the original on 1 October 2006. Retrieved 19 April 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2014 - 12 - 13. Retrieved 2014 - 12 - 11. Jump up ^ Universalis, Encyclopædia. `` PRÉSENTATION DU CINÉMATOGRAPHE LUMIÈRE ''. Encyclopædia Universalis. ^ Jump up to : The Ciné Goes to Town : French Cinema 1896 -- 1914, Richard Abel Jump up ^ L'Estrange Fawcett : Die Welt des Films. Amalthea - Verlag, Zürich, Leipzig, Wien 1928, p. 149 ( German translation of Fawcetts ' book of 1928 : Film, Facts and Forecasts ) Jump up ^ `` Foreign Languages Movies ''. Boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 19 April 2012. Jump up ^ Palmer, Tim ( 2011 ). Brutal Intimacy : Analyzing Contemporary French Cinema, Wesleyan University Press, Middleton CT. ISBN 0 - 8195 - 6827 - 9. Jump up ^ `` Article RTL : `` Intouchables '' devient le film le plus vu de l'année ! '' ( in French ). Rtl.fr. 25 November 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2012. Jump up ^ `` UniFrance Films : Rapport d'activités 2012 -- uniFrance Films '' ( in French ). Unifrance.org. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Monde -- uniFrance Films '' ( in French ). Unifrance.org. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 26. Jump up ^ `` 2008, année record pour le cinéma français à l'international -- uniFrance Films '' ( in French ). Unifrance.org. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 26. Jump up ^ `` UniFrance films publie son bilan complet de l'année cinéma 2012 -- uniFrance Films '' ( in French ). Unifrance.org. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Panorama des salles de cinéma à travers le monde -- uniFrance Films '' ( in French ). Unifrance.org. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 26. Jump up ^ `` 140M d'entrées pour le cinéma français à l'international -- uniFrance Films '' ( in French ). Unifrance.org. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc ''. Eiren.org. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Bilan Annuel Monde ''. Jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 26. Jump up ^ Hopewell, John ( January 15, 2016 ). `` EuropaCorp, Toons, Comedies Drive Robust 2015 for French Exports ''. Variety. Retrieved January 16, 2016. Jump up ^ Anthony Kaufman ( 22 January 2006 ). `` Is Foreign Film the New Endangered Species ? ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 3 June 2011. Jump up ^ Messerlin, P. and Parc, J. ( 2014 ) The Effect of Screen Quotas and Subsidy Regime on Cultural Industry : A Case Study of French and Korean Film industry, Journal of International Business and Economy, 15 ( 2 ) : 57 - 73 ; Messerlin, P. and Parc, J. ( 2017 ) The Real Impact of Subsidies on the Film Industry ( 1970s -- Present ) : Lessons from France and Korea, Pacific Affairs 90 ( 1 ) : 51 - 75. Jump up ^ Cine - Regio : Co-production ^ Jump up to : `` In the Land of the Deaf ( 1993 ), '' New York Times. ^ Jump up to : Rhône - Alpes Cinéma : Le pays des sourds. ^ Jump up to : France Diplomatie : In the Land of the Deaf. Jump up ^ Library Media Project : In the Land of the Deaf. Further reading Palmer, Tim and Charlie Michael ( eds. ) ( 2013 ). Directory of World Cinema : France, Intellect / University of Chicago Press, London & Chicago. ISBN 1 - 8415 - 0563 - 3. Passek, Jean - Loup, ed. ( 1988 ). D'un cinéma l'autre : notes sur le cinéma français des années cinquante. Paris : Centre Georges Pompidou. ISBN 9782858504459. OCLC 19327256. External links Films in French KinoFrance -- forum Unifrance.org Sacramento French Film Festival Biographies and autographs of French cinema stars List of French Movies French Films French Directors Cinema of France Culture of France World cinema Films by year ( Films ( A -- Z ) ) 1892 -- 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1989 1990 1991 1994 1995 2001 Production companies and studios Action Synthese Æternam Films Ariane Films Billancourt Studios Celluloid Dreams Central Films Ciby 2000 Def2shoot EuropaCorp Les films du losange Folimage Gaumont Honkytonk Films Les Films du Poisson Joinville Studios Medialab Technology MNP Entreprise Pan-Européenne Pathé PMMP Prelight Films Réalisation d'art cinématographique Sciapode Sofracima Star Film Company StudioCanal Wild Bunch Awards César Award Lumières Award Globes de Cristal Award French Syndicate of Cinema Critics Awards Louis Delluc Prize Prix Romy Schneider Prix Patrick Dewaere ( formerly Prix Jean Gabin ) Prix Jacques Prévert du Scénario Prix Jean Vigo Prix Suzanne Bianchetti René Clair Award Personnel Actors Animators Directors Cinematographers Critics Film designers Editors Screenwriters Producers Score composers Movement Cinéma du look Cinéma pur French Impressionist Cinema French New Wave New French Extremity Poetic realism Surrealist cinema Other Box office Film festivals Cinema chains UniFrance France topics History Periods Timeline Prehistory Celtic Gaul Roman Gaul Kingdom of the Visigoths Francia West Francia Middle Ages Early modern era Long nineteenth century Revolutionary era Napoleonic era Belle Époque Twentieth century Regimes Absolute monarchy Ancien Régime First Republic First Empire Constitutional monarchy Bourbon Restoration July Monarchy Second Republic Second Empire Third Republic France during the Second World War Free France Vichy France Provisional Republic Fourth Republic Fifth Republic Geography Administrative divisions Cities Climate Extreme points Islands Lakes Mountains Rivers Politics Constitution Elections presidential Foreign relations Government Human rights Intersex LGBT Judiciary Law enforcement Military Parliament Political parties Economy Agriculture Banking Central bank Economic history Energy Euro Exports Franc ( former currency ) French subdivisions by GDP Stock exchange Taxation Telecommunications Tourism Trade unions Transport Society Crime Demographics Education Health care People Poverty Religion Social class Welfare Culture Architecture Art Cinema ( comedy ) Cuisine Fashion Gardens Language Literature Media Music Philosophy Public holidays Sport Symbols Theatre Outline Book Portal WikiProject World cinema National cinema Africa Northern Algeria Egypt Morocco Tunisia Eastern Djibouti Kenya Somalia Uganda Western Burkina Faso Cape Verde Ghana Liberia Niger Nigeria Senegal Central D.R. 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Question: what is the name of the first french movie
Answer: L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat