‘Unifrance’ — Exploring Global Stories & New Cinematic Horizons

If you have a favorite movie that is a foreign 1film, you may recognize how lucky you are to be able to watch work from another country. There are amazing movies from all around the world that are yet to be seen. Unifrance is working hard to make sure that these artists are getting recognition. Now, what is that?

Unifrance Rendez-Vous¹ is an international market and press junket for French artists — essentially just a giant job fair. Housed in Paris, it provides the resources, like screenings and networking events, for artists and other professionals. These resources ensure their work has the opportunity to be distributed to other countries, expanding audiences by millions.

Unifrance’s Impact

For twenty-seven years this market has allowed creators to share their passions and buyers to help in those dreams. Now, the numbers behind these events are surely impressive, but what many people fail to recognize is how impactful the act of sharing stories is. For centuries people have relied on word of mouth, and within the last 130 years, the act of storytelling has continuously been improved upon.

From comedies to emotional dramas to action films, Unifrance has successfully shared thousands of stories from all around. Everyone has a piece of media that has changed their life somehow. Every professional apart of Unifrance is looking to encourage that change.

They have been working towards being able to help bring these stories into theaters near you. By providing the space for artists to come together, Unifrance Rendez-Vous has allowed incredible works to be seen by global audiences², making a difference in not only the creator’s life but in the viewers, as well.

The Power Of Foreign Films

Let’s say you look up “Why should I watch foreign films,” chances are every article or webpage that comes up will tell you that foreign films offer fresh perspectives and insight into other cultures. There is no denying foreign films open people’s eyes to what life is like in someone else’s shoes.

Without being able to share these stories, people in one country would have no clue what happens somewhere across the world or just hours away. “Unifrance contributes to championing diversity and fostering the renewal of French creative works through initiatives designed to support short films and enhance the visibility of works in innovative formats.”

That quote lives on the Unifrance site, under the ‘Our Missions³’ tab, along with information on their efforts to promote diversity through their market. The success coming from the market shows how impactful sharing ideas through art can be. Whether film or audiovisual, thousands of people have Unifrance to thank for their favorite pieces.

For example, in 2022 alone, two Unifrance films were nominated for International Feature Film at the Oscars; Flee⁴ and The Worst Person in the World⁵ made waves after their recognition in the States.

However, you may be aware of the countries those films are said to have originated from. Though they’re not listed as French works on the Oscars list, being known to come from Denmark and Norway, the films have production ties to France, allowing them to be considered French as well.

Meanwhile, the most popular Unifrance film of 2022 is Triangle of Sadness,⁶ a Swedish and Greek film that brought in over 2 million admissions in theaters and was nominated for 3 Oscars in 2023. This is important to note because of the “multicultural nature of French films.”

Reaching Larger Audiences

Many films from neighboring European countries are categorized with other French works. Besides, it’s not just the director that makes a movie what it is. Writers, producers, film crews, editing teams, marketers, and more play into how a film is presented. If it was not for each person on the set, with their own ideas and backgrounds, a movie would not turn out as the version audiences love dearly. Because of this, Unifrance is able to share stories from a multitude of countries and cultures. 

Unifrance recently accounted for the impact⁷ French works had in theaters abroad, resulting in 38.1 million estimated admissions, with nearly half of those films being dramas or comedies. Because of distribution, millions of people are learning new things about life through the stories that unfold in front of them.

This year, the market has promoted a large array of films and audiovisual works that are sure to impact their audience. From the recent screenings, as the market took place from January 14th to the 21st, there are plenty of films that have done just that. Three notable ones being Ernest Cole: Lost and Found, The Most Precious of Cargoes, and Pepe.

These films touch on harder topics involving their home countries, diving into the stories that have impacted those who live there.

What We’re Seeing This Year

First, Ernest Cole: Lost and Found⁸ is a documentary written and directed by Raoul Peck. Audiences follow the life of Ernest Cole, a South African freelance photographer who was exiled from his home country to the States and Europe. As he captures historical imagery of how Black people are treated throughout different worlds, we are reintroduced to a new perspective on what life has been like for Black South Africans and Black Americans.

Michel Hazanavicius’ The Most Precious of Cargoes⁹ is an animated drama grappling with the hardships of war. It follows the story of a poor woodcutter and his wife who come across an abandoned baby girl in the woods.

While WWII is destroying the place they love, they must find a way to not only save themselves but also the child that has been brought into their lives. Lastly, Pepe¹⁰ follows the voice of a young hippo that was killed in the jungle of Colombia. The ghost’s narration tells the story of his life as the first and last hippo to be killed in the Americas.

These three films, among all the other powerful pieces that were a part of the lineup this year, have left audiences curious about the world around them. What many of these projects have in common is the effect they have on the viewers. Many filmmakers hope to leave people wanting more, especially nowadays with sequels bringing in most of the box office revenue.

Yet, foreign films open eyes to parts of the world people may have never considered before. That is not to say there have never been movies made about these topics, but every perspective offers a new story.

Support For International Art

When all is said and done, the artists will need help getting their stories out there. Luckily, Unifrance has a very strong presence in the world of international festivals and markets. This allows the works that are a part of Unifrance to have greater odds when submitting to other international festivals.

Unifrance also supports creators¹¹ throughout the process, from production to distribution. Each stage of creating demands a lot from an artist, so any form of support given throughout is welcomed — to gain support from a popular organization like Unifrance is incredibly helpful.

One big way Unifrance has helped out is with promotion. This involves networking, travel support, organizing meetings, image operations, and content creation for spotlighting artists and their works, along with many other aspects. Unifrance also does a lot of work when it comes to the events they offer.

Masterclasses, round tables, and Q&As are some of the amazing events that are available to artists, professionals, and the international public. By having those experiences open to all, a large sense of community is being built in Paris. Encouraging attendance from everyone means even more people are able to learn about what it is to make art.

There is a lot of work that goes into creating such a well-organized occasion. It is the hard work and care that makes Unifrance what it is. International markets contribute a lot to the film industry and often go undiscussed. Without them, many films we are fortunate enough to have access to would be unknown to us. They keep the future of foreign films shining bright.

As time goes on, there will be many more stories to share and many more perspectives to tell them beautifully. Today, sharing those stories is more important than ever. With our ever-growing access to media from all over, we are witnessing new events from so many places.

What someone is living right now may be the next revolutionary film or audiovisual piece. Markets and press junkets are unsung heroes of international filmmaking. Unifrance Rendez-Vous is helping artists create and share better work for all of us.

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For more information on Unifrance and their work visit their site.

Footnotes

1. Home. UNIFRANCE. (2025). ↩︎
2. Economic data by country or geographic area. UNIFRANCE. (2025). ↩︎
3. Our Missions. UNIFRANCE. (2025). ↩︎
4. Flee. UNIFRANCE. (2025). ↩︎
5. Julie in 12 Chapters (The Worst Person in the World). UNIFRANCE. (2025). ↩︎
6. No Filter (Triangle of Sadness). UNIFRANCE. (2025). ↩︎
7. Contact: Studies. (2025). First figures and trends for French works abroad in 2024. UNIFRANCE. ↩︎
8. Ernest Cole, Photographer (Ernest Cole: Lost and Found). UNIFRANCE. (2025) ↩︎
9. The Most Precious of Goods (The Most Precious of Cargoes). UNIFRANCE. (2025). ↩︎
10. Pepe. UNIFRANCE. (2025). ↩︎
11. Our Missions. UNIFRANCE. (2025). ↩︎

References

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