EXPLOITATION ROUND TABLE - The movie theater as a showcase for heritage: strategies and levers for increased exposure

The MIFC opened on Wednesday 16 October with a round-table discussion on cinemas as a springboard for heritage films, kicking off a day dedicated to exhibition. Guided by Julien Marcel, founder and director of The Boxoffice Company, Guillaume Bachy, Christian Bräuer, Laura Houlgatte, Nadège Lauzzana and Richard Patry discussed the strategies and levers put in place in cinemas to increase exposure for classic films.

Programming, a major issue for heritage cinema in cinemas

While the definition of heritage cinema varies from one viewpoint to another and from one country to another, ranging from films released at least 20 years ago to those that are 10 years old, heritage cinema has a place in cinemas now more than ever. All the speakers at the morning round table on Wednesday 16 October agreed on this assertion, unanimously supporting the importance of programming in the exhibition of classic cinema. 

For Guillaume Bachy, President of the AFCAE, this is a real ‘guerrilla war’, complicated by the place given to heritage films in relation to recent films in the programmes. He questioned the place given to classical cinema in programming, calling for collaboration between exhibitors and distributors, as well as with the public to involve them in the programming work. 

Laura Houlgatte, CEO of UNIC, points out that with 30% fewer US productions, programmes need to be supplemented. Why not do so with heritage films? A proposal that applies equally to French and international cinemas.

The recommendation is shared by Richard Patry, President of the FNCF, who adds that audiences want classic films. For her part, Nadège Lauzzana, President of the CCRA, says that we need to listen to audiences and move away from a niche approach to the programming of classic feature films. 

Focus on support

To meet audiences' expectations of classic cinema, the emphasis is on support. According to Nadège Lauzzana, this support comes from distributors and cataloguers, who must work with exhibitors, but also from the cinemas themselves. The recent reform of the Art et Essai label, which encourages the programming of heritage and genre screenings, is proof of the importance of support for heritage screenings.erroges on the place given to classical cinema in programming, calling for collaboration between exhibitors and distributors, as well as with the public to involve them in the programming work. 

Animation is therefore central, as Nadège Lauzzana points out with the success of festivals such as Play It Again or Les Mycéliades, which offer unique experiences in cinemas for heritage films. She also points out that the CCRA is an essential resource for the mediation and editorial work that exhibitors can put in place to promote heritage screenings. In addition to the 1,500 titles in its catalogue, the association offers documentation and contextualising elements to ‘dust off’ heritage. 

For Richard Patry, a significant example of the importance of animation is to be found in the CNC's recruitment of a large number of mediators in the regions, despite the decreasing support of local authorities in terms of school support for image education, deplored by Guillaume Bachy. 

In addition, animation can be found far from traditional screening schemes, for example within film clubs. Richard Patry mentions the AFCAE's 15-25 scheme, which has given rise to a number of film clubs run by young people, who do remarkable programming and editorial work, demonstrating the importance of involving audiences in the programming of heritage screenings. 

Finally, for Christian Bräuer, President of the CICAE, we need to take into account the business that heritage cinema represents for cinemas, and consequently put in place marketing elements to attract spectators. He talks about new tools, such as Letterbox, the importance of building audience loyalty, and programming heritage films in themed cycles, acting as a link between past and present.

Challenges remain

While levers and strategies have already been put in place to promote heritage cinema in cinemas, difficulties remain. Laura Houlgatte talks about the difficulties inherent in heritage cinema: the search for rights holders, the issue of film quality and language, and the costs involved in getting films to cinemas. Richard Patry talks about the availability of works, which is not always guaranteed. 

Guillaume Bachy returns to the question of ‘damaged films’, tainted by changes in societal paradigms, which still need to be supported, as demonstrated by the round table of the same name held on Tuesday 15 October at the MIFC.

Laura Houlgatte also mentions the CNC's European equivalents, who must take action for heritage, as does Christian Bräuer, for whom European investment in classic cinema must be discussed by the European commissions.

What future for the heritage sector in cinemas?

The speakers unanimously agreed with Richard Patry's repeated assertion that heritage cinema has a ‘radiant future’ in cinemas. This positive outlook is reflected in the figures: the CNC's recent results show that heritage films are gaining ground in cinemas. Christian Bräuer talks about the importance of digitisation, identified as another key lever for attracting audiences to cinemas. He is also optimistic about AI and cinema: in his view, it is a ‘copy’ that makes people want to watch the ‘original’.