French Film, TV Sellers Tap Into Southeast Asia’s Youthful Markets

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief France’s film and TV sales agencies are expanding their efforts to do business with companies in China and Southeast Asia. That requires travelling to the region and, for some, a tweak to established mindsets. This month has seen a delegation of sales firms set up stall in specially-organized rights markets in Beijing, China, and another in Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City) in Vietnam.

The efforts were backed by Unifrance, the trade association which now draws its membership from both film and TV disciplines. And the events drew additional support from the French embassy in each country. “For us, 2024 is the year of renewed showcase events.

And China and Asia are at the top of our list,” said Sarah Hemar, Unifrance’s director of audiovisual. That is a refrain which echoes the comments previously made by French pay-TV giant Canal+, which has paid $300 million for a 37% stake in Asian streamer Viu. “Canal+ already has leading market positions in Europe and Africa.

We are now looking forward to developing Asia as an additional growth engine for the group,” the company said this time last year. “We have the means to bring together buyers and French sellers. In Asia people appreciate the efforts we make.

People increasingly want to meet in smaller, targeted events, like this,” said Hemar. Her comment is a nod to the struggles endured by bigger rights markets like MipTV and AFM in recent years. Within Asia, Unifrance also organizes: a public Film Panorama in Beijing; a film market in Japan with roughly 100 buyers in attendance; and the long-running Yokohama public film festival dedicated to French movies.

“Japan is quite a Francophile market, as well as a big one. It is important to have our own dedicated space there,” said Emmanuel Pisarra, Unifrance representative for Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia. Unifrance also expects to operate umbrella stands at rights markets in Busan, South Korea, and in Singapore later this year.