250,000 jobs and 1% of GDP: that's the weight of cinema in France. With its network of 2,000 screens and the production of over 300 films per year, France stands out as a European champion in the sector. But between the consequences of the health crisis and changing viewing habits, those involved in cinema must redouble their creativity to entice audiences back to theaters. In this context, La French Touch brought together Aurélien Bosc, president of Pathé Gaumont cinemas, Elisha Karmitz, CEO of the MK2 group, Pierre Emmanuel Le Goff, founder of La vingt-cinquième heure, Mathieu Robinet, founder of Tandem, and Magali Valente, director of cinema at the National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC), on the We Are French Touch (WAFT) stage to share their vision of the cinema of tomorrow.

Invite the live in dark rooms 

“ A cinema must be modern. We have a duty to offer customers a powerful show and create an event ,” asserts Aurélien Bosc, president of Pathé Gaumont cinemas. With its subsidiary Pathé Live, the group has established itself as a pioneer in broadcasting cultural events in cinemas. From plays by the Comédie-Française to K-pop concerts, Pathé Live has been offering major live shows in its cinemas since 2008 thanks to its satellite video transmission system. “ This allows us to reach audiences or fan communities who aren’t necessarily used to going to the cinema ,” explains Aurélien Bosc.

Open the cinema even more to debate  

At MK2, while the observation is the same, the programming is quite different. "We started programming talks by French intellectuals, from François Sureau to Michel Pastoureau, including Patrick Boucheron and Manon Garcia, to create a space for debate ," explains Elisha Karmitz. Called MK2 Institut, this initiative aims to accelerate the circulation of ideas and give the general public access to knowledge, both in person and digitally.

Use new digital tools 

The production and distribution company La Vingt-cinquième heure is also trying to reinvent the movie theater experience. " The digital revolution allows us to reach viewers where they are, namely on streaming platforms, and bring them back to the cinema ," says its founder, Pierre Emmanuel Le Goff. With "Cul'", La Vingt-cinquième heure allows viewers to access the programming of theaters near them from the comfort of their own homes. " These virtual cinemas offer distributors the opportunity to have an additional screen with revenue sharing equivalent to that of in-person screenings ."

Create powerful experiences, inside and outside the rooms 

For Mathieu Robinet, founder of the distribution and production studio Tandem, the challenge is to revitalize the cinematic experience and turn film releases into events. " We make sure that every film we work on becomes a brand, that people embrace it, and that the experience begins before they even leave the theater and continues afterward. " This involves creating content, organizing meet-and-greets, and hosting discussions to extend the experience and the lifespan of the films. With this strategy, the founder of Tandem aims to attract young people to theaters and turn every viewer into a film ambassador. To reach this new audience, Mathieu Robinet is exploring new marketing channels, such as TikTok. " On this platform, I discovered a parallel universe, wild and quite creative. And I was able to bring young people to theaters that I would never have been able to reach with traditional media. "