The Champs-Élysées Film Festival, a notable Parisian event championing independent French and American cinema, has officially come to an end following a controversial 14th edition and escalating internal disputes within the Dulac Cinémas group.
Sophie Dulac, the festival’s founder and head of Dulac Distribution and Dulac Cinémas, announced the “difficult decision” to halt the festival. She cited a combination of factors: press scrutiny, “heavy consequences” stemming from public backlash, the progressive closure of cinemas along the Champs-Élysées, and a lack of financial support.
The decision follows an especially tumultuous 2024 edition in June, sparked by the dismissal of Jean-Marc Zekri, long-time director of Reflet Médicis Cinema. His firing provoked outrage within the French indie film community, leading to a petition signed by over 300 film professionals, including Mathieu Amalric, Radu Jude, and Bertrand Bonello.
Major French outlets Le Monde and Libération published investigative reports detailing toxic work conditions, anonymous staff testimonies, and concern over the group’s increasing commercialization, which critics claim is at odds with its historic commitment to diverse and independent cinema. Dulac denied these allegations, but the damage to the group’s reputation was significant.
During the festival, jury presidents Alice Winocour and Jonathan Millet resigned in protest, while director Louise Hémon, accepting the Critics’ Prize for The Girl in the Snow, used her speech to condemn Zekri’s dismissal and spotlight broader issues affecting independent cinema in France.
Despite the internal drama, the festival continued with its public awards and press jury decisions, but the events cast a shadow over what had once been one of Paris’ most promising film festivals.
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Founded in 2012, the Champs-Élysées Film Festival sought to create a transatlantic bridge between American and French independent cinema. Its early years were marked by high-profile guests like Keanu Reeves, Agnès Varda, Jeremy Irons, and Ari Aster, and initiatives like US in Progress and the Paris Coproduction Village. However, post-pandemic shifts and mounting controversies gradually diminished its industry standing.
In her closing statement, Dulac emphasized a restructuring of her company, stressing a renewed commitment to operating “with respect, listening, and dialogue.” She reaffirmed the value of Dulac Distribution’s editorial line and the cultural role of cinemas as spaces of exchange and discovery.
Upcoming releases from Dulac Distribution include Once Upon A Time In Gaza (Cannes Un Certain Regard Best Director winner), Sudan, Remember Us by Hind Meddeb, and Fatih Akin’s Amrum, continuing Dulac’s investment in global and thought-provoking cinema.
While the end of the Champs-Élysées Film Festival marks a significant loss for the Paris film scene, its legacy and controversies will likely fuel continued conversation around labor practices, independent cinema, and the future of film festivals in France.
