French films continued to attract audiences worldwide in 2025, according to initial figures revealed by Unifrance on the occasion of its 6th Export Day. The year’s results reflect a pattern of stability in line with 2023 and 2024, with total international admissions for French films estimated at 42.5 million and box office revenues around €272 million, though still short of pre-Covid levels of 2018–2019.
Notably, seven French films each attracted more than one million foreign admissions, accounting for over half of the total box office for French cinema abroad. These standout titles include the animated sensation "Flow", horror-fantasy hit "Dracula: A Love Tale", crowd-pleasing "Emilia Pérez", comedy-drama "The Marching Band", and the animated family favourite "Pets on a Train". Other strong performers were "I’m Still Here" and "Night of the Zoopocalypse", marking a mix of genres resonating with international audiences.
Animation remained a cornerstone of French success on the big screen, contributing more than 34 % of total admissions worldwide — one of the highest shares on record — and further cementing France’s reputation as a global force in animated cinema.
Beyond theaters, French works also stood out in other segments of global distribution. One in five recent feature films selected by the world’s ten major international festivals was French, underscoring the artistic appeal of French cinema and placing France as the second-most represented nationality in top festival lineups.
On international SVOD platforms, French productions made up 3.8 % of all new foreign releases, ranking France sixth among nationalities represented on global streaming services. Germany and Turkey were strong markets for new French content, and global SVOD platforms accounted for two-thirds of all new titles released abroad.
French works also maintained relevance on international television, with 6.9 % of first broadcasts of foreign content featuring French titles, making France the third-most represented nationality in that space. Spain, in particular, emerged as a leading territory for French television premieres, highlighting the continued appetite for French storytelling across linear channels.
In sum, while global cinema attendance has not yet rebounded to pre-pandemic peaks, French cultural exports — especially in animation, genre cinema and festival-worthy films — continue to perform strongly across multiple international markets in 2025.
French Content Maintains Strong Global Performance in 2025
