France and South Korea have unveiled a €1 billion joint investment initiative to support the film, audiovisual and wider moving-image industries, one of the key announcements to emerge from the inaugural Lumière Summit held in Saint-Paul-de-Vence on September 7. French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung co-chaired the event, the first international summit specifically dedicated to the future of cinema and the moving image. More than 200 senior executives, creators, policymakers and industry representatives from over 65 countries across five continents attended the gathering. At the heart of the announcements was the creation of the Lumière Partnership, under which France and South Korea will each commit €500 million over five years.
France's contribution will be deployed through public investment bank Bpifrance between 2027 and 2031, with South Korea making an equivalent commitment. The initiative is also open to other countries wishing to join and is intended to finance the development and international expansion of companies operating across the screen industries. “Together, we are committing one billion euros over five years to create what we have called the Lumière Partnership, an initiative dedicated to supporting the audiovisual sector and cultural sovereignty,” Macron said during the Summit. Investment under the scheme will be guided by principles including the primacy of human creativity, copyright protection and cultural diversity, at a time when artificial intelligence, new distribution models and global platforms are reshaping the economics of audiovisual production.
Artificial intelligence was one of the central issues discussed in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Macron stressed the need to retain human creators at the heart of the production process and called for stronger protection of copyright and greater transparency around AI-generated content.The broader Lumière Declaration, backed by more than 120 signatories, calls for a new form of international cooperation around the moving-image industries, based on cultural diversity, fair remuneration for creators and the central role of human creativity.
The declaration also identifies image and media literacy as a major priority. France, South Korea, Nigeria, UNESCO and other partners are expected to work towards international programmes designed to teach younger audiences how images are created, manipulated and distributed and to encourage engagement with high-quality audiovisual works from an early age.
Another significant announcement was the launch of IRIS – International Resilience Initiative for Independent Screens, a global initiative designed to support independent cinemas, distributors and networks promoting the circulation of films. France is developing the initiative alongside partners including South Korea, Morocco, Portugal and Greece. An international council of more than 40 prominent filmmakers and artists will support the initiative, including Martin Scorsese, Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola, Juliette Binoche, Isabelle Huppert, Jim Jarmusch, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Nanni Moretti, Tilda Swinton, Denis Villeneuve and Wim Wenders.
Of particular interest to the international television industry is the new Audiovisual Next Gen programme, developed by France's CNC in partnership with Netflix, RTL Group and Mediawan.The 18-month international mentoring and immersion programme will select 20 professionals under 35 from across the creative industries. Its first cohort, to be announced in January 2027, will be made up entirely of women, with the objective of improving female representation in senior positions across the audiovisual sector.
The Summit also launched the Alliance Lumière, described as the first worldwide network connecting public institutions responsible for cinema and audiovisual policy. Fifty-four agencies have already joined, with members set to meet annually in Cannes as well as at a dedicated international congress.
The announcements come as France continues to strengthen its position as an international production hub.
International productions have already generated more than €600 million in spending in France since the beginning of 2026, with the government expecting the figure to approach €1 billion by the end of the year. The growth follows changes to France's international production tax credit as well as investment in studios, facilities and training through the Grande Fabrique de l'Image programme.
(source elysee.fr)
photo:Portal Korea
