Canal+ CEO bans 600 filmmakers who criticized Vincent Bolloré

Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada announced at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday that the network will cut ties with 600 signatories of a public letter denouncing Vincent Bolloré, the channel's majority shareholder. The letter, published in Libération on May 11, was written by the collective Zapper Bolloré and accused Bolloré of far-right influence over French cinema. Signatories included actors like Juliette Binoche, directors, and other film professionals. Saada called the letter an injustice against Canal+ staff and said he would no longer collaborate with those who signed. The ban threatens funding for future projects, as Canal+ provides 43% of contributions to French films, though investments dropped to €155.6 million in 2025 (down 13.7% from 2024), with a pledge to increase to €170 million by 2027. Bolloré, 74, controls Vivendi, which owns Canal+, Lagardère (including Hachette), Prisma Media, and has expanded into Italy with stakes in Mediaset and TIM. Critics point to Bolloré's track record of shifting editorial lines to conservative, as seen with CNews, often called the 'French Fox News.' The collective Zapper Bolloré denounced Saada's 'intimidating tactics' as confirming their fears about Canal+ independence. However, some industry figures like Marc Missonnier, president of the Union of Producers, criticized the letter's timing amid ongoing negotiations with Canal+. This follows a similar protest by 260 authors against Bolloré's interference at Grasset, a Hachette imprint.