Canal+ sanctions signatories of open letter against Vincent Bolloré at Cannes
On the eve of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, 600 film professionals published an open letter expressing fears of Vincent Bolloré's increasing control over French cinema. In response, Canal+, the group's main film financier owned by Bolloré, announced it would cease working with the letter's signatories. The debate features director Pierre Salvadori, whose film "La Vénus électrique" opened the festival out of competition, Stéphane Demoustier, director of "L'Inconnu de la Grande Arche" (2025) and co-president of BLOC, and Kira Kitsopanidou, professor at Université Sorbonne Nouvelle specializing in film economics. The controversy raises questions about the independence of French cinema amid Bolloré's broader cultural influence.
Key facts
- 600 film professionals signed an open letter at the 79th Cannes Film Festival
- The letter warns of Vincent Bolloré's takeover of French cinema
- Canal+, owned by Bolloré, is the largest film financier in France
- Canal+ announced it will no longer work with the letter's signatories
- Pierre Salvadori's film 'La Vénus électrique' opened the festival out of competition
- Stéphane Demoustier co-presides BLOC, a coalition of 14 independent film organizations
- Kira Kitsopanidou is a film economics professor at Université Sorbonne Nouvelle
- The controversy echoes Bolloré's previous influence in press and publishing
Entities
Artists
- Pierre Salvadori
- Stéphane Demoustier
- Kira Kitsopanidou
- Vincent Bolloré
Institutions
- Canal+
- Festival de Cannes
- Société des réalisatrices et réalisateurs de films (SRF)
- BLOC
- Université Sorbonne Nouvelle
- Diaphana distribution
Locations
- Cannes
- France