Former TF1 chief Gilles Pélisson re-elected as president of cinema and TV body Unifrance

Gilles Pélisson has been re-elected for a second term as president of Unifrance, the organisation responsible for promoting French cinema and television worldwide.

Gilles Pélisson

Pélisson’s re-appointment was agreed by Unifrance’s board of directors on July 1 and means he will continue in his post for a further three years.

The move comes ahead of Unifrance’s audiovisual market held in September in Le Havre, when it will reveal its latest set of French content export figures. These reached a record high in 2024, increasing by 3% on the €203.4m made in 2023, which was down 5.3% on €214.8m in 2022.

Commenting on his re-election, Pélisson said: “Building on the progress we have made together, I am looking ahead to our future – with some certainties but also many unknowns – and am convinced of the validity of our mission to promote French cinema and audiovisual works internationally.”

Founded in 1949, Unifrance is supported by the French National Centre of Cinema, part of the French Ministry of Culture, and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and represents over 1,000 French industry professionals, including, producers, directors, screenwriters and distributors.

It holds several important annual industry events to promote international distribution and visibility of French audiovisual content. In recent years it has expanded its digital footprint and revamped its flagship events, including Rendez-Vous in Paris, an annual event held in January, which last year for the first time brought film and television sellers under one roof.