188.8m admissions and 45.7% market share for French film
According to estimations published by the National Film Centre (CNC), 2008 was an excellent year for audience figures in France, with a total of 188.82m admissions, representing an increase of 6.2% compared to 2007.
This score is the second highest in the past 24 years, behind the 2004 record of 195.53m viewers. In 2008, French theatres amassed an estimated €1.12bn in takings (for an average admission price of €5.95 according to the FNCF.
Moreover, as in 2006 and for the second time since 1986, the market share for French films (45.7% in 2008 compared to 36.5% in 2007) exceeded that of US features, which dropped from 49% to 44.5%. This high-powered duel eclipsed other world cinemas, whose market share fell from 14.4% in 2007 to 9.9% in 2008.
This outstanding year for French film owes a lot to the 20.4m admissions garnered by Welcome to the Sticks [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and the 6.8m viewers of Asterix at the Olympic Games [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. Three other films surpassed the 2m admissions mark: Disco (2.4m), Public Enemy Number One (Part 1) [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2.2m) and A Widow at Last [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2.2m).
Eleven other domestic features attracted between 1-2m viewers: Paris [+see also:
trailer
film profile], The Class [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carole Scotta
interview: Laurent Cantet
film profile], Public Enemy Number One (Part 2) [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Largo Winch [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Paris 36 [+see also:
trailer
film profile], The First Day of the Rest of Your Life [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Le crime est notre affaire [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (“Crime is Our Business”), Agathe Cléry [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Ca$h [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Love Me No More [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Let It Rain [+see also:
trailer
film profile].
The 2008 season ended on a positive note with December seeing a slight upturn of 1.6% compared to the same period in 2007. Indeed, the last four months of the year saw increases with respect to 2007, after four consecutive months of decline (from May-August).
(Translated from French)
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