Frances big TV Rendez-Vous is on the move.
The market is where French TV distributors show off the best of their wares to international buyers.
Theres an ongoing discussion about programs, you tell people what youve just seen.
Unifrance’s Daniela Elstner, Le Havre, France.Marie Rouge/Martin Falbisoner
People have meetings arranged, but this adds something, this informal element is quite unique.
DEADLINE:Rendez-Vous is hitting 30.
How has the way that buyers screen and preview content changed over time?
But buyers can get overwhelmed by all the links and web screenings.
I think its a very different thing at the Rendez-Vous.
DEADLINE:What was behind the move to Le Havre?
ELSTNER:Actually, its very simple.
We wanted to move from Biarritz partly for budgetary reasons.
We also wanted more support from the city we chose.
After we gave our Board the choices, everyone said: We go to Le Havre.
Its a very different city to Biarritz.
There is a different energy.
Its a very modern city, in a way.
Edouard Philippe is coming to the opening.
DEADLINE:Where markets are situated in the calendar is very important.
Tell us about your calendar moment given the proximity to Mipcom and other big get-togethers later in the year.
It means theyve already seen all the new French programs.
Thats really very convenient for everyone.
DEADLINE:How are attendance numbers looking with the move to Le Havre?
ELSTNER:We have pretty much the same numbers.
In recent years we have added the Gala Screening and we have events in different locations every evening.
DEADLINE:The Le Havre Rendez-Vous is organized by Unifrance after the merger with TVFI.
How do you reflect on that change a few years on?
ELSTNER:It changed with the global platforms.
And at the same time, we had saw people from cinema going to TV.
We do the communication together and we do things together, but we also do things totally separately.
We still have two legs, but its really two legs and one body.
TheUnifrance Rendez-Vousin Le Havre takes place September 2 through 6.
