Film at Lincoln Center president Daniel Battsek is focusing on initiatives to draw younger cinephiles to foreign-language films amid a challenging U.S. box office. The annual Rendez-Vous With French Cinema showcase, which began on March 5, highlights contemporary French titles and fosters networking between filmmakers and distributors. Battsek notes growing enthusiasm among under-35 audiences despite post-pandemic hurdles for arthouse theaters.
Film at Lincoln Center has seen enthusiastic crowds of young viewers at recent French movie screenings in New York’s Walter Reade Theater. However, Daniel Battsek, who joined as president last May with production credits on films like “Poor Things” and “The Zone of Interest,” acknowledges that foreign-language movies continue to face difficulties gaining traction at the U.S. box office.
The Rendez-Vous With French Cinema, co-organized with Unifrance, opened on March 5 featuring screenings of titles such as François Ozon’s “The Stranger,” Arnaud Desplechin’s “Two Pianos,” and Olivier Assayas’ “The Wizard of the Kremlin.” The event includes masterclasses with filmmakers on college campuses and opportunities for French sales agents to connect with U.S. distributors.
Battsek highlighted the diversity of the projects: “It was exciting to see such a variety of different material,” he said. “Just a huge variety of cinema that France represents, both as a co-producer, but also with French talent, with filmmakers like Desplechin and Assayas; but also a new breed of young filmmakers who choose subjects that represent the diversity of France and the diversity of cinema.”
Dylan Leiner of Sony Pictures Classics pointed to France’s global influence, stating, “All five of the nominated international films this year have French money in them,” and noting that about 30% of the 86 films submitted for the Oscar international feature category involve French financing.
Post-pandemic, older arthouse patrons have returned slowly, but younger demographics are emerging. Battsek observed that at the New York Film Festival, the audience is now substantially under 35. He attributes this to streaming exposure and social media sharing: “They’ve seen a lot more movies through streaming than they would have done ordinarily, and are now ready to come out and experience those films in the cinema.” Younger viewers also value events, 4K restorations, and 35mm prints.
Battsek emphasized enhancing theater experiences to compete in entertainment options, suggesting festivals like Rendez-Vous create special events with filmmakers present. He welcomes French directors working in English, as in Assayas’ film starring Jude Law and Paul Dano, and noted U.S. interest in cultural windows into France, beyond period pieces like “De Gaulle,” “The Count of Monte Cristo,” and “Les Miserables.”
