French films attracted over 1 million spectators in Turkey in 2012.
For the first time since uniFrance Films (France's international film promotion organization) began monitoring film statistics in Turkey in 1996, French films registered more than 1 million admissions in 2012 (1,156,447 to be exact), representing a rise of 130% over 2011 (502,556 admissions).
Compared to average attendance figures for the past six years (572,373 admissions), 2012 showed an increase of over 100% and far outstripped the excellent results of 2008, a triumphant year in which French films clocked up 845,198 admissions, notably due to the success of Asterix at the Olympic Games (141,688 admissions). 2012 was also a successful year in terms of market share, with French films capturing 2.6% of the 44.3 million admissions registered nationally. This is more than double the figure for 2011 (1.19%) and is also higher than in 2008, when French films' share was above 2% (2.2%).
Three titles stood out in 2012, two of which were majority French financed: Asterix & Obelix: God Save Britannia (Medyavizyon - 129,075 admissions) and Taken 2 (Fox-117,995 admissions), as well as a French minority production, Sammy 2 (UIP - 186,687 admissions). These films were the only titles to have topped 100,000 admissions and together account for 37.5 % of total admissions to French films. However, the excellent figures of 2012 are above all credited to the spectacular increase in the number of French films released in this market.
In the space of one year, between 2011 and 2012, the number of French titles released in Turkish theaters jumped from 24 (including 18 majority productions) to 51 (including 37 majority productions) in 2012. This hike is notably due to promotional efforts by uniFrance Films, such as in partnership with MARS Entertainment, allied with the Audiovisual Mission of the French Embassy. The Turkish market is clearly in a highly dynamic phase at this time, with the number of screens in the country increasing at a rapid rate (reaching 2,000 in 2012, including 24% equipped with digital technology) and, in the production sector, local films regularly securing over 50% of the market.
Looking in further detail at the success of French films in 2012, the performance of three films can be highlighted: The Intouchables (Calinos), which, although its results were considerably lower than in neighboring countries, registered 68,435 spectators, The Artist (Tiglon - 57,110), and A Monster in Paris (Tiglon - 36,932).
Over the past five years, the five most successful French films in Turkey were Asterix at the Olympic Games (141,688 admissions), Asterix & Obelix: God Save Britannia (129,075), Go West, a Lucky Luke Adventure (108,315), The True Story of Puss'n Boots (80,780), and The Intouchables (68,435).
In recent months, L'Amour dure trois ans, starring Louise Bourgoin, and Love, starring Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant, also achieved fine results.
And finally, we can mention the 3rd edition of MyFrenchFilmFestival.com, which took place from January 17 through February 17 this year. The selection of French films presented at this event, which were subtitled in Turkish for the first time this year, registered 17,000 views by Turkish web users, thanks to support from the Digiturk platform.