Plan your production

France enjoys a breath-taking range of locations, from natural landscapes to iconic monuments.

Film France CNC has developed, along with its network of local film commissions a free national database with over 20,000 filming locations all over France and its overseas territories.

A free professional account gives you immediate access to :

• • More locations

• • More pictures

• • Contacts

• • Logistical and technical information

• • Possibility to simply create locations portfolios even before going on location

You may also contact us for suggestions of locations based on your scenario, on a list of locations (landscapes, natural heritage, monuments, etc.) or on the types of visual atmosphere you are seeking.

Film France-CNC highly recommends foreign production to work with a French production services company who knows how to handle a shooting in France and will help you to build up your french crew.

• • They meet all the expectations of foreign productions

• • They support you to navigate within the specificities of French regulations

• • They optimize the eligibility of expenses for the TRIP

Film France-CNC has developed an online directory featuring most French line producers, specialized into handling foreign film & tv shoots (feature films, dramas, series, documentaries, commercials…) on French soil, including Corsica and overseas territories.

The information included in the various profiles of the companies has been reviewed and greenlighted by Film France and its network of local film commissions.

French crews and studios work fast with a spirit of initiative, which seduces even the most demanding directors such as Wes Anderson, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Pablo Larrain, Stephen Frears, Martin Scorsese, Steven Soderbergh, Clint Eastwood, Christopher McQuarrie, Tom MacCarthy or David Fincher.

French Studios :

• Green, Accessible & growing
• Priority to green production : waste management, low-energy, consumption buildings, carbon footprint calculations
• Virtual Sets –LED Walls techniques
• Proximity of Natural and historical landscapes
• Local Teams used to working with International productions

French VFX crews are famous for their talent and creativity, they are also trustworthy and available. They are well trained thanks to the large number of specialized training programs in France. These schools are in the ten top international animation schools.

The Tax Rebate for International Production (TRIP) is a major asset. It took an even more interesting turn for the sector with the addition in 2020 of a 10% bonus, pushing the TRIP to 40%. The 10% bonus applies to VFX-intensive projects with more than €2M of VFX-related eligible French expenditure. Once the €2M threshold is passed, the 40% tax rebate applies on all of project’s eligible spends. Be careful, animation project don’t qualify for the bonus.

French animation studios are renowned in the whole world. Their importance in the international animation landscape is due to their technical skills and also to their structural assets. Since 2015, the number of foreign projects made in France has more than doubled.

Talents come from the huge number of schools and studios present in the country. The RECA website, a network of French animation film schools lists 72 animation studios and 30 schools in France. This network enables a real diversity of talents. Whereas there are big animation companies in Paris, these companies developping themselves in others regions. This phenomenon contributes to the vitality of the animation sector throughout the country.

For all your filming projects (shorts, features, television, advertising, documentaries), each local film commission (also known as a film office), member of Film France network, provides free assistance in the following services:

• information concerning locations and pre-scouting (constitution of a database, digital photographs, etc.)
• search for crew, cast and extras (casting facilities are available in most film offices)
• administrative procedures, assistance in obtaining filming permits
• logistical and diverse information (vehicle rental, lodging, etc.)
• production office facilities and documentation
• relations with the press and local authorities