PostED ON 21.10.2022

Vincent Thiéry, Regional Director of BCEF Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, tells us about BNP Paribas' support for the Lumière Film Festival and the cinema in general.

How would you describe the partnership between BNP Paribas and the Lumière Film Festival?
BNP Paribas has had a long-standing partnership with the Institut Lumière and the Lumière Film Festival since its inception 14 years ago. We have been lucky enough to support the development of the Lumière Film Festival, which has become a key event in the 7th art by promoting heritage cinema. The partnership has enabled us to build great synergies over the years in our region. The cinema is a vector for solidarity actions in the metropolitan area, such as the organisation of screenings for hospitalised children. We are also keen to offer festivalgoers a fun space on our stand in the Village Lumière, which I recommend you visit. It is also an opportunity for us to invite our clients to major events such as the Lumière Award Ceremony. In total, some 600 clients are invited each year to special evenings or movie screenings!

When did BNP Paribas and the cinema start working together?
For over 100 years, BNP Paribas has had a shared history with the cinema. It began with the specialisation of our core business, which today results in the direct or indirect financing of more than half of all productions in France. Over the years, the group's support for the cinema has expanded. The development of a network of partnerships aims to support the entire chain that fuels the 7th art and its industry. From the script to the theatrical release, BNP Paribas makes them a priority, and supports the works, this ecosystem and its future.  Our ambition is to perpetuate this link between the cinema and its audiences and to support the industry as a whole. We believe in the talent of the new generation, both among filmmakers and film lovers.

Can you tell us about some of BNP Paribas' recent concrete actions in the field of cinema?
Through our activities of ‘We Love Cinema’, our affiliation with festivals, partner films and other premieres organised in France, we have invited more than 100,000 people to movie theatres over the past year. We are working to encourage all our audiences, clients, employees, film fans and young people from our partner associations to experience the thrill of the big screen!

At the same time, we are supporting the next generation of filmmakers through our partnerships with two film schools: La Fémis and 1000 visages, and through the BNP Paribas New Talent Fund. Created in 2018, this fund supports first or second feature film productions through financial support and visibility. Five films have already been supported by the fund, including Vincent Cardona's ‘Magnetic Beats’ (‘Les Magnétiques’), which won the César Award for best first film, and Guillaume Renusson's forthcoming debut, ‘White Paradise’ (‘Les Survivants’), slated for release on 4 January 2023. We are delighted to be able to support them.

On a personal note, as a ‘regional participant’, what is your favourite memory of the Lumière Film Festival?
Every year, I look forward to Opening Night. The first time I went, I was impressed by the very enthusiastic crowd in the Halle Tony Garnier. The ambiance and the proximity with the actors make the atmosphere both impressive and very relaxing. For me, it is always a unique and special moment!

Interview by A. D.