'Artist's' kudos boost French plan

'The Artist'PARIS -- The honours triumph of "The Artist" is improving a lot more than the egos and fortunes of their creative team. The whole French market is basking within the glow from the Cesar-Oscar champion, which might maintain the nation's film subsidies. Beyond that, the film is certain to function as the shining illustration of worldwide production, advancing the advantages from last year's Oscar champion "The King's Speech." "That's a great chance for Europe," states Philippe Carcassonne at Cine@, which, with Gaumont, is creating Anne Fontaine's yet-to-be-entitled British-language debut, with Naomi W and Robin Wright. The popularity started before "The Artist," with large Gallic clothes -- Studiocanal, Wild Bunch, Gaumont, Pathe, EuropaCorp -- getting into British-language productions with bigger budgets in trendy, audience-friendly films. Even though the largely quiet "Artist" can't exactly be known as "British-language," the pic certainly features the worldwide melting pot of talent now for. A U.S. distribution deal might not be also necessary in some instances. Movies produced by French companies with budgets below $25 million could be funded and recoup without this type of deal. Strong United States B.O. simply reps "a large cherry around the cake," states Carcassonne. "French groups and independents will most likely keep trading in medium-sized indie American Films," states Vincent Maraval of untamed Bunch, which backed "The Artist," pointing towards the shingle's new James Grey film, and Guillaume Canet's "Bloodstream Ties." Studiocanal funded "Mess Tailor Soldier Spy," and it is co-financing the Coen brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis" in addition to Susanne Bier's "Serena," with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. Diving into more mainstream fare, these small-galleries find willing partners among a burgeoning bevy of indie production houses -- La Petite Reine, Quad, L'ensemble des Productions du Tresor, LGM, Why Don't You, Fidelite, Dimitri Rassam, Aton Soumache -- that are making films with artistic and social-problem heft, in addition to box office and worldwide sales ambitions. Paris-based producer Stated Ben Stated, who's creating John P Palma's "Passion" Paulo Branco, who's shepherding David Cronenberg's "Cosmopolis" and Georges Bermann, who's creating Michel Gondry's "The We and also the I," are good examples of European producers with global aims. "'The Artist' represents the power French producers are in possession of to gain access to American talent, enhance the financing in Europe and set together high-quality, creatively ambitious movies within the midbudget range for that worldwide market," states Nicolas Duval-Adassovsky at Quad Films, which created "The Intouchables," is developing the British-language remake of "Intouchables" with TWC and casting "Diamonds Dogs," the very first British-language film from "Heartbreaker's" helmer Pascal Chaumeil. Adds Quad's Yann Zenou: " 'The Artist's' situation will definitely be a reference in discussions between bankers and producers pitching unusual projects." Underlining Gaul's growing footprint around the worldwide film biz, 13 of the year's Oscars visited films with French backing. "Night time in Paris" and areas of "Hugo" lensed in France and came upon Gaul's Tax Rebate for Worldwide Production. Pathe, France's second earliest film company, co-created "The Iron Lady." And "The Artist," despite being shot in La having a U.S. crew, is -- in the end -- a French film. "The Artist's" triumph has extended in to the political arena, with French Leader Nicolas Sarkozy trumpeting the pic "demonstrates the exceptional vitality from the French cinema and also the (film) guidelines set up by public government bodies." France's first picture Oscar will bolster the arguments of authorities who offer the film subsidy system when confronted with possible austerity measures that may be put in place following a next presidential election, May 6. Additionally, the pic underlines the growing need for the Cannes Film Festival within the worldwide honours circuit. Three of the year's Academy-Award best pic challengers -- "The Artist," "The Tree of Existence" and "Night time in Paris" -- performed finally year's Cannes fest. "Paris" opened up the big event, "Existence" won the Palme d'Or and "Artist" required the actor prize after Cannes topper Thierry Fremaux knocked it up to and including Competition slot 1 week prior to the fest began. "The Artist's" win stands for Cannes' award-season role. "Producers and purchasers agents are searching to put films not only for Oscars however for a whole sequence of honours celebration. Cannes is well-situated and well-timed to become where these films premiere," states Erectile dysfunction Arentz of U.S. distributor Music Box. With Oscar challengers for example "Inglourious Basterds," "Mystic River," "Babel" and "No Country for Old Males," amongst others, bowing at Cannes, "The Oscar race can begin in Cannes," states Wild Bunch's Maraval. "Cannes is today the ce ntral platform for the standard films of the season. The U.S. industry usually favors Sundance, but the past few years demonstrated this really is wrong." The Weinstein Co. bought "The Artist" at about the time of Cannes. "We do not wait on anything," states David Glasser, Weinstein chief operating officer. "When we visit a film we love to, we purchase it immediately." The takeaway: French purchase of British-lingo photos could boom. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com