Eigen RadarArts
Archive
Analysis

French curfews force cinemas to bring final screenings forward

French nighttime curfews have changed cinema schedules, including final screenings at Paris’s UGC Ciné Cité Les Halles. Exhibitors’ representative Richard Patry said restrictions affected around 20–30 of the country’s roughly 2,500 cinemas. Local attendance losses varied, while total admissions for the week ending Tuesday were 12 per cent above the equivalent period last year. Audiences at Les Halles had previously been evacuated before their films ended.

Arts··Evening
Two patrons heading toward a cinema exit while the projector remains on.

Les Halles brings screenings forward

Curfew restrictions have disrupted operations at the UGC Ciné Cité Les Halles cinema in Paris. Following an evening when audiences were required to leave before their films ended, the venue has brought its final screenings forward so customers can return home before restrictions begin.[1], [2]

Richard Patry, president of the National Federation of French Cinemas (FNCF), put the number affected at around 20–30 cinemas out of roughly 2,500 nationwide. He said individual venues could measure losses against their usual attendance, while the effect across the country could not be calculated precisely.[1]

Audiences were evacuated before films ended on 19 October

The evacuation at Les Halles took place on 19 October on the police prefecture’s orders. Véronique Charret, speaking for UGC, said staff had received notice of the curfew at the last minute. The order meant clearing auditoriums where screenings were still in progress, leaving some customers unable to watch their films to the end.[2]

Weekly admissions remained above last year

Attendance also varied from one day to the next. Eric Marti of cinema audience measurement company Rentrak France reported around 100,000 fewer admissions on Saturday than on the preceding Saturday. Sunday then recorded an increase of 80,000 against the previous Sunday. Patry’s weekly comparison put total admissions for the period ending Tuesday 12 per cent above the corresponding week last year.[1]

References

  1. News sourceVarietyFrench curfews restrict cinema schedules as shoots remain on alert↩1↩2↩3
  2. News sourceTéléramaParis UGC Les Halles cinema evacuated because of curfew↩1↩2

More analysis from this desk

View all Brief analyses from the Arts desk →