Toho Opens in France, Indonesia Launches Co-Production Fund, Cinépolis Teams With Unifrance at the Lumière Summit

Toho Europe opened a new branch in France, Indonesia unveiled an international co-production fund, and Cinépolis struck a distribution partnership with Unifrance — all announced at the first Lumière Summit in Saint-Paul-de-Vence on 7 September 2026, co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron (Variety).

The summit, hosted by France's CNC (the national film board), is described as the first international summit dedicated to the future of cinema, series and gaming (Variety; Screen Daily).

Toho Europe — the regional arm of Tokyo-based Toho Co., Ltd., founded in 1932 and known internationally for the Godzilla franchise — said the French office will serve as a foundation for deeper engagement with France's film and animation industries (Variety). The move follows Toho Europe's acquisition of Anime Ltd. earlier in 2026, part of a broader expansion across the European market.

Indonesia's Ministry of Culture announced a new international film co-production fund with an annual allocation of up to IDR 20 billion — about $1.13 million. The fund can support up to 10 projects a year and is open to filmmakers worldwide working in co-production with Indonesian partners. The first call for submissions is expected to open ahead of the 2027 program period (Variety).

The fund was developed with support from France's CNC, tying the initiative directly to the host country's film infrastructure.

Cinépolis, the Mexico-based cinema operator active in 17 countries, formalised a new partnership with Unifrance, the organisation that promotes French cinema abroad, backed by the French government. The deal adapts the Tour de Cine Francés model — a touring festival that combines a curated film programme with commercial distribution — for rollout in India, Indonesia, Spain and Chile starting in 2027. Through the initiative, Cinépolis is marking 30 years of collaboration with France (Variety).

Five film schools — La Fémis and Gobelins Paris in France, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Germany, and the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and the USC School of Cinematic Arts in the United States — jointly signed a declaration calling for film and moving-image schools to be recognised as strategic partners in creative talent development. Separately, the Sundance Institute and UCLA announced a five-year talent development partnership addressing what they called a "hidden curriculum" in the industry — the unwritten rules and networks that shape who gets ahead.

The City of Montpellier revealed plans for a new international video game festival, targeting a first edition in 2028.

The announcements at Saint-Paul-de-Vence span three continents and cut across production, distribution and training. A Japanese studio planting a flag in France, a Southeast Asian government opening its wallet to foreign partners, and a Latin American exhibition chain exporting a French festival model to Asia and the Americas — each is a deal made by people deciding what reaches screens, and where.