Vivendi & CANAL+ Make Further Investment in Films

PARIS: Vivendi has picked up a 30 percent stake in the French outfit Mars Films, which specializes in motion pictures.

Additionally, Didier Lupfer, CANAL+ Group's executive VP in charge of cinema, is appointed chairman of the CANAL+ Group affiliate STUDIOCANAL. Stéphane Célérier, the chairman of Mars Films, has been named vice-chairman of STUDIOCANAL. He will chair a monthly development committee with film opinion leaders.
 
In addition to the recent agreements with the French movie industry, Vivendi intends, with CANAL+, to step up its commitment to cinema, in particular to help the emergence of new talents. CANAL+ Group will finance and implement a number of writing workshops in order to bring out new forms of storytelling and new writers.

Jean-Christophe Thiery, the chairman of the CANAL+ Group Management Board, stated: "We are delighted to partner with Mars Films, which will make a great addition to the Group’s already strong movie operations. CANAL+ is the number one support of the French movie industry, and STUDIOCANAL is a major player in Europe. This operation is part of our plan to aggressively invest in content, particularly movies that are more than ever at the core of our strategy."
 
Maxime Saada, the CEO of the CANAL+ Group, added: "CANAL+ and STUDIOCANAL welcome the opportunity to combine their already widely recognized know-how in movies with the experience and expertise of Stéphane Célérier. Under his leadership, Mars has become a key distributor of some of the greatest names in cinema, including Woody Allen, as well as critically acclaimed and popular movies (Polisse, Des Hommes et des dieux, 12 Years a Slave, Potiche, etc.). Mars recently and successfully launched into production with La Famille Bélier. Having him among us will be a real asset."