While the Cannes Film Festival opened its doors a few days ago, cinema attendance is declining. In 2025, the National Center for Cinema and Animated Image (CNC) recorded 156.2 million admissions, a 14% decrease from the previous year. “This is the lowest level since 1999,” according to the CNC. But what about in Franche-Comté? Here are four key points to remember.
Franche-Comté currently has 37 active cinema establishments with 121 screens. When these numbers are adjusted for population, significant geographical disparities are revealed. Haute-Saône emerges as the least well-equipped department in the region, with only 8.1 screens per 100,000 inhabitants. As a result of this low density, “the number of admissions is very low in certain rural departments,” reports the CNC. In other departments in Franche-Comté, there are between 10.2 and 11.6 screens per 100,000 inhabitants.
Nationally, the audience is slightly more feminine: 53% of viewers and 56% of admissions are women. Another observation from the CNC is that “cinema attendance is more common among higher socio-professional categories: 73.1% of them went to the cinema at least once in 2025, compared to 62.4% for lower socio-professional categories.”
The year 2024 was exceptional for French cinema, with three French films ranking at the box office. “A Little Extra” recorded 10.72 million admissions, while “The Count of Monte Cristo” reached 9.39 million admissions. “Crazy Love” was also a major success that year, with 4.83 million admissions. In Jura, French films account for 55.1% of admissions. A higher proportion than in Haute-Saône (50.5%), Doubs (45.8%), and Territoire de Belfort (40.5%).
Regarding American films, some remain historical records in France. James Cameron’s “Titanic” still tops the ranking with 22.32 million admissions. He also produced “Avatar,” which ranks 6th among the biggest successes in France since 1945 (15.35 million). In Lorraine, “Territoire de Belfort has the highest share of American films among the entries recorded in 2024 (41.1%).”
Other nationalities have also made their mark on the French audience. A classic spaghetti Western, Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in the West” from 1969, has accumulated a total of 14.91 million admissions in France. “In Franche-Comté, non-French European cinema accounts for between 12% and 15% of admissions.”
In Franche-Comté, “Art and Experimental” recommended films represent up to 26.3% of entries in Jura, ahead of Doubs (23.7%), Haute-Saône (21.3%), and Territoire de Belfort (19%). The audience for these films is mainly composed of viewers aged 50 and over (50.4%), on a national scale. Higher socio-professional categories are also overrepresented (32.8%).
