French President Emmanuel Macron will convene some of the most influential figures in global entertainment on September 7 in the medieval hilltop village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence for the Lumière Summit, a landmark international event focused on the future of cinema, artificial intelligence, theatrical exhibition, and independent film financing. Co-chaired by Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, the one-day summit will bring together CEOs of major global companies, filmmakers, talent, policymakers, exhibitors, arthouse figures, and film education advocates.
Among those confirmed to attend are Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos; NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios Chairman Donna Langley; Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Dana Walden; Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group Chairman and CEO Tom Rothman; CAA co-chairman Bryan Lourd; WME partner Richard Weitz; Letterboxd CEO Matthew Buchanan; investment executive Daniel Katz; Canal+ Group CEO Maxime Saada; TF1 CEO Rodolphe Belmer; Mediawan co-founder Pierre-Antoine Capton; Pathé president Ardavan Safaee; Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Frémaux; Regal Cinemas CEO Eduardo Acuña; Cinépolis CEO Alejandro Ramírez Magaña; Vue International founder and CEO Tim Richards; and Toho Cinemas president Hiro Matsuoka. Other confirmed participants include the deans of leading U.S. film schools, including UCLA and USC.
A Historic Gathering
The summit marks the first time in a century that France will host a global conference bringing together governments and senior leaders from across the film industry. The last comparable event took place in Paris in 1926, when 435 delegates from 31 countries, including official representatives from 16 governments, gathered to discuss the future of cinema at a pivotal moment marked by the arrival of talking pictures and the rapid rise of Hollywood's studio system. A century later, the industry again finds itself at a moment of profound technological upheaval, this time driven by AI, streaming, and the creator economy. As in 1926, concrete plans will be unveiled during the summit, including the creation of an international NGO dedicated to protecting and promoting independent cinema worldwide.
Redefining Industry Collaboration
Rather than framing the conversation around the traditional rivalry between Hollywood studios, broadcasters, and streaming platforms, the summit — organized by France's National Center for Cinema (CNC) under the authority of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs — will look to redefine how governments and industry leaders can work together to preserve the economic, cultural, and democratic value of film, television, and gaming in an era increasingly shaped by social media and fragmented audiences. Themes that will be discussed include AI, the creator economy, theatrical exclusivity, new financing models, discoverability, public support, piracy, independent cinema, workforce standards, gender equality, sustainability, film preservation, and image education.
France's Creative Economy Push
The event represents the latest step in Macron's efforts to position France as a global power for the creative industries. The idea is said to have emerged after last year's Choose France investment summit, where Macron met with Sarandos and other senior film executives. Those conversations reinforced his conviction that political leaders need a direct dialogue with the entertainment industry. It also helped spur a crucial reform of France's tax rebate for international productions that now includes below-the-line costs.
The Lumière Summit also builds on Macron's broader push to develop France's creative economy during his presidency, whose second mandate ends next year. Through the France 2030 investment plan, his government has invested €350 million to strengthen film and television production, build studios, and ultimately attract big international shoots, such as "The White Lotus" Season 4 and "Emily in Paris."
A Growing Hub for Independent Media
Alongside boasting Europe's largest theatrical box office market, France is now home to some of the world's biggest independent media consolidators, including Banijay, which recently acquired All3Media, and Mediawan, which recently completed its merger with North Road and is reportedly eyeing Lionsgate. Last month, France was also named Creative Country of the Year at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, underscoring the country's growing influence across the global creative industries.
Speaking at Cannes Lions in June, Macron previewed the Lumière Summit, calling it "a perfect rendez-vous" for French creativity. "It will be an opportunity to celebrate with our South Korean friends the richness of the cinematographic creation of our two countries, and it will be a perfect rendez-vous for this French creativity," Macron said. "You will see, beyond what you already recognized and celebrated through this award, that we can go further and be even more creative."
France has indeed ranked as Europe's leading destination for foreign investment for seven consecutive years, while this year's Choose France summit secured €93 billion in pledged investments, particularly in AI and data infrastructure. The Lumière Summit is expected to further cement France's role at the intersection of culture, technology, and policy, offering a rare platform for dialogue between the highest levels of government and the entertainment industry's most powerful decision-makers.
The choice of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a village renowned for its artistic heritage and its appeal to figures like Marc Chagall and Yves Montand, underscores the symbolic weight of the summit. It is a deliberate nod to the historical ties between cinema and the French Riviera, which has long served as a backdrop for classic films and a haven for artists. The setting also reflects the summit's ambition to bridge the legacy of cinema with its technological future, in a location that has inspired generations of creators.
With the rise of generative AI and the growing influence of streaming giants, the summit arrives at a critical juncture for the film industry. Theatrical windows are being compressed, piracy remains a persistent challenge, and new financing models are emerging to replace traditional distribution deals. The involvement of executives from major studios, independent cinemas, and digital platforms like Letterboxd suggests a broad acknowledgment that the industry's challenges require collaborative solutions rather than competitive ones.
The participation of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung reflects the strong cultural ties between France and South Korea, which have grown closer in recent years through film co-productions and the global success of Korean cinema. South Korea's vibrant film industry, from Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" to the Netflix phenomenon "Squid Game," offers a case study in how public support and creative innovation can coexist. The inclusion of Toho Cinemas president Hiro Matsuoka also highlights the importance of Asian markets in the global film ecosystem.
The summit's focus on independent cinema is particularly significant, given the challenges independent filmmakers face in an era of consolidation and algorithmic discovery. The planned creation of an international NGO to protect and promote independent cinema worldwide could provide a much-needed support structure for filmmakers who lack access to the resources of major studios. Details of this initiative are expected to be announced during the summit, but its mere existence signals a commitment to preserving the diversity of voices in cinema.
As the summit approaches, attention will also be on the potential for concrete outcomes beyond the NGO. Discussions on AI, for instance, could lead to voluntary guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence in film production, similar to agreements being negotiated in other creative sectors. The involvement of French and South Korean governments suggests that any such guidelines might carry weight beyond individual companies, potentially influencing regulatory frameworks in Europe and Asia.
The Lumière Summit is not an isolated event but part of a broader diplomatic effort by Macron to place culture at the center of his international agenda. From the Choose France investment summit to the Cannes Lions and now the Lumière Summit, Macron has consistently sought to position France as a hub for creative industries and innovation. The €93 billion in pledged investments at this year's Choose France summit, particularly in AI and data infrastructure, demonstrates that this strategy is gaining traction.
For the film industry, the summit offers a rare opportunity to engage directly with heads of state and senior policymakers. The presence of executives from Netflix, Disney, Sony, NBCUniversal, and major theater chains indicates a willingness to participate in these conversations, even as their business models are being transformed by technology. Whether these discussions will yield tangible agreements or simply set the stage for future cooperation remains to be seen, but the sheer scale of the gathering is a testament to the importance of cinema in the global cultural and economic landscape.
In his remarks at Cannes Lions, Macron emphasized France's creativity and expressed confidence that the country could go "even further" in its creative output. The Lumière Summit is poised to be a showcase of that ambition, bringing together the people who shape what we watch, how we watch it, and how it is financed. The echoes of 1926, when cinema was on the brink of a revolution with talkies, are unmistakable. Today, the industry is again on the brink, and the discussions in Saint-Paul-de-Vence may well shape the next century of cinema.
Source: MSN News