A look back at the inaugural edition of PREVIEW, the new film-industry event aimed at content creators. Four distributors unveiled parts of their upcoming slates during the gathering organized by Cine Group.
Following the exhibitors, film distributors are now turning their attention to a different audience: content creators. On Tuesday, October 6, Cine Group, in partnership with the Club AlloCiné, staged the first PREVIEW — an event designed to show content creators footage and materials from forthcoming films.
PREVIEW follows the annual FNEF (Fédération Nationale des Éditeurs de Films) Day held every September in Deauville, where distributors traditionally screen their lineups and exclusive clips for theater operators.
Laurent Cotillon, Cine Group’s Deputy CEO for Media and Strategy, decided to adapt that model and offer distributors a dedicated occasion to reach specialized content creators. The format lets distributors present their films and campaigns directly to creators, giving them early access to images and sequences before those materials reach the general public.
Pathé: focus on Ladj Ly’s Le Diable noir
At this first edition, several distributors revealed footage from upcoming releases. Pathé, for example, screened exclusive clips from Albert Dupontel’s next film Il faut brûler maman, which opens November 11; Bong Joon Ho’s animated project Ally; Florian Zeller’s Bunker, featuring Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem; Guillaume Canet’s Karma, due in theaters on October 21; and the much-anticipated Le Diable noir by Ladj Ly.
Producers Dimitri Rassam, Toufik Ayadi and Christophe Barral were on hand to introduce Le Diable noir, slated to arrive in theaters on October 13, 2027. Described as “a large-scale fresco about youth that wants to change the world,” the film adapts Ruben del Rincón’s graphic novel and explores the little-known youth of Thomas Alexandre Davy de La Pailleterie Dumas, father of the famed writer Alexandre Dumas. The cast includes Théo Christine, François Civil, Vincent Cassel and Omar Sy.
Gaumont: focus on L’Affaire Marie-Claire
Marion Walsh, Gaumont’s marketing director, took the stage to present the distributor’s extensive lineup. Late-year highlights include Éric Judor’s comedy Le Roi du Game, opening October 21; L’Affaire Marie-Claire, featuring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Cécile de France; and Stéphane Brizé’s new film Un bon petit soldat, starring Vincent Lindon and Alba Rohrwacher, arriving November 25.
Gaumont’s slate for 2027 continues with Louis-Julien Petit’s En haut de la pile, François Ozon’s Le Mal est fait with Pio Marmaï, À double tour with Baptiste Lecaplain and José Garcia, and the animated feature Dans les nuages, which boasts a starry vocal cast including Alain Chabat and Céline Dion. The animation will also include an exclusive song by Dion; audiences will have to wait about a year to hear it when the film is released.
Exclusive footage from Franck Dubosc’s 5h48, place des Martyrs was also shown, along with an initial image from La Neuvième Rotation, starring Alice Belaïdi, Kim Higelin, Abou Sangaré and Abraham Wapler.
Gaumont closed its presentation with a screening of L’Affaire Marie-Claire. Set to open November 4, the film revisits the 1972 trial of young Marie-Claire Chevalier, accused of illegally terminating a pregnancy after being raped. Defended by lawyer Gisèle Halimi, Chevalier’s case became a pivotal moment in the fight for abortion rights in France, preceding the legalization of abortion three years later under the Veil law.
Apollo Films: focus on Les SEGPA 3
The third session was led by French distributor Apollo Films, known for its comedies and especially the SEGPA series. The presentation opened with a recorded introduction from Ichem Bougheraba and included the debut of the SEGPA 3 trailer, which drew plenty of laughter from the audience. In the new installment, the former students have become teachers and Ichem is transferred to the Hauts-de-France — a cultural collision that inevitably evokes Dany Boon’s Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis.
Clips from Vincent Scalera’s comedy Nachav, starring Louis Peres, Brahim Bouhlel and Pierre Lottin, also generated strong reactions among the attending creators.
Apollo rounded out its preview of 2027 with presentations of Chloé Jouannet’s promising feature debut Allez ma fille, Kévin Debonne’s La Dalle, and Gilles United — the directorial debut of and starring Grégoire Ludig. In Gilles United, Ludig plays Gilles, a football fanatic who, well into his 40s, attempts a late-career push to become a professional player in hopes of winning back his ex-wife.
Studio TF1: focus on Camembert
The afternoon wrapped with a session from the young and varied distributor Studio TF1. Among its upcoming releases is Moulin by László Nemes, starring Gilles Lellouche, which will hit theaters at the end of October after being screened in competition at the recent Cannes Film Festival.
On November 18 Studio TF1 will release the comedy Camembert, led by Kristin Scott Thomas and Panayotis Pascot. Directors Matthieu Rumani and Nicolas Slomka joined the event to present their film, which centers on a heated family game of Trivial Pursuit.
The studio also unveiled the trailer for Olivier Ducray’s thriller L’Homme qui s’envola, featuring Yvan Attal, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Pierre Deladonchamps, which is scheduled for release on December 30.
Studio TF1’s early 2027 calendar includes Frédéric Quiring’s comedy Trois c’est bien on February 17, followed by Jennifer Devoldere’s Roxie au milieu on March 10, 2027. Also announced were Starlette, directed by Florent Bernard, and Montjoie from Noé Debré.
Distributors and content creators
Changes in how audiences consume movie news have altered the way films are marketed. Alongside specialist and general press, social media now plays a major role. For distributors, meeting content creators directly lets them grant early access to footage and build interest in upcoming releases.
This approach reflects a media landscape in which promoting a film is no longer confined to traditional outlets. Content creators serve as an additional channel to reach specific audiences and increase the number of touchpoints around a release.
That said, creators don’t replace film journalists. The two groups operate under different logics and produce content that serves different purposes. The press continues to offer reviews, interviews and news coverage, while creators develop their own formats and maintain a direct relationship with their communities.
For Cine Group and Club AlloCiné, this first PREVIEW was the start of an ongoing initiative. The organizers aim to repeat the event to keep fostering connections between distributors and content creators around films set to land in theaters.
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A passionate journalist, Iris Lennox covers social and cultural news across the U.S.