Unifrance getting down to business
Featured Player: John Kochman
But John Kochman, an American who will take over next month as head of the 10-million Euros a year ($12 million) French film promotional body's New York bureau, is aiming to make its U.S. ops leaner, meaner -- and more business-oriented.
"It'll be completely different, a whole new Unifrance," quipped the new topper, only half jokingly, in his first interview since accepting the post.
He hasn't yet taken possession of his new office on 49th St. and Madison Avenue but Kochman, a native New Yorker who has lived in France for the past 25 years, already has designs on cutting back the org's participation in American film festivals, from some 20 today to 12 or so.
"Having a cultural presence is important but we need to be doing more on the business side," he says.
"It is a huge market that needs to be paid attention to," he asserts. French films earned $150 million at the U.S. box office last year, although the bulk of that figure was due to the English-language versions of "March of the Penguins" and Luc Besson-produced "Unleashed" and "Transporter 2." While Luc Besson probably doesn't need much help from Unifrance, smaller French releases like "High Tension," "A Very Long Engagement" and "The Chorus" could certainly benefit from increased marketing support.
It's hardly surprising that Kochman's vision is different from that of his predecessor Catherine Verret, who has ankled after more than three decades in the strategically important N.Y. job.
Kochman's an international sales vet who has spent the last 11 years brokering distribution deals with the U.S. for Studio Canal. (He will attend Unifrance's upcoming New York Rendezvous with French Cinema in that capacity). Before that he headed international sales at producer-distribber MK2.
In a sign of changing times at Unifrance, Kochman's business savvy and contacts on both sides of the Atlantic were what pursuaded prexy Margaret Menegoz to entrust the job to him -- rather than bow to pressure to appoint a politically more acceptable French candidate.
"It was the business side that made the job interesting to me," says Kochman, "and I was pleasantly surprised that they consider me as an honorary Frenchman, after all these years."
Once installed in New York with his American film producer wife and their three-year-old son, Kochman hopes he will quickly become the American eyes and ears of French film folk in their dealings with U.S. distributors.
"The two communities know each other but by being there I can be a bridge between them, and hopefully facilitate business," he says.
The French commonly complain that they are out of the loop once a U.S. distribution deal has been inked.
"I'm not going to be able to change the studios' system of accounting and reporting, but I will be able to make a nuisance of myself," asserts Kochman.
He would also like to ensure that when a French film does well in America, more noise is made about it.
"Not many people in the States are aware that 'March of the Penguins' is French made," he complains.
But it won't be all stick and no carrot for U.S. distribbers.
While Kochman may intend to take a tougher stance on promotion at festivals, he is all for Unifrance doing its bit to support theatrical promotion of French films.
"French talent doesn't travel enough in the States," he observes.
"The French artistic community is wary of the U.S., they tend to think it is a big monster that is going to devour their work. We must take the fear out of going to America."
