French cinema was shaken to its core just days ahead of the iconic Cannes Festival that took place between 12-23 May, as more than 600 professionals signed a petition protesting against the ever-growing hold of conservative businessman Vincent Bolloré on the country's film industry.
Hollywood stars Javier Bardem and Ken Loach are among those who have since added their names to the petition, which includes names such as esteemed French actresses Adèle Haenel and Juliette Binoche.
The petition, which now counts almost 3,500 signatures, was initiated by the collective “Zapper Bolloré”, which translates to "Zap away from Bolloré", calling out “the growing influence of the far-right” inside France’s film industry. It singles out Bolloré, who is the largest stakeholder of the country’s biggest film producer, Canal+.
The 74-year-old media mogul has been accused of using his empire to promote reactionary and far-right ideas.
In 2025, the Canal+ group announced that it had acquired a 34% stake in the UGC cinema chain, while also signalling its intention to pursue “a potential takeover” of the group in 2028.
