France and South Korea Pledge 1 Billion Euros for Cinema Threatened by AI

France and South Korea have announced a joint 1 billion euro fund to support the film and audiovisual industry, which they say is under threat from generative artificial intelligence and falling cinema revenues. The announcement came on September 7, 2026, at the first-ever Lumière Summit in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, where more than 200 filmmakers, studio executives and policymakers from 60 countries debated the future of cinema in the age of AI.

First Summit of Its Kind

The summit was held at the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, in the Alpes-Maritimes, hosted jointly by France and South Korea. Organizers compare it to major international climate summits, except the subject here is not the environment but the survival of cinema as an economic and cultural sector. Attendees included representatives of Hollywood studios, including Sony Pictures and Disney, heads of television channels such as Canal+, streaming platforms, and distributors from Nigeria and Mexico.

French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung personally opened the proceedings alongside their countries' culture ministers, Catherine Pegard and Chae Hwi-young. It is the first such large-scale diplomatic initiative jointly organized by two states devoted entirely to the future of the film industry.

A Billion Euros to Defend the Industry

At the heart of the announcements is the Lumière Partnership, through which France will mobilize 500 million euros via the public investment bank Bpifrance between 2027 and 2031, while South Korea has pledged a comparable financial commitment. Combined, that amounts to 1 billion euros earmarked for developing companies in film, television and animation. The initiative is meant to remain open to other countries joining in the future.

Alongside the French-Korean fund, organizers also announced the IRIS initiative, the International Resilience Initiative for Independent Screens, with a budget of 30 million euros. It is meant to support independent cinemas, distributors and distribution networks in partner countries - Morocco, South Korea, Portugal and Greece. IRIS will be overseen by an international council of more than 40 filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese, Juliette Binoche, Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola, Denis Villeneuve and Wim Wenders.

Artificial Intelligence at the Center of the Dispute

Generative AI was the main point of contention at the talks. Critics accused AI models of training on films and series without creators' consent or compensation, and Macron warned that replacing authors with technology would be a serious mistake. Participants adopted three principles meant to bind signatories of the agreement: the primacy of human creativity, respect for copyright, and protection of cultural diversity.

If we fail to respond effectively to these changes, we will, without any doubt, face a crisis. - Emmanuel Macron, President of France

To open an era in which artificial intelligence develops in a more responsible way. - Lee Jae-myung, President of South Korea

Who Was Missing From the Table

Notably absent were the largest AI companies and YouTube, even though they were precisely the target of criticism from summit participants for competing with audiovisual creation without contributing to its financing. YouTube declined the invitation, and organizers made no secret of their disappointment at the platforms' unwillingness to discuss rules for coexisting with the film industry.

Cannes Film Festival delegate Thierry Frémaux stressed the symbolic significance of the meeting taking place at all, regardless of its concrete financial outcomes. Additional initiatives included the Audiovisual Next Gen program for twenty professionals under the age of 35 - whose first edition in January 2027 will be open exclusively to women - and the Alliance Lumière, the first global forum of public film agencies, which already has 54 members.

What This Means for the Industry

For Europe's film and audiovisual sector, including Poland's, the summit signals that governments are beginning to treat the pressure generative AI puts on the creative industries as a problem requiring real money and multilateral agreements, not just declarations. The open-ended structure of the Lumière Partnership means other countries, potentially including those in Central Europe, could join the fund in coming years.

The first disbursements from Bpifrance will not begin until 2027, so the financial effects for producers and distributors will be delayed. Also crucial will be whether the principles adopted in Saint-Paul-de-Vence translate into concrete regulations on training AI models using copyrighted film material, or remain a non-binding declaration.