AceShowbiz - The head of Canal+ has announced a firm stance against cinema professionals who signed a petition criticizing the influence of the channel’s right-wing billionaire owner, Vincent Bolloré.

More than 600 notable figures from the French film industry, including actors Juliette Binoche, Adèle Haenel, and Swann Arlaud, alongside directors Sepideh Farsi and Arthur Harari, endorsed an open letter expressing concern over Bolloré’s expanding control over French cinema and his political leanings.

The letter, published earlier this week, warned that placing French cinema under the ownership of a far-right billionaire risks not only the homogenization of films but also a "fascist takeover of the collective imagination." It specifically reacted to Bolloré’s plans to fully acquire UGC, France’s third-largest cinema chain, which the signatories viewed as a dangerous consolidation of power.

Through his media conglomerate Vivendi, Bolloré owns Canal+, France's largest pay-TV provider, and Studiocanal, Europe’s leading film production company. His empire also includes CNews, a widely viewed French news channel criticized by left-wing figures for allegedly promoting far-right viewpoints.

The signatories highlighted the danger of Bolloré controlling the entire film production pipeline, from financing to distribution and exhibition. They cautioned that while his ideological influence on film content has been subtle so far, this is unlikely to remain the case.

Responding to the petition at a producers’ brunch during the Cannes Film Festival, Maxime Saada, head of Canal+, called the petition an injustice to the Canal+ teams who strive to maintain the channel’s independence and diversity. He declared that Canal+ will no longer collaborate with any of the petition’s signatories.

Saada criticized the petition for branding Canal+ teams as "cryptofascists," stating, "I don't want to work with people who call me a cryptofascist."

In a 2022 senate hearing, Bolloré denied using his media holdings to promote any political agenda, insisting his focus is solely on profitability and boosting French cultural influence internationally.

This confrontation highlights a growing rift in the French film industry over ownership, political influence, and the future direction of cinema in France amid concerns about media consolidation under politically charged leadership.