What Cofiloisirs does

Cofiloisirs is a French Société Anonyme founded in 1973 and wholly owned by BNP Paribas, licensed by the ACPR as a specialized financing institution (Société de Financement) under the French Monetary and Financial Code. The company provides credit and financing solutions to the cinema and audiovisual value chain, serving film producers, distributors, and cinema exhibitors across approximately 20 countries. Its product portfolio covers production financing across development, preparation, and shooting phases; international financing for cross-border co-productions; specialized financing for animation studios with multi-year timelines; and exhibition financing for cinema construction, modernization, and acquisition. Through its Cinécapital subsidiary, established in 1985, Cofiloisirs also structures and manages Sofica film investment vehicles (with over 800 Sofica investments to date) and provides valuation, acquisition, and disposal advisory for producer catalogues and collection-account management for international co-productions. The company reports more than 300 credit operations per year, over €700 million in cumulative credits extended, and 3,000+ films financed since inception, with operations anchored in Paris and supported by representatives in London (Anglo-Saxon market) and the Nordic region.

The business is relationship-driven: a Paris-based team of directors and client managers works through direct enterprise sales rather than intermediaries, with a weekly credit committee enabling rapid decisions aligned to production schedules. The customer base is composed of named French and European production companies (including Pathé Films, Chapter 2, Chi-Fou-Mi Productions, Agat Films & Cie, StudioCanal, Tresor Films, SBS Productions, ARP Selection, Silex Films, and Les Films du Poisson, among others) financing individual film and audiovisual projects. In 2025, Cofiloisirs launched the Dispositif Cofiloisirs – Ecoprod program at the Cannes Film Festival, committing €500,000 over five years to productions achieving the best Ecoprod eco-scores — embedding ESG criteria into its financing proposition and partnering with ADEME-backed Label Ecoprod certification.

There is no disclosed proprietary technology, software platform, or AI component; the digital surface is limited to the Espace Client portal for account and authorization management. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and Cofiloisirs does not publish pricing for its credit operations, which are negotiated case-by-case. Leadership was substantially renewed in 2025 with Denis Campion as Directeur Général (joining from BNP Paribas) and Sophie Marrel as Directrice Générale Déléguée, supported by specialized directors covering international series, animation, exhibition, and international co-productions.

Name

Cofiloisirs

Legal name

COMPAGNIE POUR LE FINANCEMENT DES LOISIRS ("Cofiloisirs")

Website

https://cofiloisirs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cofiloisirs is a BNP Paribas-owned, ACPR-licensed French specialty financier founded in 1973 that provides credit to film producers, distributors, and cinema exhibitors across 20 countries, and operates the Cinécapital subsidiary for Sofica structuring and catalogue advisory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cinema and Audiovisual Financing

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Co-Production & Treaty Structuring (MPADAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Co-Production & Distribution Partnerships (Pre-Sales, Output Deals) (MPABANAI)

Keywords

• Cinema financing
• Audiovisual credit
• Film production lending
• Exhibition financing
• International co-production financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Film and Audiovisual Financing: Cofiloisirs generates revenue through credit operations for film production, distribution, and cinema exhibition. The company performs over 300 credit operations annually, providing financing solutions for development, preparation, and production phases of film and audiovisual projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cofiloisirs is a French specialized credit institution providing financing for the cinema and audiovisual industry. It grants credits to film producers, distributors, and exhibitors, supports international co-productions and animation projects, and operates in roughly 20 countries. The company is licensed by the ACPR and has financed more than 3,000 films since its founding in 1973.

Product overview

Cofiloisirs operates as a financial services company specializing in cinema and audiovisual financing, offering a portfolio of credit products and financial services. Its core offerings include production financing (covering development through production phases), international financing for cross-border coproductions, animation financing for series and feature films, and exhibition financing for cinema construction and modernization. The company also operates through its subsidiary Cinécapital (sub-brand), which structures and manages Sofica film investment vehicles and provides valuation and catalog services. Additional offerings include the Espace Client secure portal for account management and the eco-production incentive program Dispositif Cofiloisirs - Ecoprod, which rewards environmentally responsible productions. Cofiloisirs benefits from BNP Paribas as its shareholder and operates under ACPR authorization as a licensed financing company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cinécapital: Subsidiary specializing in structuring and managing Sofica investments, providing financial advisory services for producers, and managing collection accounts for international co-productions since 1985.

Products and services

• Production Financing
• Distribution Financing
• Exhibition Financing
• International Co-Production Financing

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ credit operations per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Label Ecoprod (ADEME / AFNOR Certification)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Cofiloisirs partnered with the Label Ecoprod certification program to encourage eco-responsible production practices among its clients. The partnership includes a €500,000 endowment over 5 years (€20,000 per prime) for productions achieving the best eco-scores. Label Ecoprod is an audiovisual eco-production certification backed by ADEME and audited by AFNOR Certification.
• CinécapitalcoreOthersCinécapital is a subsidiary of Cofiloisirs specializing in Sofica structuring and management since 1985. It provides valuation, acquisition, and cession services for producer societies and catalogs. The subsidiary also manages collection accounts for international co-productions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Société Générale: Major French universal bank with a media, entertainment, and cinema financing division competing for the same producer and distributor clients in France and Europe. Comparable scale and product breadth in structured entertainment lending.
• Crédit Agricole: French universal bank with a dedicated media/cinema financing arm offering production credit, distribution financing, and exhibition loans. Competes head-to-head with Cofiloisirs for French audiovisual deals and has comparable corporate banking reach.
• Cinémage: One of France's largest SOFICA management firms, directly comparable to Cofiloisirs' Cinécapital subsidiary. Both structure and manage Sofica tax-incentive investments for film production; Christophe Salvaing, current Cofiloisirs Director, previously led Cinémage.
• Natixis Coficine: Specialty cinema financing arm of Natixis (Groupe BPCE) that has historically been Cofiloisirs' main French competitor for film production, distribution, and exhibition credit operations. Mads Peter Ole Olsen, now Cofiloisirs' Nordic representative, was previously at Natixis Coficine.
• Scope Invest: Belgian tax-shelter intermediation specialist for international film financing, directly comparable to Cofiloisirs in cross-border co-production structuring. Both compete for the same international producers structuring pan-European deals.

Others

• Unifrance: French organization promoting French films and audiovisual content internationally. Not a financier and therefore not a direct competitor, but a key ecosystem partner for Cofiloisirs' international co-production and distribution financing clients.

Regional players

• FFA (Filmförderungsanstalt): German federal film board administering production incentives including the DFFF rebate. Geographic alternative to Cofiloisirs in the DACH market; Cofiloisirs' international expansion ambitions overlap with German co-productions supported by FFA.
• BFI (British Film Institute): UK public body funding and supporting film production through the BFI Film Fund. Functionally analogous to Cofiloisirs' producer financing role but operating in the UK market via grants rather than credit; relevant as Cofiloisirs' UK representative (London-based) targets Anglo-Saxon productions.

Broad incumbents

• Eurimages: Council of Europe pan-European film fund supporting co-productions across member states. Complementary rather than directly competitive with Cofiloisirs, but both target international co-productions and Cofiloisirs' expertise in international aid mechanisms directly interfaces with Eurimages structures.
• CNC (Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée): France's national cinema agency that administers public subsidies, the crédit d'impôt, and production support. Distinct from Cofiloisirs as a public grant-maker rather than a credit provider, but addresses overlapping producer financing needs and sets the regulatory frame Cofiloisirs operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cofiloisirs

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cofiloisirs