French Film Festival UK: doubling audiences
The brief
The French Film Festival UK, the only event of its kind celebrating Francophone cinema across the UK, was seeking an experienced marketer to lead promotional activity for its 33rd edition. The goal was to deliver a marketing plan aligned with the festival’s strategy - driving ticket sales, growing audiences for public and school screenings, and elevating the profile of the festival nationally.
Our role
We delivered a 12‑week campaign to boost visibility and engagement. Work included planning and coordinating marketing activity, producing print and digital materials for five venues, and aligning local venue campaigns with national launches and live festival moments. We also met with key Scottish venue teams to liaise about local plans.
The campaign involved refreshing website content for the new season, negotiating sponsorship and advertising deals, and working with a web developer to create new online advertising spaces for sponsors. We managed sponsor assets, produced new creative including posters, email newsletters and social media, and led outreach across community groups for specific film titles — from Armenian and French‑language audiences to musicians, LGBT+ communities and schools — alongside hyperlocal press and influencers.
The results
The festival saw a major rise in reach and engagement, with overall audiences almost doubling compared to 2024 and strong growth at flagship venues including the French Institute in Scotland. New sponsorship and advertising partnerships were secured — including TV5Monde and French businesses.
Outreach through French‑language clubs, Armenian networks, and LGBT+ organisations such as My Queer Diary and Trans+ helped broaden the festival’s audience diversity and visibility. Media and influencer coverage featured in outlets including The Edinburgh Reporter, Edinburgh Minute, and Gayle’s Guide - which highlighted family-friendly programming. Cinema Worms provided critical reviews of several films, while sci-fi authors previewed, attended, and reviewed key titles. Accessibility was also a focus, with HOH screenings promoted via Accessible Screenings UK.
