Mars Films
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film distribution |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Stéphane Célérier, Valérie Garcia |
| Fate | Acquired by Vivendi in 2021 |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
Key people | Stéphane Célérier (co-founder), Valérie Garcia (co-founder) |
| Parent | Vivendi (since 2021) |
Mars Films, also referred to as Mars Distribution, is a French film company established in 2007 by Stéphane Célérier and Valérie Garcia. In 2021, Vivendi acquired the company, and its extensive film catalogue is currently overseen by StudioCanal, a subsidiary of Canal+.
History
Initially created as a distribution branch of BAC Films, Mars Films was 80% purchased by StudioCanal in 2000, functioning as its French distribution division. StudioCanal completed full ownership of Mars Films in 2002, keeping Stéphane Célérier as director until Philippe Désandré succeeded him in 2006, at which point Mars Films was rebranded as StudioCanal Distribution. During this period, it held the fifth position in the French market with a 9.7% share. Subsequently, Célérier relaunched Mars Films independently in 2007 alongside Valérie Garcia.
In September 2015, Vivendi acquired a 30% interest in Mars Films and appointed Célérier as vice-chairman of StudioCanal. Mars Films maintained its status as the fifth largest film distributor in France.
The Mars Films catalogue features popular French productions such as La Famille Bélier (which inspired the Oscar-winning CODA), Two Is a Family starring Omar Sy, and films by François Ozon and Guillaume Canet. Additionally, it distributed notable U.S. independent films within France, including 12 Years a Slave, Moonlight, I, Tonya, and several works by Woody Allen.
On August 1, 2019, Mars Films entered receivership following unpaid debts and was mandated to undergo restructuring. Later, on August 11, 2021, Vivendi acquired the remaining 70% stake from May Holding for €17.3 million and assumed control over its library exceeding 200 titles, now managed by StudioCanal. The restructuring led Mars Films to concentrate mainly on distributing existing titles from its catalogue with fewer new releases. Industry analysts observed that no other French distributor had since assumed Mars Films' pivotal role in releasing U.S. independent films.
In 2022, founders Célérier and Garcia initiated new projects: Gemma Pictures (in partnership with PGS Entertainment) and Gabman, respectively.
Selected filmography
| Release date | Title | Director(s) | French box office (admissions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Of Gods and Men | 3,204,147 | |||
| Potiche | 2,318,221 | |||
| War of the Buttons | 1,542,231 | |||
| Polisse | Maïwenn | 2,414,418 | ||
| The Players | 2,301,045 | |||
| In the House | 1,195,518 | |||
| Populaire | 1,167,403 | |||
| Renoir | 502,064 | |||
| Young & Beautiful | 712,767 | |||
| Blood Ties | 238,823 | |||
| Venus in Fur | 264,029 | |||
| In the Name of My Daughter | 300,373 | |||
| The New Girlfriend | 568,161 | |||
| La Famille Bélier | 7,450,944 | |||
| A Perfect Man | 667,261 | |||
| Diary of a Chambermaid | 333,118 | |||
| Dark Places | 239,160 | |||
| One Wild Moment | 854,153 | |||
| Frantz | 637,625 | |||
| Lolo | 906,840 | |||
| The Innocents | 702,040 | |||
| Two Is a Family | 3,237,948 | |||
| The Climb | 1,136,827 | |||
| L'Amant double | 387,829 | |||
| The Man with the Iron Heart | 242,999 | |||
| scope=row Based on a True Story | 110,940 | |||
| scope=row Just a Breath Away | 256,506 | |||
| scope=row Nothing to Hide | 1,639,781 |
U.S. Film Releases
- The American (2010)
- Greenberg (2010)
- Midnight in Paris (2011)
- Arthur Newman (2012)
- Bachelorette (2012)
- Promised Land (2012)
- Spring Breakers (2012)
- To Rome with Love (2012)
- 12 Years a Slave (2013)
- Blue Jasmine (2013)
- Don Jon (2013)
- Twenty Feet from Stardom (2013)
- Foxcatcher (2014)
- Magic in the Moonlight (2014)
- While We're Young (2014)
- Irrational Man (2015)
- Jane Got a Gun (2015)
- 20th Century Women (2016)
- All I See Is You (2016)
- Café Society (2016)
- Captain Fantastic (2016)
- The Last Face (2016)
- Loving (2016)
- Moonlight (2016)
- Triple 9 (2016)
- The Circle (2017)
- Disobedience (2017)
- I, Tonya (2017)
- It Comes at Night (2017)
- Wonder Wheel (2017)
- If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
- Life Itself (2018)
- On the Basis of Sex (2018)
- Tully (2018)
- Vice (2018)
- A Rainy Day in New York (2019)