Societe des Realisateurs de Films (SRF)

Overview

The Societe des Realisateurs de Films (SRF) is a French association of filmmakers founded on June 14, 1968, by directors connected to the French New Wave, including Jacques Rivette, Robert Bresson, and Claude Berri. The organization has 500+ members across four colleges: Long Metrage Fiction, Long Metrage Documentaire, Court et Moyen Metrage, and Animation. The SRF is best known internationally as the organizer of the Quinzaine des Cineastes (formerly Quinzaine des Realisateurs) at the Cannes Film Festival, an independent parallel section that has premiered landmark films by directors including Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog, and Wim Wenders.

For French directors, SRF membership provides professional community, advocacy on creative rights, and participation in the French film culture the organization has shaped since 1968. For international filmmakers, a Quinzaine selection at Cannes provides a premiere platform with genuine international market visibility, curated independently of the official Cannes selection committee.

Membership and Fees

SRF membership is open to all filmmakers. The organization charges annual dues scaled to a director's career stage:

The SRF's structure divides members into four colleges representing different formats: Long Metrage Fiction, Long Metrage Documentaire, Court et Moyen Metrage, and Animation. Each college has a delegate representing its members on the Board of Directors.

Leadership (2025-2026)

The SRF held its annual general assembly on September 13, 2025, at La Femis, electing a new Board of Directors. The current leadership includes three co-presidents: Julie Bertuccelli, Sylvain Desclous, and Zoe Wittock. Cedric Klapisch serves as vice-president for his fourth consecutive term. Isabelle Brocard is secretary and Pierre H. Ollier is treasurer.

College delegates for 2025-2026:

• Long Metrage Fiction: Stephane Demoustier
• Long Metrage Documentaire: Joseph Paris
• Court et Moyen Metrage: Xavier Delagnes
• Animation: Vergine Keaton

Quinzaine des Cineastes (Directors' Fortnight)

The Quinzaine des Cineastes, launched at Cannes in 1969, is an independent parallel section programmed by the SRF separately from the official Cannes selection. The section was renamed from "Quinzaine des Realisateurs" to "Quinzaine des Cineastes" in June 2022 to be more inclusive. Julien Rejl has served as artistic director (delegue general) since 2023, succeeding Paolo Moretti (2019-2022).

The Quinzaine's programming identity is adventurous, director-centered, and internationally diverse. It has a history of championing first-time filmmakers. A Quinzaine selection gives films a Cannes platform with curatorial credibility independent of the festival's official competition. Distributors and sales agents track Quinzaine selections as signals of directorial quality.

Carrosse d'Or

Since 2002, the SRF has awarded the Carrosse d'Or (Golden Carriage) annually at the opening ceremony of the Quinzaine des Cineastes. The prize honors a filmmaker who has marked the history of cinema through audacity, rigor, and uncompromising directing. Past recipients include Martin Scorsese (2018), Werner Herzog (2017), Jane Campion (2013), Agnes Varda (2010), David Cronenberg (2006), Jia Zhangke (2015), and Souleymane Cisse (2023). The award is a bronze statuette created by sculptor Lili Legouvello, inspired by the Commedia dell'Arte and Jean Renoir's film The Golden Coach (1952).

Other SRF Programs

Beyond the Quinzaine, the SRF organizes:

• Rencontres internationales du moyen metrage de Brive: A medium-length film festival held in Brive-la-Gaillarde since 2004
• Directors' Club: A monthly cine-club where an SRF filmmaker discusses a heritage film that influenced them
• Ecole de la SRF: Masterclasses on directing craft and mise en scene
• Soirees Court(e)s: Screening events for members' short films
• Ateliers de la SRF: Monthly workshops on practical aspects of writing and filmmaking

The SRF is also present at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival.

Authorship Advocacy and Droit d'Auteur

The SRF's advocacy operates within France's droit d'auteur (author's right) legal tradition, which grants directors moral rights and proportional remuneration entitlements. These rights are more robust than the work-for-hire frameworks common in the US and UK. The SRF monitors legislative and regulatory developments affecting directors' rights and participates in cultural policy debates shaping French and European audiovisual law.

The SRF participates in FERA (Federation of European Audiovisual Directors), which coordinates directors' advocacy across EU institutions. The organization engages with the CNC (Centre national du cinema et de l'image animee), France's national film agency, on policy matters affecting directors.

Historical Context

The SRF's founding in 1968 was directly connected to the political and cultural upheaval of May 1968 in France. A group of directors demanded and achieved the cancellation of that year's Cannes Film Festival in solidarity with striking workers and students. The removal of Henri Langlois from the Cinematheque Francaise and his subsequent reinstatement thanks to filmmakers' support, along with the Etats Generaux du Cinema held in Suresnes, were the events that led to the SRF's creation. The organization emerged from this moment committed to cinema as cultural expression rather than purely commercial entertainment.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For French Directors

SRF membership provides professional community, advocacy support on creative rights, and connection to the French film culture the SRF has shaped since 1968. Membership is open to any filmmaker, with dues scaled to career stage. The four-college structure ensures representation across fiction, documentary, short film, and animation formats.

For International Filmmakers

A Quinzaine des Cineastes selection at Cannes provides a premiere opportunity with international market visibility. The Quinzaine is programmed independently of the official Cannes selection, with a curatorial focus on directorial voice and discovery. Submitting to the Quinzaine is separate from submitting to the official Cannes selection. The SRF's artistic director and selection committee curate the program based on their own editorial vision.

For Producers and Sales Agents

The Quinzaine's curatorial reputation means distributors and sales agents track its selections closely. Films premiered at the Quinzaine have historically secured international distribution and launched directors' careers. The section does not offer cash prizes but provides a Cannes-platform premiere with industry attendance and press coverage.

See Also

For the European directors federation the SRF participates in, see FERA in this directory. For the Cannes Film Festival context in which the Quinzaine des Cineastes operates, see the Film Awards Directory. For the CNC (France's national film agency), see CNC France in this directory. Use the Indie Film Budget Calculator to plan production budgets for films targeting festival premiere strategies.