Section 3: Lapse of sums held in an automatic account

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Article 123-8

French Cinema and Moving Image CodeIn force

Updated 8 Nov 2023

The sums entered in an automatic account must be invested by the account holder within one of the time limits set as follows for each category of aid concerned:
1° In the case of automatic financial support for the production of feature films, within five years of 1 January of the year following the year in which the sums entered in the account were calculated;
2° In the case of automatic financial support for the distribution of feature films, within four years of 1 January of the year following the year in which the sums entered in the account were calculated;
3° With regard to automatic financial aid for the creation and modernisation of cinematographic establishments, within ten years from 1st January of the year following the year during which the sums entered in the automatic account or in the automatic accounts grouped into circuits were calculated;
4° In the case of automatic financial assistance for the production of audiovisual works, within two years of 1 January of the year following the year in which notification was given of their entry in the account;
5° In the case of automatic financial assistance for video publishing, within five years of 1 January of the year following the year in which the sums entered in the account were calculated;
6° With regard to automatic financial aid for online distribution, within three years from 1st January of the year following the year during which the sums entered in the account were calculated;
7° With regard to automatic financial aid for the promotion of cinematographic works abroad, within three years from 1st January of the year following the year during which the sums entered in the account were calculated.

Mariela Petrova

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Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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