Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Angoulême, france

French Government Called On To Intervene In Angoulême Comics Festival

The French Government has been called on by politicians to intervene in the future of the Angoulême Comics Festival... if it has one

Bleeding Cool got the gossip about this at the weekend, but it's now been confirmed that the national French government is getting involved regarding the future of the Angoulême Comic Art Festival, which has been so riven by scandal and accusation. and has seen boycotts organised by creators and publishers alike. René Pilato, the NFP MP for Charente, questioned Culture Minister Rachida Dati in the National Assembly about the future of the Angoulême, and then posted it on Instagram, saying "the main source for creation and cultural radiance of Charente, is facing an unprecedented crisis. For years, the private company 9e Art +, which is delegated by the festival, has been criticised for its financial opacity, as confirmed by the Regional Court of Auditors. This is added to the worrying testimony about working conditions and management choices that keep the festival far from its cultural mission. The FIBD association was on the verge of renewing the 9th Art + delegation for nine years, without transparency or consultation with authors, publishers, or financiers. Despite the response announced this morning, the decision has prompted a backlash from cultural figures, putting the fate of the next edition at stake. I call on the State to take action to entrust the management of the festival to the Cité Internationale de la Bande Dessinée, ensuring a plural, transparent and creation-oriented governance." This marks the first time this particular scandal has reached such a national political level. In response, Dati defended state support for cultural events but signalled openness to reforms, aligning with the proposed overhaul.

What overhaul? Well local Angouleme governmental bodies have stated in a press release that the Association for the Development of Comics in Angoulême or ADBDA, set up in 2017 by the Ministry of Culture, will take over from FIBD and be in charge of choosing who will take over the running of the show, in a fashion that will meet the criteria of transparency and fairness, according to L'Humanité. And that Franck Bondoux of 9eArt+, at the heart of the issues regarding the comic art festival, will not be able to apply, either through his company or elsewhere. Bondoux announced his withdrawal from the event last week but remained at the head of the companies that operated the festival. The new operating structure intends to give more space to comic book creator unions, and would have only one seat at the FIBD Association, whose president, Delphine Groux, would be excluded from decisions concerning the future owner. Instead, her seat, by Delphine Groux's request, would be taken by one Dominique Brechoteau.

There has also been an announcement of a new "girlcott" with an open letter signed by 285 female creators stating that they "welcome the hope for new governance for the editions starting in 2028; we have many ideas, desires, and aspirations for this festival. And we will not be attending the 2026 Angoulême International Comics Festival (FIBD) organized by 9eArt+." They state that any boycott is not only about the festival's governance, but also about "taking a strong stand against the sexual and gender-based violence at the festival", the allegations that began the publisher and creator rebellion against Angoulême, when revealed by journalist Lucie Servin. The letter states, "We insist that we, women, and with us all gender minorities, are the driving force behind this mobilisation. Because we believe the Angoulême festival still falls short, whether on issues of gender-based, sexual, racist, ableist, or LGBTphobic violence. "

The local governmental partners stated that the comic book union, the ADBDA, will take into account the expectations expressed regarding the future of Angoulême, in particular the defence of authors' rights, the guarantee of exhibition rights, the improvement of conditions, but also transparency in the organisation. And in an attempt to get the boycotts called off, they state "We envision that this 2026 edition could be that of the historic refounding of the Festival: we propose to the professionals that the general assembly of the new ADBDA be held in Angoulême during this edition, accompanied by working sessions on the conditions for welcoming professionals, the fight against sexual and gender-based violence and harassment is a priority in the selection of candidates an dpart of the future competitive process for the choice of the new organizer." More, much more to come…

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