Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 6, 2026

Mars Films

Mars Films, also known as Mars Distribution, is a French motion picture company. It was established as an independent company by Stéphane Célérier and Valérie Garcia in 2007. It was acquired in 2021 by Vivendi, whose Canal+ subsidiary StudioCanal now operates its extensive library.

Last revised
Jun 6, 2026
Read time
≈ 8 min
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1,803 w
Citations
55
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Mars Films
Company type
SAS1
IndustryFilm
Founded18 June 2007 (2007-06-18)1
FounderStéphane Célérier
Valérie Garcia
Services
  • Film distribution
  • Film production
ParentStudioCanal (2015–present)

Mars Films, also known as Mars Distribution, is a French motion picture company. It was established as an independent company by Stéphane Célérier and Valérie Garcia in 2007. It was acquired in 2021 by Vivendi, whose Canal+ subsidiary StudioCanal now operates its extensive library.

History

A former distribution subsidiary of BAC Films,2 Mars Films was acquired at 80 percent by StudioCanal in 2000 and served as the French distribution outfit for films financed and produced by StudioCanal. In 2002, StudioCanal bought it out entirely, retaining Stéphane Célérier as head.3 Célérier was ousted in November 2006 and replaced by Philippe Désandré, with Mars Films renamed to StudioCanal Distribution. At the time, it was classed as the fifth most popular distributor in 2006 with a 9.7% market share (or 15.3m admissions for 28 titles released).45 Célérier went on to reclaim the name and set up, in 2007, an independent company with Valérie Garcia.67

In September 2015, Vivendi, the parent company of Groupe Canal+ (which operates StudioCanal), announced it had acquired a 30 percent stake in Mars Films.89 Stéphane Célérier was appointed vice-chairman of StudioCanal as part of the deal.10 At the time, Mars Films was again ranked as the fifth largest distributor in France.6

Mars Films' catalogue includes the comedy-drama La Famille Bélier, which became a hit in France and was remade into the Academy Award-winning CODA; Two Is a Family with Omar Sy; Fred Cavayé's Nothing to Hide, François Ozon's In the House, Régis Roinsard's Populaire, Guillaume Canet's Blood Ties, Costa-Gavras' Capital. It also picked up the French distribution for several successful indie titles from the U.S. such Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave, Barry Jenkins' Moonlight, Craig Gillespie's I, Tonya (2017), Matt Ross' Captain Fantastic (2016), Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers, Jeff Nichols' Loving, and Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, To Rome with Love, Magic in the Moonlight and Blue Jasmine.11

On 1 August 2019, the company went into receivership after it stopped paying creditors. It was ordered by the Tribunal de commerce de Paris to restructure.11 On 11 August 2021, minority shareholder Vivendi acquired the remaining 70% share of Mars Films from May Holding. It also acquired its library of more than 200 titles for all rights in France, which is now fully operated by StudioCanal. Vivendi's paid a total of €17.3 million in its acquisition of Mars Films and laid off its 11 employees. The court ruling stated that the company "will now be focused on the distribution of its library titles and will limit the number of new films released". Upon its restructuring, Variety wrote, "So far, no other French company has managed to fill the gap left by Mars Films as a key purveyor of U.S. independent films."121314 In 2022, Célérier went on to launch a new production company named Gemma Pictures with PGS Entertainment.15 That same year, Garcia launched her own company Gabman.16

Selected filmography

Mars Films films
Release datea Title Director(s) French box office (admissions) Ref.
22 July 2009 Totally Spies! The Movie Pascal Jardin 146,388 17
8 September 2010 Of Gods and Men Xavier Beauvois 3,204,147 18
10 November 2010 Potiche François Ozon 2,318,221 19
21 September 2011 War of the Buttons Christophe Barratier 1,542,231 20
19 October 2011 Polisse Maïwenn 2,414,418 21
29 February 2012 The Players Various 2,301,045 22
10 October 2012 In the House François Ozon 1,195,518 23
28 November 2012 Populaire Régis Roinsard 1,167,403 24
2 January 2013 Renoir Gilles Bourdos 502,064 25
21 August 2013 Young & Beautiful François Ozon 712,767 26
30 October 2013 Blood Ties Guillaume Canet 238,823 27
13 November 2013 Venus in Fur Roman Polanski 264,029 28
16 July 2014 In the Name of My Daughter André Téchiné 300,373 29
5 November 2014 The New Girlfriend François Ozon 568,161 30
17 December 2014 La Famille Bélier Éric Lartigau 7,450,944 31
18 March 2015 A Perfect Man Yann Gozlan 667,261 32
1 April 2015 Diary of a Chambermaid Benoît Jacquot 333,118 33
8 April 2015 Dark Places Gilles Paquet-Brenner 239,160 34
24 June 2015 One Wild Moment Jean-François Richet 854,153 35
7 September 2016 Frantz François Ozon 637,625 36
28 October 2015 Lolo Julie Delpy 906,840 37
10 February 2016 The Innocents Anne Fontaine 702,040 38
7 December 2016 Two Is a Family Hugo Gélin 3,237,948 39
25 January 2017 The Climb Ludovic Bernard 1,136,827 40
26 May 2017 L'Amant double François Ozon 387,829 41
7 June 2017 The Man with the Iron Heart Cédric Jimenez 242,999 42
1 November 2017 Based on a True Story Roman Polanski 110,940 43
4 April 2018 Just a Breath Away Daniel Roby 256,506 44
17 October 2018 Nothing to Hide Fred Cavayé 1,639,781 45
28 November 2018 Through the Fire Frédéric Tellier 1,014,439 46
12 December 2018 Remi, Nobody's Boy Antoine Blossier 857,515 47
20 February 2019 By the Grace of God François Ozon 915,327 48
27 March 2019 Real Love Claire Burger 102,934 49
3 April 2019 Love at Second Sight Hugo Gélin 559,126 50
29 January 2020 The Translators Régis Roinsard 279,035 51

U.S. titles

Notes

Notes

  1. The listed date refers to the film's limited or wide theatrical release in France by Mars Films, not necessarily its first screening or when it premiered.
References

References

  1. "Société MARS FILMS (MARS DISTRIBUTION - MARS EDITIONS -) à 92130 ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX - SIREN 498 632 769". annuaire-entreprises.data.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  2. Williams, Michael (29 March 1998). "BAC's Labadie launching Mars satellite". Variety. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  3. Meaux Saint Marc, Francoise (1 October 2002). "StudioCanal grabs Mars Films, gives Bac new hope". Screen International. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  4. "New director at Mars Distribution". Cineuropa. 20 November 2006. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  5. James, Alison (31 January 2007). "Vivendi posts below par results". Variety. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  6. "Back to the future: Canal+ and Mars Films join forces through StudioCanal". Cineuropa. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  7. "MARS FILMS (ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX) Chiffre d'affaires, résultat, bilans sur SOCIETE.COM - 498632769". www.societe.com. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  8. Keslassy, Elsa (29 September 2015). "Vivendi Acquires 30% of France's Mars Films as Studiocanal's President Exits". Variety. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  9. Jaafar, Ali; Tartaglione, Nancy (29 September 2015). "StudioCanal Acquires 30% Of France's Mars Films; Appoints Didier Lupfer As President". Deadline. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  10. "StudioCanal acquires 30% of Mars Films; names Didier Lupfer president". Screen International. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  11. Keslassy, Elsa (26 August 2019). "France's Mars Films Put Under Court-Ordered Financial Restructuring, Plans to Focus on Production & Scales Down Distribution (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  12. Keslassy, Elsa (20 August 2021). "Studiocanal to Operate Heavy-Hitting Mars Films Library as French Distributor Finalizes Restructuring (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  13. "Une filiale de Vivendi reprend les rênes de Mars Films" (in French). 17 August 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  14. "Mars Films chez Vivendi". www.boxofficepro.fr (in French). 18 August 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  15. Keslassy, Elsa (15 February 2022). "'CODA' Associate Producer Stephane Celerier Launches Gemma Pictures With PGS Entertainment (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  16. Keslassy, Elsa (2 November 2022). "Mars Films Co-Founder Valerie Garcia Bows Production Banner Gabman With Strong First Slate (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  17. "Totally Spies ! Le film (2009) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  18. "Des hommes et des Dieux (2010) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  19. "Potiche (2010) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  20. "La Nouvelle guerre des boutons (War of the Buttons (2012)) (2011) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  21. "Polisse (2011) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  22. "Les Infidèles (The Players) (2012) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  23. "Dans la maison (In the House) (2012) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  24. "Populaire (2012) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  25. "Renoir (2013) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  26. "Jeune & jolie (Young and Beautiful) (2013) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  27. "Blood Ties (2013) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  28. "La Vénus à la fourrure (Venus in Fur) (2013) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  29. "L\'Homme qu\'on aimait trop (In the Name of my Daughter) (2014) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  30. "Une nouvelle amie (The New Girlfriend) (2014) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  31. "La Famille Bélier (2014) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  32. "Un homme idéal (2015) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  33. "Journal d'une femme de chambre (Diary of a Chambermaid) (2015) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  34. "Dark Places (2015) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  35. "Un moment d\'égarement (2015) (2015) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  36. "Frantz (2016) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  37. "Lolo (2015) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  38. "Les Innocentes (2016) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  39. "Demain tout commence (Two is a Family) (2016) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  40. "L\'Ascension (2017) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  41. "L\'Amant double (Double Lover) (2017) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  42. "HHhH (The Man with the Iron Heart) (2017) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  43. "D\'après une Histoire Vraie (Based on a True Story) (2017) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  44. "Dans la brume (Just a Breath Away) (2018) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  45. "Le Jeu (Nothing to Hide) (2018) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  46. "Sauver ou périr (2018) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  47. "Rémi sans famille (Remi, Nobody\'s Boy) (2018) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  48. "Grâce à Dieu (By the Grace of God) (2019) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  49. "C\'est ça l\'amour (2019) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  50. "Mon inconnue (Love at Second Sight) (2019) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  51. "Les Traducteurs (The Translators) (2020) - JP Box-Office". jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 1 October 2024.