Bridging Borders in VFX at Cannes 2025

During the 2025 Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival, The Yard was proud to participate in the British Film Commission’s panel, “Crossing Channels: Production and VFX in the UK and France,” held in partnership with Film France–CNC. 

In an evolving film industry, cross-border collaboration has become an essential path to answer the global demand for high-end visual storytelling. At the 2025 Marché du Film in Cannes, The Yard joined leading voices from both sides of the Channel for “Crossing Channels: Production and VFX in the UK and France,” a panel hosted by the British Film Commission and Film France–CNC. The conversation explored how shared tax incentives, complementary talent pools, and a common creative culture are fueling a new era of Franco-British cooperation in production and post.

The roundtable brought together leading voices from both sides of the Channel to discuss the growing synergies between the two countries in production, post, and visual effects. Moderated by Adrian Wootton OBE, CEO of the British Film Commission, the panel featured insights from Laurens Ehrmann (Founder & Senior VFX Supervisor, The Yard), Neil Hatton MBE (Chief Executive, UK Screen Alliance), Michael Illingworth (Founder & Creative Director, Vine FX), and Daphné Lora (Head of Film France – CNC). Together, they unpacked the financial and creative benefits of working across the UK and France—two nations increasingly aligned in their support for innovative and award-winning visual storytelling.

See below key take-aways from the conference :

Tax Incentives driving Growth

The discussion opened on the transformative impact of updated tax incentives on the VFX sector in both countries. As Daphné Lora explained, France’s 40% rebate (for VFX spending above €2M) has powered an impressive acceleration in VFX investment, with over €140M injected into the sector since its inception and more than 100 projects supported in the past five years. Notably, this has helped bring VFX-only international projects like The Rings of Power-Season 2 to France, an Amazon MGM Studios’ series which VFX were crafted by The Yard.

On the UK side, Neil Hatton MBE, Chief Executive of the UK Screen Alliance, detailed recent reforms to the Audiovisual Expenditure Credit (AVEC), particularly the new uplift for visual effects. Notably, the UK now offers a 29.25% net rate for VFX, enhanced by an exemption from the 80% cap—a game-changer for productions wanting to consolidate both shooting and post in the UK. A complementary limited-budget tax relief of 39.75% is also available for projects under £15M, including co-productions and productions shot abroad—marking a strategic win for independent creators.

These tools create a compelling financial environment for studios of all scales and reinforce France’s and the UK’s position as a magnet for both blockbuster and independent VFX work.

Cross-Channel Collaboration in Action

The conversation spotlighted two recent case studies that exemplify the cross-border collaboration now taking root.

The Yard, which has grown from Paris and Montpellier to now include a new studio in the UK, was highlighted for its work on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2. The VFX were crafted in France at The Yard and in many other countries with the overall VFX supervision based in the UK, close to the Shepperton studios back lot where parts of the series were filmed. What started as a compact project grew in scale to over €6.5 million in VFX work, with more than 40 artists involved over 18 months. The challenge of building upon Weta’s iconic work from Season 1 while creating new environments tested and affirmed The Yard’s capabilities to deliver on blockbuster expectations. Laurens Ehrmann explained that the studio was ready to tackle these challenges, building upon its experience with previous international productions, such as The Gray Man, John Wick : Chapter 4 or Indiana Jones and the dial of Destiny, even if it was working in paralell on another major project, Halo-Season 2, for a similar budget and close to 450 VFX shots. He emphasized the value of this project in strengthening long-term relationships with Amazon MGM Studios and key VFX supervisors.

In tandem, Michael Illingworth of Vine FX, based in Cambridge, presented their recent work on The Amateur, which was shot in the UK, France, and Turkey, with post-production and VFX centralized in the UK. While ILM handled key shots, Vine focused on graphic sequences. The project exemplified how even when shooting spans countries, post can also be undertaken in the UK, underlining the country’s strength in post-production infrastructure. Paris Has Fallen, co-produced by France’s Studio Canal, UK’s Urban Myth Films and G-Base and US G-Base, was cited as another seamless UK-France project that demonstrated just how naturally productions can cross borders when aligned through policy, infrastructure, and creative intent, as the shooting took place in France and the VFX crafted in the UK.

Decentralization Trends: The rise of regional innovation

A central thread throughout the panel was the shift away from traditional capitals like London and Paris. Studios such as Vine FX in Cambridge and The Yard in Montpellier are helping redefine the map of VFX talent and opportunity.

For The Yard, this strategy is deliberate: Montpellier was chosen not just for lifestyle, but for access to French top-tier, returning talent from places like New Zealand, the UK, and Canada—artists eager to work on global projects without relocating to Paris. Today, the great majority of The Yard’s Montpellier team hails from international backgrounds.

Moreover, The Yard has created a strategic partnership with ArtFX, one of France’s premier VFX and animation schools, backed by the national France 2030 initiative “La Grande Fabrique de l’Image.” This collaboration goes beyond recruitment—it includes contributing to curriculum development, offering masterclasses, and creating direct hiring pipelines for emerging talent, allowing French talent to stay in France and be prepared for international productions.

On the UK side, Adrian Wootton and Neil Hatton expressed optimism about continued decentralization. With studios expanding into Bristol, Scotland, and the northeast (especially as gaming and VFX converge).

Future Outlook: A Borderless Creative Corridor

As the panel wrapped up, one message resonated above all: the UK–France production corridor is no longer just a partnership of convenience—it’s a strategic alliance shaping the future of European filmmaking. Aligned tax incentives, world-class infrastructure, and shared artistic values have positioned the two countries as complementary pillars of a thriving VFX ecosystem.

More than ever, proximity matters. The (almost) nonexistent time difference, ease of travel by train, and increased availability of senior talent across both territories are making real-time collaboration not just possible, but seamless. Being close to VFX supervisors and production teams during post is helping to raise the bar on both quality and efficiency.

While the industry continues to adapt to broader shifts—from geopolitics to AI regulation—one constant remains: the human factor. It is the shared vision of passionate artists, producers, and institutions like the British Film Commission and Film France–CNC that is turning this corridor into a global powerhouse. And as projects like The Rings of Power and The Amateur demonstrate, the future of visual effects in Europe is not just promising—it’s already happening.

Watch the full recording of the conference below:

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