The French trade media Le Film Français recently published an extensive, multi-page feature highlighting Montpellier’s booming audiovisual ecosystem. From ambitious local policies to the rapid regional expansion of global players like The Yard VFX, the city is cementing its position as a powerhouse for cultural and creative industries in Southern Europe.

Montpellier is no longer just a beautiful Mediterranean destination—it is officially a premier destination for cinema, television, and digital creation. In a comprehensive special feature with interviews of the key actors of the local creative industry, the renowned French industry magazine Le Film Français dives deep into how the Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole region has structured its entire creative pipeline.

You can read below key highlights of the articles, available in French only, from the 4241 issue.

A visionary local ecosystem

Interviewed for the feature, Michaël Delafosse, the Mayor of Montpellier and President of the Métropole, outlines an ambitious economic and cultural roadmap. Over the last fifteen years, the city has evolved from simply hosting film shoots to becoming a fully integrated territory of creation and manufacturing.

• Comprehensive Value Chain Support: The city actively backs every phase of production. This includes supporting screenwriting through authors’ residences, funding via the ICC (Cultural and Creative Industries) grant, and easing physical shoots through the local Film Commission (Bureau d’accueil des tournages).

• Bridging Training and Industry: With world-renowned local schools like ArtFX training hundreds of talented graduates annually, a major focus for the city is creating direct professional pipelines. By attracting major studios such as The Yard VFX and fresh investments, the region ensures its local talent pool stays anchored right in Montpellier.

• A Southern European Hub: Built on partnerships with the Occitanie Region, the CNC, and national institutions, Montpellier’s strategic goal is clear: becoming the reference hub for creative industries in Southern Europe.

The Yard VFX: A Regional Success Story with Global Impact

One of the focal points of the feature is The Yard VFX, a premier digital special effects studio that established its office in the heart of Montpellier in July 2023. Backed by the government’s France 2030 « Grande Fabrique de l’image » initiative, the studio’s presence perfectly illustrates the city’s magnetic pull.

In his interview, The Yard’s founder and creative director, Laurens Ehrmann, comes back on the drivers of this major opening for the French studio:

• Capitalizing on local talent: Post-pandemic shifts and technological evolution allowed VFX artists to relocate away from Paris to other regions offering a better quality of life. Montpellier quickly emerged as a massive talent pool for the studio. In parallel, these artists were also eager to meet again in the workplace to exchange and also pass along experience and knowledge.

• Ambitious Expansion Plans: Operating right by the Saint-Roch train station in fully purchased premises, the Montpellier studio houses 20 to 30 artists depending on the project, with a total capacity of 80 workstations. Across its three international sites (Paris, Montpellier, and London), the company employs around 150 people with the ability to scale to 300, targeting a total doubling of its overall activities within the next three years.

• A « One-Stop, One-Shop » Strategy: The Yard actively collaborates with regional entities and projects like Pics Studio in Saint-Gély-du-Fesc to build an attractive, comprehensive ecosystem. This alignment allows them to pitch a unified front to major Hollywood clients, combining physical studio space with world-class post-production and VFX services.

• Global Pedigree: The teams in Montpellier have contributed to massive international titles. Their portfolio includes The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Seasons 2 and 3), Stranger Things 5 —for which Montpellier-based CG Supervisor Eve Chauvet won a prestigious Genie Award,  Halo (Season 2), Predator: Badlands, to name a few. The Yard also conllaborated on Netflix’s acclaimed miniseries All the Light We Cannot See, which was partially shot in the Occitanie region and for which The Yard was nominated for an Emmy Award. 

The original multi-page feature provides an incredibly detailed look into the financial levers, studio partnerships, and educational networks shaping the future of European cinema and digital media.

Click here to access the full article on Le Film Français (Subscription & French language required)

Learn more about The Yard here.

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