Imaginarium building at the Plaine Image in the Union district.
Inauguration of the Play Again exhibition at Imaginarium
Le Fresnoy Mathieu LassalleLille, the leading city!
Euracreative by Plaine Images site of excellence
The cinema
Beyond Lille, the whole of the Hauts-de-France region is striving to become a global benchmark for audiovisual creation. This ambition is backed up by political support, reflected in the public funding available for animated creation. Since 2017, Pictanovo, a regional centre of excellence serving the film and audiovisual industries, has been piloting ten funds dedicated to the development of the 7th art and animation, for a total of almost €8 million in aid. Whether you’re looking for support for short films, writing and development or production, you’ll find here the means to grow and take centre stage!
Further proof of the industry’s structuring and growing appeal, since 2018 Lille has been hosting SERIES MANIA, THE International Series Festival, which has brought Uma Thurman, Freddie Highmore, Julianna Marguiles and director Shane Meadow to the North of France.
Series Mania Mathieu LassalleVideo games
The video games sector is the other major player in the Lille area. Boosted by players such as Ankama, 52 entertainment and Nacon/Bigben, the industry is also growing thanks to its many specialist schools, which are breeding grounds for talent, such as ArtFX and Piktura. It’s an ideal environment for attracting talent, with the Lille metropolitan area boasting a dense cultural offering, a young and festive lifestyle and economic and property costs that are more affordable than those of major French and European cities.
Musictech
The Hauts-de-France region is fast becoming a major player in musictech, combining the region’s rich musical history with a culture of innovation and technology. A number of initiatives and emerging companies are helping to boost this fast-growing ecosystem.
A number of emerging companies are making their mark in the musictech sector in Hauts-de-France. Companies such as Karafun, MusicStory, Moodbooster, A Gauche de la Lune and Lylo, a copyright management platform for independent musicians, are good examples of the innovation emerging in the region.
Contemporary arts
It’s hard to talk about the city’s dynamic cultural and creative industries without mentioning Le Fresnoy.
Le Fresnoy – Studio national des arts contemporains is a unique venue dedicated to audiovisual creation and the contemporary arts, located in Tourcoing, in the Lille metropolitan area, in France. It was founded in 1997 by Alain Fleischer, a French artist, writer and film-maker.
Le Fresnoy is both an art college and an artistic production centre. It offers advanced training programmes in the visual and digital arts, giving artists the opportunity to develop their technical and conceptual skills in a variety of disciplines, including film, video, photography, installation, sound art and new technologies.
As an artistic production centre, Le Fresnoy supports the realisation of artistic projects by providing resident artists with access to state-of-the-art equipment and technical resources, as well as advice and artistic guidance throughout the creative process.
Le Fresnoy is also open to the public, offering contemporary art exhibitions, film screenings, performances, lectures and other cultural events throughout the year. It is recognised as an important place for promoting artistic innovation and developing new forms of expression in the visual and digital arts.
Design
The new sector on the rise. Ever since Lille was named World Design Capital in 2020, this sector has been going from strength to strength. Currently supported by the Ecole Supérieure des Arts Appliqués et du Textile (ESAAT) in Roubaix and the Ecole Supérieure d’Art et de Design de Tourcoing (ESAD), the sector will soon be strengthened by Rubika, which will open its doors in 2027.
Why choose Lille metropole?
- 15% of French animation is produced in the Hauts-de-France region (sc CCI Hauts-de-France)
- World-renowned schools such as ArtFX and Piktura to meet the growing demand from professionals in the sector
- Noranim: a regional trade association bringing together producers, institutions and independents working to promote animated films.
- 2.8 million euros: the annual budget of Pictanovo, the regional association supporting audiovisual and cinematographic creation.
- Plaine Images: the site of excellence dedicated to cultural and creative industries
- A young, dynamic metropolis in which 43% of the population is under 30 (sc Insee RGP 2015)
Focus
A true European hub for the creative industries, EuraCreative is located in the heart of the Union zone between Roubaix, Tourcoing and Wattrelos, in an eco-district covering more than 80 hectares. This remarkably restored former industrial plant is home to 140 image companies, 4 schools, 1,800 employees and 2 research centres! An exceptional environment, dedicated to imagination and the creation of art and value.
Incubation and acceleration programmes run by experts in economic development will help you get your idea off the ground, then move on from creation to success. Finally, Plaine Images organises over 200 events a year in France and abroad to give your project visibility and enable you to connect with key partners.
The most important of these are PIX and Game Camp.
PIX: The PIX Forum is designed to bring together and highlight the key players in the animation, film and audiovisual industries, focusing on innovation, creativity and new trends in the sector. The event offers a unique opportunity to meet industry professionals, exchange ideas, discover the latest technologies and take part in conferences, workshops and film screenings.
Game Camp: Run by the Game IN association, this two-day event in June brings together video game enthusiasts and professionals. The programme includes tournaments, game demos, conferences and meetings with developers. It’s a unique opportunity to discover the latest trends, preview games and celebrate the creativity of the video games industry.
A pool of highly qualified professionals
The density of the employment pool has always been a major issue for players in the Images industry. To meet this challenge, the Lille metropolitan area has concentrated its efforts on attracting specialist schools capable of meeting the growing demand:
- The School of Art & Design at the Catholic University of Lille specialises in 2D animation, 3D animation, video games and illustration.
>ESAAT
- The École supérieure des arts appliqués et du textile, a public institution listed as one of France's 7 grandes écoles d'arts appliqués by the national education authority
>ARTFX
- in the Top 10 of the best creative schools in the world. The campus, spread over 18,000m², including 6,000m² dedicated to film, animation and special effects, opened its doors at the start of the 2023 academic year. A second school, dedicated to film training, will follow shortly. Today, no fewer than 1,000 ArtFX students are setting out to conquer the national and international scene!
>School 24
- Ecole 24 is an offshoot of Artfx dedicated exclusively to the world of cinema and series. The school's ambition is to combine traditional skills with new technologies in order to develop the skills of students who will later work in the audiovisual sector.
>Rubika
- Rubika, one of the world's leading creative training centres, needs no introduction. A campus dedicated entirely to design is due to open by 2027 in the Union zone next to the Plaine Images site.
Gilbert KinerI quickly realised that there was a real desire to make the digital industry the spearhead of the region and to support this already mature ecosystem. Lille’s international position at the crossroads of the major capitals of Northern Europe, while only 1 hour from Paris, also makes for a very interesting intercultural dynamic.
Finally, I wanted a city of culture that offered a living environment conducive to the development of my students, and that’s what I’ve found here. Lille is an ideal location for us, and I’m looking forward to our opening soon.
Supporting your development
For more than 30 years, the Hauts-de-France Region has set itself the goal of making the Digital Images and Creative Industries sector a driving force in the regional economy. Pictanovo is actively implementing this objective by supporting businesses and professionals in the film and audiovisual industries. Located at the heart of the creative ecosystem, on the Plaine Images site, Pictanovo encourages creation and innovation thanks to a reinforced budget entrusted by the Hauts-de-France Region and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC).
Pictanovo Outdoor filming
Pictanovo BlueGame IN, a key player in the development of the video games industry
Game IN is an association dedicated to promoting and developing the video games industry in the Hauts-de-France region. Founded by video game enthusiasts, the association aims to bring together local industry players, including developers, publishers, independent studios, gamers and enthusiasts, to encourage the exchange of knowledge, resources and mutual support. Through its activities and initiatives, such as networking events, training workshops, gaming competitions and conferences, Game IN helps to boost the video game ecosystem in the region, while offering local talent a platform to showcase their work, create collaborations and stimulate innovation. As a pillar of the video game community in the Hauts-de-France region, Game IN plays an essential role in promoting the industry and creating an environment conducive to its growth and influence.
InvestA project?
TheInvest de Hello Lille team is your partner for setting up successfully in the Lille metropolitan area. As experts in the region, we’ll be with you every step of the way, offering you privileged access to a dynamic ecosystem and a network of key partners.
