The national Centre of cinematography (CNC) is a publicly owned establishment in administrative matter, with legal personality and financial autonomy. It is placed under the authority of the ministry for the Culture and of the Communication. The principal missions of the CNC are: regulation, the support for the cinema economy, audio-visual and multi-media, the promotion of the cinema and audio-visual and their diffusion. It is also in charge of the protection and diffusion of the cinematographic heritage.

The CNC manages the French Government for film aids to the industry and for audio-visual programmes as well as the equipments granted by the ministry for the culture.

The CNC aids are for the following sectors:

Production aids and the distribution of films,

The creation and the modernization of the cinema

All technical aids for the film industries

The CNC aids to the audiovisual sector:

Production aids of programs intended for the ensemble of television networks (hertzian televisions, chains diffused by satellite and cable).

Other aids systems are set through tax incentive (SOFICA) and via Institutions such as the Institute for the financing of the cinema and cultural industries (IFCIC).

The CNC gives also its support for the sector of new technologies:

Digitalized images, numerical optical disc, DVD, Internet network