Ciclic Centre-Val de Loire, the regional agency for books and visual media, provides a public cultural

service resulting from a partnership between the Centre-Val de Loire Region and the French

government. It is chaired by Julie Gayet and directed by Philippe Germain.

The agency offers a wide range of services and initiatives, ranging from the administration of support

funds for cinema, audiovisual media, and the book sector to the consolidation of projects and career

paths for professionals and artists through training and residencies, as well as educational programs

on film and books during school hours and after-school activities.

Ciclic Centre-Val de Loire enables as many people as possible—residents and citizens alike—to access

cinematic and literary works throughout the region, which is characterized by its rural nature. All of these initiatives and services have demonstrated their coherence and relevance, making Ciclic Centre-Val de Loire a one-of-a-kind organization that relies on the sustained support and trust of public authorities on its board of directors, as well as on the expertise and professionalism of its teams based in Château-Renault, Vendôme, Issoudun, and Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle.

Since 2006, Ciclic has been commissioned by the Centre-Val de Loire Region and the French government to collect, preserve, digitize, index, and promote the region’s film and audiovisual heritage in order to build a regional film archive. The agency is restoring these collections to their rightful place and firmly anchoring them in the present by making them available to artists for contemporary creations. The agency also ensures that they are made available to the general public.

Ciclic is a EPCC (Public Institution for Cultural Coopération)

The amateur archive emerged from a revolutionary process of miniaturizing professional cinema. This challenge was taken up by various companies, often with great success, notably Pathé. At a time when bodies and minds were sometimes constrained by “proper etiquette,” the camera helped create movement and wonder in people’s lives, but also—and above all—a connection between individuals. Today, the archive—a witness to an era—serves as the missing link in societies affected by what might be called a “headlong rush.” The archive possesses this strange ability to lay the groundwork, create a common foundation, and place all individuals on an “equal footing.”

At first glance, the archive exists primarily to remember, to commemorate, and sometimes to avoid…

But we often forget to add to this definition the dynamism it can bring to an environment, a project,

or an ambition. Indeed, the archive has value—whether financial, historical, artistic, or scientific—that can play a role for a wide range of stakeholders.

Within the national landscape of film libraries and archives, the Ciclic agency has, since 2006, energetically championed the goal of creating a shared memory, thanks to support from the Region and the State, as well as from more ad hoc partners. The facts: 27,000 items, of which approximately

21,000 are accessible and available for distribution. Added to this is the ever-growing interest from external partners, who continually reach out to the agency to access this rich and enigmatic material that is the audiovisual archive (219 requests for 2025). A website updated daily with new archival material, featuring nearly 14,800 films available for free and open access, as well as an external programming schedule that attracted over 10,000 viewers this year.

In 2025, Ciclic Centre-Val de Loire worked with the aim of making the archive responsive to audiences and partners. This is why it initiated periods of reflection and listening to envision new perspectives and establish fresh dynamics. Ciclic Centre-Val de Loire has adopted the guiding principle of viewing the archive in a new light. This reflection has enabled the organization to reach out to new sectors, build bridges between stakeholders, and, above all, envision broader horizons—particularly regarding the future direction of archival management.