François Chilot is a producer and industry pioneer whose work has played a defining role in European commercial filmmaking. After serving as Head of All Productions at TBWA, he founded LES PRODUCERS in 1984, guided by a belief in humour, creative ambition and a strong multicultural identity. Under his leadership, the company entered the Palme d’Or list at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and ranked among the world’s leading production companies.
For more than 20 years, François served as President of the CFP-E, playing a central role in strengthening the position of producers across the European industry. In 1998, together with the CFP-E, he founded the Young Director Award, driven by a passion for filmmaking and a belief in discovering new directing talent early, regardless of background or geography.
Since its creation, YDA has become an internationally recognised, producer-driven, non-profit platform dedicated exclusively to emerging directors. Having led the award from the beginning, François now serves as Founder and Chairman, continuing to uphold the values and vision at the core of YDA.
