The major research programmes of the last forty years have essentially focused on the period that saw cinema emerge as a medium and as an “attraction”. But the 1910s – corresponding to what we still consider to be the institutionalisation of cinema’s economic and industrial structures – is also a crucial decade, in particular when it comes to the development of the film rental system, the expansion of specialised theatres and the standardisation of film production (above all under Pathé’s guidance). From this “early” phase emerged what we commonly call “classical cinema”. However, the transitional years spanning from 1908 to 1919 haven been somewhat overlooked, demanding more careful scrutiny. Such is the general purpose of CINÉ08-19 which, through a number of exhaustive and original enquiries focusing on cinema in France and its empire, aims to cast a new light on these decisive years. Based upon a multidisciplinary research team – gathering film and cultural historians, archivists, librarians, as well as researchers and representatives from the project’s institutional partners –, CINÉ08-19 purports, in addition, to create an interactive and scalable online platform. The latter will allow for the content management of archives linked to the project’s research, while simultaneously guarantying free access to its outcomes.