Distributing British Cinema

The chapter examines the role of distributors, and the challenges they face, in enabling audiences to see British films. It begins by outlining the dominance of the UK market by a small number of American studio-owned distributors and raising the issue of how we define “British”. It then explores how the majority of films released in the UK are distributed by a much larger number of small “independent” distributors that have an annual market share of less than 10%. Usually driven by a passion for cinema rather than a desire for large profits, these small distributors have pursued a range of strategies to ensure their survival. Drawing on a series of examples, the chapter argues that their ability to remain in business depends primarily on the acquisitions they make, their access to cinema screens, and building audiences for the films they release.