Europa Distribution analyses release strategies

by Fabien Lemercier

14/07/2009 - Absent from the features competition prize list at the 7th Paris Cinéma festival, which closes today with the triumph of George Ovashvili’s The Other Bank (Georgia/Kazakhstan), Europe enjoyed much greater prominence at the professional meetings.

The second workshop organised this year by Europa Distribution brought together 50 distributors, producers, sales agents and experts from 16 European countries. They came to share their experiences in order to give European films the best chances of success on release and reflect on the possibility of pan-European distribution.

A panel devoted to marketing gave participants the opportunity to compare the different strategies for the theatrical launch (in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland and Austria) of Lars von Trier’s Antichrist [trailer, film focus] and Michael Haneke’s Cannes Palme d’Or-winner The White Ribbon [trailer, film focus]. They also analysed Indie Circle alliance’s business model and discovered the possibilities of the CIDINET database, whose forthcoming launch will enable independent European distributors to share promotional material.

A session on VoD gave an overview of a sector in full growth. Finally, distributors took part in the screenings at the Paris Project Co-production Forum (see news).

At the end of the event, representatives from Europa Distribution came to the conclusion that sharing information, ideas and even costs on a European level is essential for independent distributors, who currently face a highly competitive market.

Companies in attendance in Paris included Abc Distribution (Belgium), Agora (Switzerland), Artificial Eye (UK), Atalanta (Portugal), Bim (Italy), Budapest Film (Hungary), Chrysalis (France), Cineworx (Switzerland), Cinéart (Belgium), Cirko Film (Hungary), Estinfilm (Estonia), Filmmuseum (Netherlands), Filmtrade (Greece), Folkets Bio (Sweden), Frenetic (Switzerland), Genci/KinoABC (Kosovo), Gutek (Poland), Haut et Court (France), Imagine (Belgium), Jour2Fête (France), Kinoswiat (Poland), Les Films du Losange (France), Lumière (Belgium), Midas (Portugal), Mikado (Italy), NonStop Entertainment (Sweden), Notro (Spain), Prokino (Germany), Pyramide (France), Rosebud (Greece), Schwarzweiss (Germany), Senator (Germany), Soda Pictures (UK), Valentim (Portugal), Wild Bunch Netherlands and Xenix (Switzerland).

(Translated from French)