09/07/2008

Several acclaimed art-house films have received distribution support from the UK Film Council’s Prints and Advertising Fund, enabling a wider release.

Icon Film Distribution received £104,567 for James Marsh’s Man on Wire [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which won the Standard Life Audience Award at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival, increasing the release from 24 to 45 sites.

Pathé Distribution received £2,500 for French hit Welcome to the Sticks [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and £4,000 for Mes amis, mes amours [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Artificial Eye received £5,000 for The Secret of the Grain [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hafsia Herzi
film profile], £4,556 for Summer Hours [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and £3,490 for Julian Schnabel’s Berlin, the music documentary covering Lou Reed’s 1973 live performance. The 25 July release will dovetail with Reed’s Berlin 2008 European tour.

Soda Pictures received £5,000 for Guy Maddin’s My Winnipeg and Revolver Entertainment received £5,000 for the controversial Savage Grace [+see also:
film review
film profile]. Yume Pictures received £5,000 for Nicholas Roeg’s comeback film Puffball [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Slingshot Productions received £4,995 for Afghan drama Buddha Collapsed out of Shame [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Meanwhile, the British Video Association’s (BVA) half-year results show that DVD sales have risen 3.3% to 111.6 million units, compared to 2007. Ratatouille is the top seller with over 1.2 million copies sold and Stardust, Atonement [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and The Golden Compass have sold over 800,000 copies each.

BVA Director General Lavinia Cary said, “History has shown that in times of economic hardship, consumers find even more value in home entertainment when the leisure pound is stretched as it is. As video is one of the most cost-effective forms of entertainment we would expect to see continued volume growth in our market as consumers tighten their belts in response to increasing economic uncertainty.”