01/12/2010

By cutting off its main revenue stream, a distribution deal with Warner Bros., and laying off 20 employees from Sandrew Metronome’s Scandinavian offices, the distribution group’s Norwegian mother company Schibsted has clearly signalled its intention to pull the plug on its film distribution activities.

Already in March of this year 20 full-time positions at Sandrew Metronome’s branches in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden were affected, and Schibsted had stated they would not “continue as long-term owner of the company as Sandrew Metronome was no longer part of its core activities”.

Eight months later, Sandrew spokesperson Göran E. Larsson justified the group’s decision to lose another 20 jobs by citing the “dramatic changes” in today’s film distribution market and even greater changes to come.

According to the Danish trade magazine EKKO, the Danish branch of Sandrew Metronome will close down for good in 2011. Its managing director, Frederik Juul, said he was discussing with local producers (such as Nimbus Film) future release opportunities for Danish films that so far were handled by his company.

The closure of Sandrew Metronome will put the other major local player Nordisk Film in a monopolistic position over the local theatrical market.