25/07/2011

In 2010, cinemas in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) registered a total of 34.91 million admissions, and further growth is in prospect, according to Cinemagoing Scandinavia, a new report just published by the UK’s DODONA research institute. With in-depth analysis of each market, as well as the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the analysis includes 2010 statistics and describes developments since 2005, with portraits of leading players and forecasts of cinema business up to 2015. Below are some of the key observations:

Denmark(Admissions 2010: 12.95 million)
The Danish cinema market has enjoyed a period of consistent growth since the mid-1990s, peaking at more than 14 million in 2009. Following on from that success, it is perhaps no surprise that admissions fell a little in 2010, which was a slightly disappointing year for the Danish market but, with a strong local film industry, Denmark remains one of the most dynamic markets in Europe. Admissions in 2011 could return to levels similar to those seen in 2008, with further gradual growth in prospect.

Finland(Admissions 2010: 7.56 million)
The Finnish cinema market has been on a plateau since the late 1990s; admissions generally fall between 6.5 and 7 million each year, while screen counts have ranged from 300-350. Following the success enjoyed by Finnish cinemas in 2010, it is anticipated that admissions will fall slightly in 2011, as local films struggle to match 2010’s performance. Further out, some admissions growth may be hoped for.

Iceland(Admissions 2010: 1.56 million)
Despite the country’s well-documented economic woes, Iceland’s cinema market has not suffered in recent years. Admissions per person are still the world’s highest, having hovered around the five mark since the 1990s. The cinema market is strong and it is not anticipated that this will change. Admissions should increase gradually, in line with the country’s similarly growing population.

Norway(Admissions 2010: 11.02 million)
Norway has a strong cinema market that is both well screened and well attended; this will continue to be the case in future. Early reports suggest that the digitisation of film projection has led to some growth in the market, which appears to have reached a plateau, with admissions falling between 11 million to 12 million each year, although strong regional film releases helped 2009 buck this trend. A strong local film market could help admissions totals to grow, perhaps reaching 17 million in 2015, although this is still some distance short of 2002’s 18.3 million peak.

Sweden(Admissions 2010: 15.82 million)
Admissions broadly fall around the 15 million mark, with 2009 bucking the prevailing trend following the success of the Millenium trilogy. The rate at which screen numbers are falling appears to have slowed in recent years, but the lack of a comprehensive plan for digitisation means that further losses must be considered likely. As closures are likely to be concentrated among the most marginal sites, the impact on admissions may be quite limited however. A strong local film market could actually help admissions totals to grow, perhaps reaching 17 million in 2015, although this is still some distance short of 2002’s 18.3 million peak.

For more information: http://www.dodona.co.uk/reports.htm