11/12/2002

When a European film is distributed in every country of the EU today, release dates tend to be spread over a year or even longer, according to the release strategies of each distributor. The lone example of Billy Elliot showed that implementing a unified strategy can contribute significantly to the success of the film in question: mass release over a five-month period following the American example, a convergence of all distributors’ marketing and promotion techniques.
Could it be that this is the answer? Industry operators who were invited to Europa Cinemas were not exactly enthusiastic when this was suggested. They all agreed on the usefulness of exchanging information about target groups, programming schedules and release strategies of films, but each single distributor underlined the unique aspects of their national markets as well as the limits of European marketing of cinema. Prior to the release of Ozon’s 8 Women in Poland, Gutek Film Ltd. focused on promoting the female aspects of the feature while Italy’s Bim Distribuzione went for the “thriller” aspect of the storyline. Furthermore, each country has its own calendar and culture: in Holland, European films make an obligatory appearance at the Rotterdam Festival late in January prior to being released. In Italy, the season lasts 8 months while in France, the reactions of critics to a given film are hugely important and inevitable...
The need for a shared distribution strategy is not European operators’ main worry, however they are calling for more collaboration using the correct instruments for a good promotional campaign in the media. Except for the “big films”, the instruments at hand are currently absolutely insufficient: makings of, teaser-trailers, photos, posters and junkets with the actors. According to German distributor Martin Kochendorfer of Concorde Films, “contacting European operators is never easy. You need to go through the film exporters and if they refuse to help, there’s nothing more you can do.”
As far as exhibition is concerned, a pan-European exhibition network already exists through Europa Cinemas and its 457 theatres. This invaluable experience means that programming can be set up according to a simple principle: when there’s a good film on offer, there’s also an audience for European cinema. However, Eva Matlok, a representative of AG Kino said that exhibitors must go the extra mile and create a network of all German exhibitors and distributors. “More and improved collaboration on the pan-European level also results in more precise information about the data regarding this important sector. This ranges from financial information to that about distributors and the rental costs of exhibitors”. A monumental programme that requires the active contribution of all the protagonists of European cinema to ensure that the spectator does not just see films that are big hits, but can also access a different reality.

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