EVALUATION QUESTION 3

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?


"As a filmmaker, I know only too well that films do not exist for their own sakes... they only exist when they are experienced by an audience." Sir Alan Parker CBE.

	Film	UK Distributor	Weeks on release	Weekend Total	Total UK box-office to 22nd April 2012
1 Battleship (12A) Universal Pictures 2 £1,282,091 £6,088,174
2 Salmon Fishing In The Yemen (12A) Lionsgate UK 1 £1,169,235 £1,169,235
3 Hunger Games, The (12A) Lionsgate UK 5 £1,070,787 £21,259,368
4 Cabin In The Woods, The (15) Lionsgate UK 2 £1,033,533 £3,543,472
5 Titanic 3D (12A) 20th Century Fox 3 £925,740 £9,919,113
6 The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists (3D) (U) Sony Pictures 4 £772,887 £14,085,303
7 Lockout (15) Entertainment Film Distributors 1 £596,500 £596,500
8 Mirror Mirror (PG) STUDIOCANAL 3 £535,093 £6,070,901
9 21 Jump Street (15) Sony Pictures 6 £376,781 £9,465,305
10 Gone (15) Entertainment Film Distributors 1 £275,087 £275,087
11 Marley (15) Universal Pictures 1 £203,062 £203,062
12 Wrath Of The Titans (3D) (12A) Warner Bros. 4 £195,923 £7,667,896
13 Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The (12A) 20th Century Fox 9 £193,848 £18,994,423
14 Headhunters (15) Momentum Pictures 3 £142,035 £1,036,519
15 Streetdance 2 (3D) (PG) Vertigo Films 4 £82,626 £3,019,962

When researching which film distributor to approach, I checked with the UK Film Distributors Association to find out the top 15 films at the time and their distributors (see the table above). 

Looking at the top films and their success, it is clear that Lionsgate UK has a positive presence in the top five. When looking at the films they have distributed, they are aimed at the similar aged target audience to my film. So I would look carefully at this company as a potential distributor. As Lionsgate is recognised as a self-prolaimed 'symbol of original, cutting-edge quality entertainment around the world, with a leadership position in motion pictures', which would suit my film perfectly!

My film is classed as a British film. The British Council runs 'Britfilms.com', which contains a directory of British films. The council regards a British film as one where the film has a minimum of three of the following six criteria:

1. A British producer
2. A British production team
3. A British director
4. A predominantly British cast
5. A subject matter that informs the British experience
6. A British identity as defined by the BFI.

Clearly my film satisfies these criteria. Therefore I would be able to apply for funding from the BFI and would qualify for the recent tax benefits the UK government has issued to British-made films.