D-Cinema UK Rollout Set to Increase Indie Film Distribution Ten Fold

I think this is the kind of thing that keeps independent cinema alive and hopefully thriving. The scoop is that a £12 Million Digital Cinema Network is about to rollout across the UK.  This is a part UK Film Council and Lottery Funded project which has just completed a pilot project of 50 cinemas and now will see 240 screens put into 210 cinemas across England. D-cinema is great and the advantages to studios and theatre owners is obvious, but this article focuses on where it will make a real difference:

• Access to otherwise under-exhibited films. There are a great number of indies and British films that are not in cinemas for people to see. This has a really negative impact on culture, and through greater access, people will have the opportunity to experience great contemporary and classic cinema.


• Reach for indie producers. Apparently the Uk is one of the worlds most expensive places to distribute a film. £18 million or 6% of total spend is on specialized film distribution which mostly see less than 20 prints for distribution compared to about 1000 for the likes of Harry Potter.  Digital distribution costs allow for 10 fold increase in distribution for specialised productions. Ultimately, this will increase the reach of such films to around 30 million people annually in the UK.

So, even with the changing tax laws threatening the UK film industry and in turn post industry, there are glimmers of hope. I really believe that initiatives like these are so important for national identity and culture. One forgets when living in London or NYC or LA that many people live near you, yet have completely different access to films.

So check out the D Cinema Today article.