Distribution in the UK

In reading recent interviews with David Lynch in the run-up to the UK release of his latest film Inland Empire, a lot has been made of the difficulty Lynch faces getting distribution deals. I hope this really means he struggles to get wide release and lucrative deals, because if the director of such great works as Twin Peaks, Dune, Blue Velvet and Eraserhead struggles, than we have no hope.

If you need a bit of insight into how things work, Launching films has this 20 page introduction to how distribution works in the UK.

Highlights include this summary of the distribution cycle:

Connecting every film with its audience immerses distributors in a great deal of activity before and during a cinema release. For any given title, some of the phases listed below may overlap or be combined.

• Producer/studio acquires rights to film a story or treatment
• Screenplay is developed
• Production finance and cast and crew are confirmed
• Principal photography takes place, in studios and/or on agreed locations,followed by some months of post-production, editing and scoring
  
• Master print of finished film is delivered to local distributor
• Distributor determines release strategy and release date
• Distributor presents the film to exhibitors and negotiates bilateral agreements to have the film shown in cinemas
  
• Distributor’s marketing campaign creates a ‘want to see’ buzz among the target audience and launches the film
  
• Prints are delivered to cinemas a few days before opening
• Film’s run extends any number of weeks subject to demand, which may be augmented by additional marketing activity
  

After its final playdate, the film print is returned or transported securely to another cinema. Ultimately, most prints are destroyed under supervised conditions, with a small number retained in archives, and the distributor’s rights in respect of the theatrical release expire.