On National Teacher Day, meet the 2024-25 Kenan Fellows
Question 3
1. What kind of media institution
would distribute your film and why?
2. WHAT IS A FILM DISTRIBUTOR?
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for
releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home
viewing. You can get major or independent companies which are
very different and tend to distribute different film types.
WHAT IS A MAJOR DISTRIBUTION COMPANY?
A major film studio is a movie production and distribution
company that releases a substantial number of films annually and
consistently commands a significant share of box-office revenues
in a given market.
EXAMPLES.-Universal-Columbia-20th Century Fox-Warner Bros.-
Paramount
3. FILMS DISTRIBUTED BY MAJOR COMPANIES.
20th Century Fox And Universal
A-Team, The Jaws, Jurassic Chronicles of Park, American Narnia, Avatar, Ni Pie, Bourne ght
at the Identity and Fast Museum, Transpo and Furious rter and Warner Brothers Cheaper
by the Inception, Sex and the Dozen. City, The Hangover, Harry Potter, Invictus and The
Dark Knight Paramount Puss in Boots, Columbia Kung fu Men in Black, The Girl Panda,
Captain with the Dragon America, Shutter Tattoo, The Karate Kid Island and Iron and 2012.
Man
4. WHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT DISTRIBUTION COMPANY?
• An Independent film is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that
is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system.
• Independent films are sometimes distinguishable by their content and style and the
way in which the filmmakers personal artistic vision is realised.
• Usually, independent films are made with considerably lower film budgets than
major studio films.
• Independent films are often screened at local, national, or international film festivals
before distribution.
• An independent film production can rival a mainstream film production if it has the
necessary funding and distribution.
EXAMPLES.THE FOLLOWING STUDIOS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE THE MOST
PREVALENT OF THE MODERN INDEPENDENTSTUDIOS-Film4-Entertainment
One-IFC Films-Fox Searchlight Pictures
5. FILMS DISTRIBUTED BY INDEPENDENT COMPANIES. IFC FilmsFilm4 Human
Centipede, Shaun of the Dead, Strangers, Chalet 127 Hours, Girl and My Big
Inbetweeners Movie Fat Greek This is England Wedding Fox Searchlight Entertainment
One Juno, Black The Bridge, Swan, (500) Days Our Brand is Crisis and of Summer,
Whip The Official Story. It, History Boys and Napoleon Dynamite.
6. When doing my institutional research, I explored four different institutions: Artificial Eye,
Momentum Pictures, Entertainment Film Distributors and Working Title Films. I focused on
British Film institutions, with the exception of Working Title which is owned by the American
company, Universal.
We chose Entertainment Film Distributors for a variety of reasons. A British distributor of
independent films in the UK and Ireland for various production companies, they support and
distribute independent films mainly. This implies that they specialise in backing newcomers,
unknown film makers and low-buget films, ideal for our film project.
The company has distributed a variety of films in different genres, with romantic comedies
being one of them. Amongst other, they've distributed Run Fatboy Run, 17 Again, Ghosts of
Girlfriends Past and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. This indicates that this distribution company
would be suitable for our film due to the fact that the company delves into our genre of
romantic-comedy based on their wealth of films in that category. The films they produce in the
rom-com genre are popular and well-known, inspiring confidence that our film would get
wide-spread exposure and circulation.
The combination of these factors has put Entertainment Film Distributors ahead of Momentum
Pictures and Artificial Eye, as Momentum pictures doesn't do a lot of work with low-budget
projects and Artificial Eye specialises in art house and foreign films, neither of which are our
genre. Working Title, although a big outlet, doesn't support many independant film makers and
doesn't produce as many romantic-comedies, suggesting that despite having a successful
history and image, it wouldn't be as appropriate working on our film.
As a result, Entertainment Film Distributors, I believe, is the most suitable company to
distribute our film.