From Co-productions to ‘Co-distributions’? Re-evaluating Distribution Policies for European Film

Abstract

Drake explores the under-researched relationship between European film production and distribution, and examines a range of European policies designed to support film distribution, including digital and video-on-demand (VOoD)/Over-the-Top (OTT) distribution. Significant focus has been placed on understanding production in European cinema; however, there has been a lack of scholarly analysis of distribution. The article offers an analysis of MEDIA programme support for distribution, presenting data across participating countries, and highlights differential forms of subsidies for pan-European film distribution. It concludes with an analysis of two recent European initiatives to support cross-border digital distribution: Walk This Way (WtW) and The TIDE Experiment, and considers how alternative forms of distribution across national boundaries (‘co-distributions’) might reach wider audiences through a combination of traditional and digital distribution platforms.