As a seasoned gamer of both movies and global cinema trends, I can’t help but feel a tinge of concern when reading about the state of European films in the global market. Having watched countless hours of Euro cinema over the years, I’ve come to appreciate the unique stories, talents, and perspectives they bring to the table.
Remarkably, European films have been making a significant impact this year. A variety of European productions have found their place in the competition for this season’s Oscars. Notable contenders include Jacques Audiard’s innovative transgender crime musical titled Emilia Pérez, Edward Berger’s suspenseful papal thriller named Conclave, Coralie Fargeat’s unique blend of body horror and satire entitled The Substance, Steve McQueen’s dramatic World War II film known as Blitz, Tim Fehlbaum’s gripping historical thriller called September 5, and Pablo Almodovar’s poignant end-of-life drama, which goes by the title The Room Next Door. These films are considered strong contenders for the awards.
From a business perspective, things look quite different. Last Thursday, the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO), a research organization, unveiled their yearly report detailing the global distribution of European films. Unfortunately, it’s far from an optimistic outlook.
In the year 2023, as per the data from EAO, European films represented only a small fraction of global movie ticket sales, amounting to 6%. This figure pales in comparison to the 56% share secured by American productions and the 26% controlled by Chinese films. Interestingly, Japan, due to the popularity of anime worldwide, is not far behind Europe, with Japanese movies accounting for about 5% of global cinema attendance. (The EAO focuses on measuring cinema attendance instead of box office revenue to account for currency fluctuations and ticket price differences across various countries.)
The total number of cinema attendances for European films amounted to approximately 239 million in the previous year, marking a slight increase (around 2.7%) compared to 2022. However, it’s worth noting that ticket sales are currently about 35% lower than the average from 2014 to 2019, which was around 367 million admissions per year.
Concerningly, it appears that viewings of European films in significant markets such as the United States and China, which historically have been major outlets, are experiencing a significant decline according to EAO reports. In 2015, U.S. admissions for European films exceeded 33 million, with popular blockbusters like Olivier Megaton’s actioner “Taken 3” (9.8 million admissions) and Paul King’s family feature “Paddington” (8.1 million) leading the way. However, in 2020, this figure dropped to a mere 4.8 million. China’s fondness for European cinema reached its peak in 2017, with nearly 35 million Chinese moviegoers purchasing a ticket for a European production, with Luc Besson’s sci-fi spectacle “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” (11.3 million admissions) and “Paddington 2” (6.3 million) among the top sellers. Yet, last year, European films sold only 1.3 million tickets in China.
The scarcity of European movies that attract over a million viewers, as classified by the EAO, is a significant issue. In other words, these European blockbusters are becoming increasingly rare, and according to the report, there has been a 43% decrease in such films compared to before the pandemic.
What hasn’t fallen is the number of European movies getting made. The EAO counted 3,349 European films in circulation worldwide in 2023, a 7.8 percent year-on-year jump. European movies actually account for more than half (52 percent) of the total films in circulation globally, the group said. The gap between supply and demand is accounted for by generous government support, with most European films being entirely or largely financed through subsidies and tax incentives.
Matthijs Wouter Knol, the CEO of the European Film Academy, believes that the European theatrical market is at a critical juncture due to its disjointed structure. Movies across Europe are released at various times in distinct countries, typically through different distributors employing diverse marketing tactics. This outdated system struggles to adapt in a digital age where geographical boundaries are less relevant.
It’s essential for us to persuade distributors to abandon their traditional methods, as the environment we live in is rapidly evolving. This change encompasses not only the media and promotional resources but also the preferences and habits of our audience.
Knol emphasizes that coordinated pan-European launches, such as Ruben Östlund’s “The Triangle of Sadness” with over 3 million admissions globally and Justine Triet’s award-winning “Anatomy of a Fall” boasting 2.4 million admissions, demonstrate the promising future of collaborative efforts across borders.
According to Knol, when you examine the offerings of European cinema – from its titles, to its talent, and the unique stories and topics it presents – it’s clear that some of the most innovative and captivating films can be found in Europe right now.
To make a European film appealing to global audiences, it’s no longer effective to release it differently based on location, time, language, or strategy over a year. Such diverse approaches no longer align with the current global structure.
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2024-11-21 15:24