Box-office data supplied by welcome Foreword 2 FDA 2016 6 Impact analysis 8 The year in UK film and cinema 12 What 18 Focus on event cinema 45 When 54 Where 60 Who 66 How 72 Film for all: Outreach to cinemagoers with hearing and sight loss 80 Worldwide round-up 82 1 contents Multimedia spectrum: UK home/mobile entertainment round-up 2016 90 Almanac 110 FDA members 1 1 1 Golden tickets of 2017 112 A full diary 2017 and beyond 113 Networking in the film industry 114 Directory of screening rooms 115 Congratulations 116 Acknowledgements 117 A year of final farewells 118 Index of data tables 119 Contact FDA 120 FDA/Tim Whitby foreword 2 by Lord Puttnam of Queensgate CBE, President of Film Distributors’ Association Last December, at a well-attended FDA reception in the Grand Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden, I was delighted to lead the celebration of two very recent milestones. The first was the 25th consecutive year of FDA’s The common factor uniting both these Let me go a step further. Given its sponsorship, for and on behalf of UK film distributors, of milestones is talent. track record in managing internships the National Film & Television School. That this valuable and foundation-level training courses The creative industries, in which the UK has support has endured for a quarter-century and counting for recent starters, I sincerely hope long excelled, depend upon talent having – undoubtedly helping the NFTS, based at Beaconsfield FDA blazes a path in embracing opportunities to shine. To my mind, the the UK’s new apprenticeship Studios, to develop into sector’s talent strategies – how individuals what is now one of the with great potential are found, recruited, scheme, effective from spring 2017, finest film, TV and new developed and retained – essentially in realising additional opportunities FDA/Tim Whitby FDA/Tim media schools in the support and drive its fast-evolving for people wishing to enter and learn world – is all the more business strategies. this increasingly digital film business, personally satisfying as whatever their background. I happened to be Chair Film distributors are adept at analysing ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• of the NFTS at the time risk and commercialising innovation. it was originally agreed. They have to be in order to exist in a world Digital technologies have already in which citizens have a super-abundant revolutionised the ways in which The second milestone choice of digital media and entertainment films are made, marketed and was the successful experiences, in and out of the home. watched – and that will surely conclusion of FDA’s ‘ continue to be the case. Lord Puttnam welcomes the second sector-wide 3 Notwithstanding the exponential Minister for Digital & Culture, paid internship scheme, I remain entirely the Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, improvements in smart TVs run in collaboration to FDA’s Christmas reception optimistic about (increasingly with 4K image on 13 December 2016. Their with Creative Skillset, year-end observations about resolution), and consumers’ Film Export UK and ICO. the future of the industry’s progress made increasing migration towards trade press headlines. Over a nine-month feature-length‘ movies ‘on demand’ streaming services placement, the diverse instead of discs, cinemagoing MBI participants received the Nurturing the next generation of talented itself enjoyed a robust year. best possible on-the-job filmmakers and distribution executives training, backed up by may partly be a facet of social mobility To the reported surprise of many, regular classroom and responsibility; but fundamentally it’s 2016’s cinema box-office overall sessions supporting about harnessing the transformational kept pace with that of 2015, which them to grow in ability of talent to enhance effectiveness was the highest grossing year in confidence to a point and competitiveness. It’s not simply UK cinema history. The year’s at which some have common sense; it’s a business imperative, box-office receipts soared past already been offered and I continually find myself applauding the £1 billion mark, setting a new on-going employment FDA members for their commitment record a full three weeks earlier in the sector. to new talent right across the board. than in the previous year. Walt Disney 4 Jungle VIP: Jon Favreau’s CGI version of The Jungle Book was the highest grossing UK cinema release in April 2016. A roaring success on its opening weekend (15–17 April), it topped the UK box-office with £9.9m (likewise the US box-office with $103.6m, the second biggest April opening on record). Sir Ben Kingsley, the voice of Bagheera, the panther, and rising US star Neel Sethi, on screen as Mowgli, supported the US and UK release, including with a live interview on BBC1’s The One Show. Within six weeks of it opening, the film’s box-office receipts had passed £40m, a rare achievement. The Jungle Book (2016) is now placed within the UK’s top 40 box-office hits of all time (see page 52). Underpinning this welcome buoyancy, Much as I admired ‘indie’ releases such as I, Daniel Blake; My Scientology Movie; Eddie the Eagle; a pleasing spread of titles from Brotherhood; Rams; Son of Saul; and Julieta (opposite), conditions remain tough for UK independent The BFG and Bridget Jones’s Baby film distributors; facing relatively low returns against high costs and, since 24 June, a significantly to Deadpool and The Jungle Book weaker pound. Regrettably, one or two of FDA’s independent member companies did not even (above) performed very strongly. manage to make it through the year. Pathé/Fox UK cinema visits reached 168.25 million in 2016, At its best, the cinema continues to compared with 171.9m in 2015 and 172.5m in 2012. offer an utterly unique and immersive This is around 2.6 visits a year per head of ‘going out’ experience – even as population, substantially higher than during the generations of consumers become pre-multiplex days of the 1980s, yet a little lower ever more comfortable viewing long- than in say the US, France or the Republic of Ireland. form content on tablets and laptops as well as ever larger-screen TVs. Around 80% of modern-day cinema visits are of course to multiplexes, principally concentrated in In the coming years, the UK will be the hands of three large UK operators. A few points required to forge a dynamic new of additional market share are occupied by trading position in the world. If you specially designed ‘boutique’ cinemas, catering close your eyes and think of what for local communities with sophisticated food ‘Britishness’ might mean, I’ve little and drink options, luxury seating and a tailored doubt that a whole range of film mix of films and events. characters quickly looms in your mind’s eye. British films have Older audiences, an important demographic, tend transcended cultures, languages and to take a little longer to find a new release; they are borders in the past, and I’m certain All about my daughter: Eponymous broken-hearted Julieta seldom to be found joining the crowds on opening they’ll continue to do so in future. 5 (Emma Suárez) is a 55 year-old teacher who hasn’t heard night. Yet, with this plethora of titles, too many films from her daughter for 12 years. Among UK cinema audiences, find it well-nigh impossible to hold on to screens Film is in the cultural DNA of the writer/director Pedro Almodóvar remains one of Spain’s most and their availability becomes very limited. UK; and talent is its lifeblood. celebrated filmmakers with 4 BAFTA awards to his credit to date. The summer release of Julieta was his first since Regardless of how film consumption evolves in For any film to realise its full I’m So Excited (2013) and it outgrossed that film by some margin – Julieta’s box-office take of £1.34m made it the a marketplace of so many formats and platforms, potential, it must connect with its highest grossing foreign-language ‘arthouse’ title of 2016. I remain entirely optimistic about the future of audience. As the UK film industry Pedro Almodóvar serves as president of the jury at the feature-length movies. As a means of storytelling, weighs up the challenges and 70th Cannes Film Festival in May 2017. they retain their capacity to stimulate our opportunities that lie ahead, I sincerely believe its bold, pragmatic, The complex ‘distribution engine’ powering imagination and touch our deepest emotions. film consumption finds itself working overtime. They inspire and enable, as well as entertain. audience-focused, talented and ‘ diverse distribution sector will An unprecedented 900 individual titles were continue to play a leading role. launched in 2016, up from 853 in 2015, and If you close your eyes and ‘just’ 646 in 2012. It has in every sense become think of Britishness, a whole May I wish you a healthy, prosperous a 7-day, 52-week business. In the digital cinema and very happy New Year. era, the supply of titles seeking screen exposure range of film characters quickly has rocketed out of all proportion to consumer davidputtnam.com demand, which remains broadly static. ‘ looms in your mind’s eye #davidputtnam Aim: Continue to make the Aim: Best possible UK theatrical release cycle help getting started, as safe and secure as with sustainable routes possible with zero piracy into the sector and sourced from UK cinemas. more confident, upskilled progress up FDA formed the Film Content the career ladder – the foundation of foundation the industry film the Protection Agency in 2016. while also harnessing A central point of contact, changing workforce this specialist unit delivers opportunities.