By Jesús Silva We chatted with Antoine Zeind, founder and CEO of Montreal-based A-Z Films, to discuss the challenges of releasing European and foreign-language films in Canada. In a market particularly dominated by Hollywood productions, independent distributors struggle to find enough screens for their titles. In the meantime, the effect of the COVID pandemic…
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Interview with Ioanna Panagiotidou, Head of distribution of Rosebud.21, Greece
By Jesús Silva We caught up with Ioanna Panagiotidou, Head of distribution at Greek outfit Rosebud.21, to discuss the particularities of the Hellenic market for independent film distribution and the impact of the COVID pandemic in the territory. With the start of the summer season, open-air cinemas reopened in Greece with promising results. However,…
Interview with Paul Wiegard and Vera Herchenbach, CEO and Acquisitions Executive of Madman Entertainment, Australia/New Zealand
By Jesús Silva and Isabella Weber We talked to Paul Wiegard and Vera Herchenbach, CEO and Acquisitions Executive of Madman Entertainment, about the particularities of distributing European and foreign-language films in Australia and New Zealand. Due to the huge volume of films being released every year, it is crucial for independent distributors in these…
Interview with Hrönn Sveinsdóttir, Managing Director of Bíó Paradís, Iceland
By Jesús Silva After facing permanent closure due to the high costs of maintenance necessary for the running of its operations, Iceland’s only arthouse cinema Bíó Paradís announced it would reopen again this September following a successful agreement with public officials. We spoke to Hrönn Sveinsdóttir, Managing Director of the cinema and its distribution…
Interview with Laurent Dutoit, CEO of Agora Films, Switzerland
By Jesús Silva We caught up with Laurent Dutoit, CEO of Agora Films, to discuss the main challenges of the Swiss market for independent film distribution, such as the multilingual nature of the territory and the fundamental collaboration with the neighbouring countries. Switzerland decided to open cinemas on June 8, after three months of…
Interview with Emil Simeonov, Co-Founder and General Manager of Pro Films, Bulgaria
By Jesús Silva Emil Simeonov, co-founder and General Manager of Bulgaria’s Pro Films, breaks down the situation of the Bulgarian market for independent film distribution, which relies entirely on the theatrical window. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, all cinemas in the country were closed from March 13 until May 18, when the ban was…
Interview with Ivan Hronec, CEO of Film Europe, Czech Republic/Slovakia
By Jesús Silva We interviewed Ivan Hronec, head of media company Film Europe, who gave us some insight into their particular business model, which played a crucial role in their survival during the global health crisis. How would you describe the setup and editorial policy of your company? Film Europe was launched 10…
Interview with Svend Jensen, CEO of Arthaus, Norway
By Frances Harvey In Norway, cinemas were closed on the 12th March due to COVID-19, but it was one of the first markets to ease restrictions. We spoke to Arthaus CEO, Svend Jensen as the cinemas in Norway were beginning to reopen. How would you describe Arthaus’s line-up, do you have a particular…
Interview with Albert Yao, Head of Acquisitions of Swallow Wings, Taiwan
By Frances Harvey In Taiwan, cinemas have remained open throughout the COVID-19 crisis, but it has meant distributors have had to change their strategies and target different audiences. We spoke to Albert Yao, Head of Acquisitions at Swallow Wings. What type of films do you acquire at Swallow Wings? Swallow Wings has been…
Interview with Aistė Račaitytė, Head of Sales and Acquisitions at Kino Pavasaris Distribution, Lithuania
By Frances Harvey Vilnius International Film Festival celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, but due to COVID-19, their extensive schedule of celebratory events had to be cancelled. At very short notice, they managed to move the Festival online, giving a boost to local VOD platforms. After the close of the festival, we talked to…
