By Frances Harvey We spoke to FilmLaden’s Managing Director, Michael Stejskal, about the complexities of the Austrian market. Whilst the cinemas have re-opened after lockdown, there is still a threat of a second wave and an uncertain future. Could you describe FilmLaden’s editorial policy? Our last year’s programme is a good example: We…
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Interview with Antonio Medici, CEO of Bim Distribuzione, Italy
By Jesús Silva Antonio Medici, CEO of Bim Distribuzione, talks about the situation of independent film distribution in Italy, where the global health crisis has accelerated some trends that were already visible in the market, such as the reduction in cinema attendance. Despite cinemas reopening back in June, and with a network of open-air…
Interview with Antoine Zeind, Founder and CEO of A-Z Films, Canada
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…
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…
