Small European Film Markets: Portraits and Comparisons

Comparison with Larger Markets / Film export: Comparing CresCine & Large markets

Film export: comparing CresCine & large markets

This section provides a comparative overview of the export of films from the seven CresCine markets and the six large markets. The analysis focuses on two key elements: comparing the export patterns of films from the 13 markets and discerning whether exported films are single productions or involve other partners. The scope of the export analysis includes Export to EU & UK, Export to Asia, Export to Latin America & Caribbean and Export to Oceania. Both average cinema admissions and total admissions for films produced in the period 2014-2022 are examined, along with the number of exported films from the 13 markets (see Methodology: Film exports: comparing CresCine and large markets).  

 

CresCine markets typically do not surpass the absolute admission figures of larger markets within different export regions. However, there are exceptions: in the Latin America & Caribbean, Ireland’s admissions exceeded those of Italy and Poland. This trend was also observed in Oceania. Furthermore, within Europe, the admission counts for Denmark, Flanders, and Ireland were higher than those for Poland.

The examination of average admissions shares per film reveals that films from CresCine markets achieve higher averages than films from the large markets. For instance, in the EU & UK, Flanders achieved a higher average share of admissions than all the large markets, with the exception of the UK. In the US, Irish and Flemish films had higher average admissions than films from Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland. In Latin America & Caribbean, exported films from Ireland and Flanders also achieved a higher average admission share than all the large markets, except for the UK.

Investigating the average shares also shows that select CresCine markets lag in export to some territories. For instance, Croatia, Estonia and Lithuania could enhance their export strategies to better penetrate the markets in Asia and Oceania. Portugal could advance their export efforts towards the US.

The analysis of exported films in clusters (see Methodology: Film exports: comparing CresCine and large markets) shows that according to the total number of admissions, films from the cluster involving European partners dominated export admissions for CresCine and the large markets examined, when excluding UK. As explained in the methodology, to examine export markets, feature films produced between 2014-2022 were grouped into clusters distinguishing between single productions and films where different partners are involved. On an individual market level, films in collaboration with European partners led the way in export admissions in Germany, Italy, Poland, Estonia, Croatia, and Lithuania.

The UK and Portugal made the highest share of admissions with films from the cluster with North American partners, whereas Ireland and Flanders top admissions came from a cluster involving a diverse international mix of partners. Spain secured the highest share of admissions from single productions. Certain markets, including Croatia, Flanders and Portugal, have low shares of non-national admissions in the cluster without the involvement of international partners.

This section examines the film styles (animation versus live action) and genres of films produced by France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, and UK in the period 2014-2022 that were exported (see Methodology: Film exports: comparing CresCine and large markets).

Among the animation films from the seven large markets analysed, Astérix: Le secret de la potion magique (FR, BE 2018), a sequel film co-produced by France and Belgium, garnered the highest admissions at the international box office and was distributed across 44 markets. Following in second place for admissions was the Spanish film Tadeo Jones 2: El secreto del Rey Midas (ÉS, US 2017), with Astérix: Le domaine des dieux (FR, BE 2014), a co-production between France and Belgium ranking third. As outlined in the market profile on France, the animation genre saw an exceptional rise in 2022, registering the most substantial growth in admissions across all genres of French films.

The output of animation films in the period 2014-2022 was highest in France (77 titles) followed by Germany (45), the UK (37) and Spain (36). Italy and Poland produced fewer animated features – 10 and 5, respectively. Live-action films maintain a clear majority in feature film production across the six large markets.

In fiction films produced in large markets between 2014 and 2022, drama and comedy are the most popular genre tags in all six countries. These genre tags are also dominant in the films of CresCine markets (see: Genre mix). France and Italy stand out for having a strongly drama-oriented repertoire of films (34% of genre tags). Both countries also have a strong orientation towards comedy, with the genre representing approximately 29% and 28% of their genre tags. Spain is more thriller-oriented than others. Romance is a more dominant genre tag in Poland (about 10%). Animation is excluded as a tag in this analysis.

The UK boasts the highest average share of admissions in the EU27 and UK, followed by Flanders and France. Feature films from the UK, France, and Germany achieved the highest admissions in absolute terms. It is important to note that smaller markets tend to export fewer titles, which might affect the averages.

France accounted for the most significant number of film exports to the EU and UK. As outlined in the market profile of France, Europe is the leading geographical area for theatrical exhibition of French cinema, with Germany as a leading export market. From the CresCine markets, Denmark had the largest volume of films exported to the EU and UK.

According to admissions data grouped by clusters (see Methodology: Film exports: comparing CresCine and large markets), Portugal and Flanders made the highest share of admissions with films from the cluster with North American partners. Estonia, Lithuania, Croatia and Denmark saw the highest admissions share with the cluster of European partners. Among the large markets, all except the UK made the highest share of admissions with the cluster of European partners. The UK recorded the highest share of admissions with the films from the cluster with North American partners.

In the period 2014-2022, the UK had the highest average admissions share in the US, followed by France and Ireland. Both Ireland and Flanders had higher average admissions per film than Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland. It is important to note that smaller markets tend to export fewer titles, which might affect the averages.

Within the CresCine markets, Denmark, Estonia, and Croatia follow next after Flanders based on average admissions, while Lithuania and Portugal report lower average share. Ireland led the CresCine markets in the number of films exported to the US.

According to admissions data grouped by clusters (see Methodology: Film exports: comparing CresCine and large markets), the UK and Spain recorded the highest admissions share with the cluster of films in collaboration with North American partners. France saw the highest admissions share with the cluster of single productions. From the CresCine markets, Ireland achieved the highest admissions share with a cluster of productions with an international mix of partners that involve the US. There is a noticeable absence of US collaboration in the rest of the CresCine markets.

UK films secured the highest admissions in Asia out of the 13 markets analyzed. France led in terms of the number of films exported. From the CresCine markets, Flanders had the highest number of exported films.

Across all markets analyzed, the UK, with 921,921, Flanders with 768,669, and Poland with 272,829, led in average admissions for exported titles in the Asian markets. Flanders’ films secured a higher average admission share compared to the French, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish films. An important aspect to acknowledge is that smaller markets tend to export fewer titles, which could potentially affect the averages.

According to admissions data grouped by clusters (see Methodology: Film exports: comparing CresCine and large markets), the UK recorded the highest share of admissions with the cluster of films in collaboration with the North American partners. France saw the highest admissions share with the cluster of films that involve an international mix of partners. On the other hand, Spain and Italy’s most popular films were from the cluster with single productions. The largest share of admissions for German and Polish films in Asia came from the cluster of films made with European partners.

Partnership dynamics also show variability across CresCine markets. Flanders and Ireland achieved the highest admissions share with a cluster of productions with an international mix of partners, whereas Portugal’s highest admissions were with a cluster of films that included collaborations with North American partners. Denmark achieved the highest number of admissions with a cluster of single productions, while Lithuania and Estonia with a cluster of productions that involved European partners.

In the Latin American and Caribbean regions, the UK takes the lead with the highest average number of admissions per title at 659,771, followed by Ireland (154,016) and Flanders (141,523).

From the CresCine markets, the greatest volume of film exports to Latin America and the Caribbean came from Portugal. The UK, France and Spain emerged as the top exporters of films according to the total volume of admissions.

Among CresCine markets, Denmark, Lithuania, and Croatia achieved the highest number of admissions with the cluster of collaborations with European partners, while Portugal with the cluster of North American partners (see Methodology: Film exports: comparing CresCine and large markets). Estonia made the highest share of admissions with single productions, and Flanders and Ireland with a cluster of international mix of partners.

The UK has the highest average admissions share in Oceania, followed by Poland and Ireland. Among the 13 markets, the UK has the highest total admissions.

From the CresCine markets, Ireland had the highest number of exported films to Oceania. 

Estonia and Ireland made most admissions with films from the cluster with European partners. Flanders and Portugal made the highest number of admissions with films from the cluster with North American partners (see Methodology: Film exports: comparing CresCine and large markets). Denmark achieved most admissions with the cluster of single productions, while Croatia with the cluster of collaborations with an international mix of partners. From the large markets, Spain, Germany and Poland saw the highest admissions share with the cluster of European partners.