PRESS RELEASE —
BRUSSELS, 17 SEPTEMBER 2018: The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), representing cinema
associations and key operators across 37 territories in Europe, has today added its own voice to
those seeking to ensure that films selected for competition at leading film festivals receive a full
theatrical release.
Following recent discussions around the selection of films at a number of major film festivals and the decision
from the Venice International Film Festival jury to award Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma its Golden Lion prize, the
association released the following statement:
“UNIC wishes to express its support for Italian cinema exhibition colleagues and others in encouraging festival
competitions only to consider for inclusion those films intended for theatrical release.
Central to the film business is the shared experience of watching a feature film on the big screen, something
which creates a strong sense of identity and community. Cinemas offer their audience unique cultural and
social experiences, at the same time allowing films truly to do justice to their director’s vision and, through
their exclusive nature, create unparalleled excitement around their release.
This is a proven strategy that ultimately benefits the entire film value-chain. The theatrical success of each film
helps drive its performance and audience awareness on other platforms. Growth in subsequent markets –
including Video on Demand – develops best on these strong foundations. It should not come at the expense
of theatrical exclusivity.
The cinema industry can exist alongside streaming providers, but believes that their – and the audience’s –
best interests are served by a film receiving a proper cinema release, including a clear and distinct window.
Respect for the life-cycle of a film not only supports a model that has proven successful in terms of cultural
diversity, but also offers the opportunity for the widest possible audience to discover and enjoy as broad a
range of film content as possible. Leading film festivals should encourage practices that benefit the audience
as a whole, through the inclusion of films in their official selection that are within everyone’s reach and not just
that of streaming platform subscribers. Should films be available solely on these platforms or receive only a
“technical” release in another window – yet still benefit from festival selection as a marketing tool in addition to
their considerable resources – the vast majority of their potential audience would be denied access to great
content.
Films belong on the big screen and we therefore encourage leading international film festivals to take a lead
from the Cannes Film Festival and celebrate the social, cultural and economic relevance of cinemas when
designing their future selection policies.”
Share this post