Introduction to European Film Subsidies
European films that have received sales grants from Creative Europe’s Films on the Move Scheme have shown significant success at the box office. According to new research results, for each subsidy financing of 1,000 euros, it reported additional cash events of € 1,700 and another 16 times. This indicates a substantial return on investment for the films that received the grants.
Successful Subsidies
Some films have seen particularly high returns from the subsidies. Ruben Ostlund’s Triangle of sadness achieved the highest return from a film of € 985,000, which was at the European box office of € 19.3 million before its national publication, achieving a return of 19.6 times the award. Other successful subsidies include Anatomy of a fall (14.4 million cash register compared to € 757,000 grant) and The teachers lounge (€ 11.32 million compared to € 497,000).
How Films on the Move Works
Films on the Move used to refer to selective sales support and have an annual budget of EUR 16 million in order to support the cross-border distribution of the latest European films. It encourages sales employees and theater representatives to invest in a coordinated advertising and sales campaign for films in several countries outside the home area of the film. This approach has led to films that received the grant reaching 60% of their box office outside of their home country, compared to only 40% for films that were not selected.
Research Findings
The research results have concluded that films that have the financing of scholarships for the move have "statistically significant positive effects on increasing the income and the theater distribution of the content". The study also found that smaller films saw a greater influence from the subsidies, with an additional € 1,970 at the box office and 31 additional times, compared to € 1,600 and 10 additional times for larger films, per 1,000 euros of subsidy.
Genre and Platform Performance
The genres with the greatest influence due to the grant were sci-fi and drama. Supported films that were played on average in 13 supported countries and only 4.5 countries in which they did not support this area. They also played on other platforms, further increasing their reach.
Notable Exceptions
However, many publications did not report on the subsidy, including top-class titles such as Nicolas Philibert’s Berlin Golden Bear winner On the Adamant, Jessica Hausner’s Cannes competition title Club Zero, Alice Diop’s title of Venice competition Saint Omer, and Lady Ly’s premiere of Toronto The indescribable. These films received significant subsidies but did not see the same level of success at the box office, with On the Adamant generating only € 220,400 at the box office outside of its national publication, despite receiving € 449,300 from Films on the Move.
Conclusion
The study, carried out by the European Commission and published by the Directorate for Communication Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT), provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of the Films on the Move Scheme. While some films have seen significant success, others have not, highlighting the need for continued support and evaluation of the program to ensure its continued success in promoting European films.
