• Recent Foreign Language Films

    my-name-is-khan-poster

    Khan (Bollywood)

    kandahar-poster

    Kandahar (Russian)

    the-secret-reunion-poster

    Brothers - Secret Reunion (Korean)

    Ishqiya

    Ishqiya (Bollywood)

    golden-slumber-poster

    Golden Slumber (Japanese)

    younger-brother-poster

    Younger Brother (Japanese)

    harmony-poster

    Harmony (Korean)

    14-blades-poster

    14 Blades (Chinese)

    our-russia-poster

    Our Russia (Russian)

    oceans-poster

    Oceans (French)

    gainsbourg-poster

    Gainsbourg (French)

    friendship-poster

    Friendship! (German)

  • Top Foreign Language Films 2009

    red-cliff-210

    Red Cliff 2 (Chinese)

    rookies

    Rookies (Japanese)

    man-som-hatar-kvinnor9

    Man som hatar kvinnor (Scandinavian)

    haeundae3

    Haeundae (Korean)

    the-founding-of-a-republic4

    The Founding of a Republic (Chinese)

    wickie-und-die-starken-maenner4

    Wickie und de starken Manner (German)

    le-petit-nicolas3

    Le petit Nicolas (France)

    national-athlete8

    National Athlete: Take Off (Korean)

    coco-avant-chanel

    Coco before Chanel (French)

    flickan-som-lekte-med-elden1

    Flickan som lekte med elden (Scandinavian)



Theatrical Release Patterns

Playdate
Volume
Rollout
Strategy
Description
Wide Release Over 600 screens
Global Reserved for major tentpole-bound films such as Spider-Man or Harry Potter.  The film is released simultaneously in North America and in most major overseas markets with the number of playdates contracting progressively on a weekly basis.  Intended to quickly generate a positive momentum as well as to limit opportunities for piracy.
Nationwide Best for mainstream films with legs.  Following advance critical review, the film is released nationally in all markets with the number of playdates contracting progressively on a weekly basis.  Intended to shorten the window between the national marketing campaign and the video release.
Tiered Best for mainstream films with an advance viral video or Internet following, but with uncertain optimal appeal such as Borat: Cultural Learnings of America and The Blair Witch Project.  The film opens with a smaller wide release into select areas, then expands its run weekly until it achieves a much larger wide release.  Intended to keep distributor options open either to expand into a more substantial nationwide release or to collapse the release into a hit & run strategy.
Modified Best for films with uncertain mainstream appeal such as Brokeback Mountain.  The film opens on a few hundred limited screens, then expands its run week by week until it reaches a wide release.  Intended to allow time to build awareness and positive word of mouth.  Because this pattern does not cover all markets from the start, spot television ads are used in the first wave.  Distributors may deploy early revenues as collateral to bankroll the expansion.
Hit & Run Best for mainstream films without legs. Without advance critical review, the film is released wide on the opening weekend, then immediately shrinks its run to a limited release.  Intended to yield maximum box office results in the opening weekend before negative word of mouth drives away subsequent audiences, as well as to move more rapidly to the video release.
Limited Release 11 to 600 screens
Territorial Best for overseas distribution.  After advance critical review and film festival play, the film opens on extensive limited screens supported by a saturation marketing campaign before moving on to another, often adjacent, territory.  Intended to tailor a film to each specific market and allow word-of-mouth to spill over into the next territory.  In Canada, this strategy is commonly used with French-language films, opening first in Quebec before moving into predominantly English-speaking provinces.
Regional Best for family, exploitation or more mainstream foreign films, especially for independent distributors.  Without advance critical review, the film opens on limited screens in one region supported by a short marketing blitz, then moves to another region.  Intended to yield maximum box office results in the opening weekend before negative word of mouth drives away subsequent audiences.
Select Cities Best for sophisticated, off-center or special-interest films such as The Assassination of Jesse James, My Big Fat Greek Wedding or March of the Penguins, especially for independent distributors.  The film opens on a limited basis in bigger cities, then moves on the same limited basis into progressively smaller cities.  Intended to allow time to build awareness and positive word of mouth while also minimizing release costs.
Platform Best for upscale arthouse, foreign and documentary films with an uncertain mainstream appeal such as Little Children, Volver or Sicko, especially for independent distributors.  The film opens with exclusive or limited runs, usually in large urban cities such as Los Angeles and New York, then spreads slowly to additional screens and finally around the country onto an increasingly larger number of screens, sometimes expanding into a wide release.  Intended to allow time for critical acclaim and positive word of mouth to build momentum while continuing to moderate release costs.  The major distributors often use this strategy with highly anticipated and critically-acclaimed films for an initial release in December in New York and Los Angeles in order to qualify them for Academy Award nominations, then expand their runs into a wide releases later in January or February.
Day & Date Best for prestigious video titles such as Bubble, especially for an independent distributor.  After advance critical reviews, the film is released on the same day to theaters, video and/or broadcast media.  Intended to maximize the impact of a single marketing campaign.  Although resisted by exhibitors, this strategy may be used more commonly in the future as broadcast, cable and satellite television converge with the Internet.
Exclusive Release 1 to 10 screens
Citywide Best for foreign, arthouse or specialty films with niche audience appeal such as Amores Perros, 2 Days in Paris or Shaolin Soccer, especially for an independent distributor.  The film is released onto exclusive screens in one city supported by a blitz marketing campaign, then the run may expand into a limited release.  Intended to minimize release costs while keeping distributor options open for a more substantial release or to find more favorable audiences elsewhere.
Sneak Preview Best for mainstream films with legs that are topically difficult to market or which need to generate anticipation such as 3:10 to Yuma or No Reservations.  The film is previewed on exclusive screens for one showing on Saturday night in one or two bigger cities then, after advance critical review, the film is released on a regular wide or limited basis.  Intended to allow time and positive word of mouth to build momentum for a stronger opening weekend.  The sneak preview replaced the roadshow reserved seat engagement strategy abandoned in the 1970s with the rise of the multiplex.
Four-Walling Best for fulfilling the production company’s obligatory theatrical release for SAG.  The distributor or the production company rents the theater for a flat fee and retains all box office receipts.  Prior to today’s expanded film festival circuit, this strategy was more commonly deployed to demonstrate strength with theatrical audiences as a lure for pick-up by a major distributor.
Pre-Release Reserved for testing the marketing campaign or to determine the optimal playdate volume in advance of a film’s theatrical run.  The film is screened in advance to multiple recruited audiences who are then surveyed about their impressions.  Intended to fine-tune a film’s final cut, advertising plans and release pattern.
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