The Transnational Viewership of European Film: Markets, Audiences, and Policies

This chapter examines the cross-border circulation and viewership of European films in the twenty-first century. Drawing on the MeCETES film database, I reveal that although Europe produced a large and culturally diverse range of films in the early-2000s, most European films were seen by few people outside their country-of-origin. Altogether, non-national European (NNE) films accounted for 12% of cinema admissions in Europe between 2005 and 2015, compared with 67% for American films. Most of the NNE films consumed were also British films or English-language productions. Prevailing theories suggest that American films outperform NNE films because they are less culturally specific and more widely available. However, drawing on evidence from the European Film Audience Survey, I argue a more important factor was the greater resources available to major US studios to satisfy audience demand for fun and entertaining action-adventure films featuring familiar stars and characters. Policy interventions failed to arrest the decline in NNE film viewership in the early-2000s. Nevertheless, some NNE films were popular. I end the chapter by introducing the 215 Euro-million films that attracted 1 million admissions or more in Europe outside their country-of-origin. These include films that further challenge prevailing theories about why films travel well across national borders.