Rebuilding Film Circulation: A New Compact Between Distribution and Exhibition

Film circulation is increasingly constrained by structural imbalances: concentrated access to screens and marketing, uneven allocation across venues and territories, and release calendars dominated by a small number of major titles. Many works struggle to find an audience, while audiences do not always find the films they are looking for. These imbalances take different forms across markets, from congested theatrical systems to regions where screens remain scarce, concentrated in major cities or inaccessible to large parts of the population. This session examines how distributors and exhibitors can improve release planning, data-sharing, programming commitments and access to screens, so that a wider range of films can find audiences, travel across territories and generate lasting value.