International box office results for French films in August/September 2003
Leading the pack:
In the months of August and September 2003, it was "Swimming Pool" by François Ozon that registered the highest figures in the international arena, with cumulated results for this period reaching €10 million. The film is currently showing in 8 of the 16 countries included in Unifrance charts. Released in the United States by Focus Features July 2, this standout performer has achieved its best score in this territory, raking in more than $5.5 million in two months. As is the case for "The Travelling Birds" (released in the USA as "Winged Migration"), the cumulated box office results for the film since its release have now broken the $10 million barrier in the United States. It is estimated that around 1,700,000 spectators have flocked to see the film in the territory. "Swimming Pool" also drew crowds in Germany, where its distributor Constantin released it on 119 prints on August 14, registering over 450,000 admissions to the end of September. But the film's international success does not end there. "Swimming Pool" was released in Great Britain by UGC Films UK on 38 prints on August 22 and it has already tallied over €1 million in box office receipts. The film is still in theaters in Switzerland and also doing well in Poland, Austria and the Netherlands.
In addition to the fine performance of "Swimming Pool" and "The Travelling Birds" in the USA, it is interesting to note the fine results of "And Now… Ladies and Gentlemen" in this territory. Released August 1st by Paramount on 32 prints, the film had already clocked up over $700,000 at October 5.
A surprise hit of recent months, "Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran" by François Dupeyron jumped straight to the number 2 spot in our charts, thanks in particular to its excellent launch in Italy. The distributor Lucky Red has had the film in Italian theaters since August 29, offering it an ambitious release of 126 prints, a decision that has paid off since the film registered 295,000 admissions at the end of September.
Another contender in our top 15, "The Triplets of Belleville" (UK title "Belleville Rendez-Vous") by Sylvain Chomet is currently distributed in 5 countries monitored by Unifrance. Great Britain is credited with the largest share of the film's box office earnings. With €770,000 in the till, the film was released by Metro Tartan Distribution on 53 prints on August 29. It was launched on the same date in Spain by Vertigo Films, here too on around 50 prints. The Triplets have incidentally just been released in Denmark by Sandrew Metronome and in Italy by Mikado Film.
Fathers' Day in Quebec
Michel Boujenah's directing debut "Père et fils" has hit the mark in Quebec. Distributed by Alliance Atlantis since September 19, the film was well-placed with 51 prints in circulation and clocked up around €239,000 after two weeks, representing close to 65,000 spectators.
French films still going strong in Argentina
Despite the economic crisis plaguing the country for the past two years, French productions and co-productions are still bringing spectators out in droves. At the beginning of October 2003 close to 730,000 tickets had already been sold to French films. The latest standout title, "The Flower of Evil" by Claude Chabrol, released August 7 by Alfa Film on 14 prints, had been seen by just under 80,000 spectators at the end of September. In addition to this film, 5 other French titles are also lighting up the screens in Argentina: "The Adversary," "The Little Chinese Seamstress," "Irma Vep," "Respiro: Grazia's Island" and "The Pianist."
For all further information, please contact:
Julien Gaulier: Economic Data Manager
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