Curzon

Overview

Curzon is one of the UK's oldest and most respected independent film distributors, combining theatrical distribution, cinema exhibition, and a streaming platform under a single integrated brand. Founded in 1934 as a cinema in Mayfair, London, Curzon has grown into a vertically integrated entertainment company that distributes films theatrically across the UK and Ireland, operates a chain of premium arthouse cinemas, and runs Curzon Home Cinema, one of the UK's leading SVOD and TVOD platforms for independent and international film.

Curzon distributes between 25 and 40 films per year in the UK, with a focus on international arthouse, European cinema, prestige documentary, and awards-season titles. The company is consistently one of the most active theatrical distributors in the UK for independent cinema and has introduced major international films to British audiences across its nine decades of operation.

Distribution Model

Curzon distributes theatrically in the UK and Ireland through its own cinema chain and through partnerships with independent arthouse cinemas nationwide. The company's theatrical reach extends beyond London to key UK markets including Birmingham, Brighton, Edinburgh, Oxford, and Cambridge through its owned venues, and to hundreds of independent screens through its distribution relationships.

Curzon Home Cinema, the company's digital platform, provides SVOD and TVOD access to Curzon's catalog and new releases. The platform frequently releases films day-and-date with theatrical, allowing audiences outside Curzon's cinema footprint to access new releases simultaneously. This integrated model -- theatrical distribution, owned exhibition, and owned streaming -- gives Curzon a degree of vertical control that most distributors lack.

Curzon Cinemas

Curzon operates a chain of premium cinemas in London and other UK cities, including the flagship Curzon Mayfair, Curzon Soho, Curzon Bloomsbury, Curzon Victoria, Curzon Wimbledon, and venues in Brighton, Canterbury, and Sheffield. The cinema chain functions as both a revenue stream and a guaranteed exhibition window for Curzon's theatrical releases, providing a platform that does not depend on negotiation with third-party exhibitors.

For filmmakers whose films are distributed by Curzon, the company's owned cinemas provide a guaranteed theatrical presence in London and key UK cities, which is a significant advantage over distributors without exhibition relationships.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Curzon is one of the primary acquisition targets for international films seeking UK theatrical distribution. The company acquires at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, and TIFF, and is active at the European Film Market and AFM. Its preference for European arthouse, prestige drama, and documentary makes it the natural UK distribution partner for films targeting the arthouse and cinema-literate audience.

For international filmmakers whose films have already secured distribution in their home territory, Curzon is the UK partner most commonly associated with the type of film that succeeds in the UK arthouse market. UK pre-sales to Curzon are a realistic financing mechanism for European co-productions targeting that audience.

The BFI Film Fund and other UK public funding bodies have relationships with Curzon that can create co-distribution opportunities for UK-funded productions. Filmmakers applying to UK public funds should be aware of Curzon as a potential distribution partner alongside MUBI, BFI Distribution, and StudioCanal UK.

Notable Releases

Films distributed by Curzon in the UK include The Artist (2011), Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013), Ida (2013), The Look of Silence (2014), Carol (2015), Son of Saul (2015), Toni Erdmann (2016), BPM (Beats Per Minute) (2017), Cold War (2018), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), Titane (2021). The catalog reflects a clear identity: formally ambitious, director-driven international cinema.

See Also

For how UK theatrical distribution deals are structured relative to US specialty deals, see Distribution Deals Explained. To model the revenue from a combined UK theatrical and streaming release through an integrated distributor like Curzon, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator.