Overview
Globe Film is a Tel Aviv-based film distribution company founded in 1966. The company has been releasing major international studio titles and quality arthouse films theatrically across Israel for nearly 60 years, holding output deal relationships with several international studios alongside its independent acquisitions activity. Globe Film places films in multiplex chains and arthouse venues across the country, making it one of Israel's longest-established theatrical distributors.
Israel's theatrical market serves a population of approximately 9.7 million people. In 2024, the Israeli box office totaled ILS 402.3 million (approximately $110 million USD) with 12.2 million admissions, according to UNIC cinema data. National films held a 9.7% market share. The market is concentrated in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beersheba, with cinema attendance per capita higher than most Middle Eastern markets and comparable to several European territories.
The Israeli Distribution Landscape
Israel's theatrical distribution sector is dominated by a handful of companies with distinct studio output deals and independent acquisition strategies. Forum Film (owned by Israel Theaters Group) distributes Disney, Sony, and MGM titles in Israel and operates across Central and Eastern Europe. Tulip Entertainment holds the Warner Bros., Universal, and Paramount accounts. Lev Cinemas distributes approximately 30 films per year through its network of nine theaters, focusing on international arthouse and prestige titles. United King Distribution, led by Moshe Edery, handles Israeli and international commercial cinema, and partners with FilmHouse for independent animation releases.
Globe Film's position in this landscape is as a long-standing independent distributor with studio output deal relationships that give it consistent access to major international theatrical releases. This commercial base allows the company to acquire arthouse and independent titles that a pure specialty distributor would find harder to sustain. The company manages the full release pipeline from theatrical through home entertainment and digital platforms for its acquisitions.
Distribution Model
Globe Film distributes theatrically across Israel through partnerships with multiplex chains and independent cinemas. Israel's exhibition sector includes multiplex operators like Globus Max (owned by Yoram Globus, operating numerous theaters nationwide) and Lev Cinemas (nine venues in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Herzliya, Ramat Aviv, and other cities), alongside smaller arthouse screens.
Israel's digital streaming market is served by international platforms including Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video alongside local services. For theatrical distributors like Globe Film, the streaming era has compressed the theatrical window but not eliminated it: Israeli audiences still generate 12.2 million annual admissions, and theatrical release remains the primary revenue driver for distributor MGs and P&A recoupment.
Israeli Film Festivals and Acquisition Timing
Israel's film festival circuit includes the Jerusalem International Film Festival (JIFF, typically held in July), the Haifa International Film Festival (typically held in October), and the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival. Globe Film's presence at these festivals gives it early access to Israeli and international films premiering in the country.
JIFF is the most significant industry event for Israeli distribution acquisitions. The festival's international programming draws Israeli distributors and international sales agents, making it the natural moment for Israeli rights negotiations on qualifying international films. For international filmmakers premiering at JIFF, Globe Film is one of the primary Israeli distribution contacts alongside Lev Cinemas and United King.
Israel as a Standalone Territory
Israel is typically handled as a standalone territory in international sales deals, not bundled into a broader Middle East package. The market's English-language fluency, European cultural orientation, and distinct censorship/classification system (the Israel Film Council rates films independently) make it a separate commercial territory from neighboring Arab markets.
For international sales agents, Israel is a small but reliable territory. MGs for Israeli rights typically range from $5,000 to $50,000 depending on the film's commercial profile, with higher MGs for films with strong festival buzz or Israeli co-production elements. P&A spend in Israel is modest by global standards: a platform release in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem might involve $10,000 to $30,000 in marketing spend, while a wider release across multiplex chains can reach $100,000 or more.
Example Titles and Box Office Context
Globe Film's catalog spans studio output titles and independent acquisitions. The company's studio output relationships supply it with consistent commercial product, while its independent acquisitions focus on international arthouse and crossover titles. Specific title-level box office data for Globe Film's releases is not publicly reported in the same systematic way as US or UK distributor performance, but the broader Israeli market context provides benchmarks.
In 2024, the top-performing titles in Israel included studio releases distributed by Forum Film (Disney, Sony, MGM titles) and Tulip Entertainment (Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount titles). Wicked (Universal/Tulip Entertainment) grossed approximately $3.36 million in Israel across 38 screens. Challengers (Warner Bros./Tulip Entertainment) grossed approximately $215,000. These figures illustrate the scale of the Israeli theatrical market: even major studio titles operate on modest screen counts compared to the US or UK.
For independent and arthouse acquisitions, Israeli box office performance is typically smaller. A successful arthouse release in Israel might gross $50,000 to $300,000 depending on screen count, critical reception, and audience word of mouth. Globe Film's independent acquisitions fall into this performance band, with the company's studio output titles providing the revenue base that subsidizes its arthouse activity.
Deal Structure Reputation
Globe Film operates with a hybrid deal structure model. For studio output titles, the company functions under long-term output agreements that provide consistent access to major international releases. These deals are negotiated at the parent-studio level and cover multiple years of releases, with revenue sharing terms established contractually.
For independent acquisitions, Globe Film typically offers MG-based deals for Israeli rights. MGs for Israeli rights on independent films generally range from $5,000 to $50,000 depending on the film's commercial profile, festival buzz, and cast. The company does not typically offer service-deal or pure revenue-share arrangements for acquisitions, functioning as a traditional MG-paying distributor rather than an aggregator.
P&A spend in Israel is modest by global standards. A platform release in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem might involve $10,000 to $30,000 in marketing spend, while a wider release across multiplex chains can reach $100,000 or more. Globe Film's P&A commitments vary by title, with studio output titles receiving wider releases and higher marketing spend than independent acquisitions.
Typical Acquisition Profile
Globe Film acquires two categories of films. First, studio output titles flow through its output deal relationships, requiring no individual acquisition decisions. Second, the company independently acquires arthouse and crossover titles from international sales agents at markets and festivals.
For independent acquisitions, Globe Film targets films with:
- Strong festival credentials (Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, Toronto)
- Commercial-and-arthouse crossover potential
- Israeli audience relevance (Middle Eastern themes, Jewish cultural content, or universal storytelling)
- Cast or director recognition in the Israeli market
The company does not maintain an open submissions process. Acquisitions are negotiated through sales agents at the European Film Market (EFM), Cannes Marche du Film, and the American Film Market (AFM), or through direct relationships with international sales companies. Filmmakers seeking Israeli distribution through Globe Film should ensure their sales agent is presenting the title to Israeli distributors at these markets.
Recent Slate and Acquisition Activity
The Israeli theatrical market in 2024 and 2025 has seen continued activity across all distributor tiers. Israeli films have performed strongly in 2024-2025, with titles like Soda (2024, directed by Erez Tadmor, starring Lior Raz and Rotem Sela), Real Estate (2024, directed by Anat Malz, winner of Best Israeli Film at Haifa Film Festival 2025), and The Milky Way (2024, directed by Maya Kenig) receiving domestic releases through various Israeli distributors.
On the international front, Israeli distributors including Globe Film continue to acquire titles from major markets. The 2025 Cannes Film Festival saw several Israeli territory deals announced, and the 2026 Berlin Film Festival featured Israeli films in competition sections, including Where To? (Assaf Machnes, Berlinale Perspectives) and Tell Me Everything (Moshe Rosenthal, Sundance 2026 world cinema dramatic competition).
For filmmakers tracking Israeli distribution activity, the key indicators are: territory deals announced at EFM, Cannes, and AFM; Israeli films premiering at major festivals (which often secure domestic distribution before international sales); and the annual box office performance data published by UNIC and local industry sources.
What Filmmakers Should Know
For international filmmakers seeking Israeli theatrical distribution, Globe Film is a contact alongside Forum Film (for studio-scale titles), Lev Cinemas (for arthouse), and United King (for commercial Israeli and international cinema). Films with Middle Eastern themes, European co-production connections, or strong commercial-and-arthouse crossover profiles tend to perform best in the Israeli market.
For Israeli co-productions and films with Israeli creative involvement, Globe Film's domestic infrastructure provides a distribution partner for the Israeli market component of the financing structure. Israeli co-production treaties exist with Canada, France, Germany, and other European countries, and the Israeli Film Fund provides production support that can be combined with distribution commitments.
Filmmakers should note that the Israeli theatrical market has proven resilient despite regional instability. The 2024 box office (ILS 402.3 million) represented only a 5.4% decline from 2023 (ILS 424.0 million), and admissions held at 12.2 million. The market's stability makes Israeli rights a reliable line in international sales projections.
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See Also
For how Israeli and Middle Eastern theatrical distribution fits into international territory sales, see Distribution Deals Explained. For the Jerusalem International Film Festival's role in Israeli film culture and international acquisition, see the Film Festivals Directory. To model the revenue from Israeli theatrical distribution as part of a territory-by-territory release plan, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator.
