Corinth Films

Overview

Corinth Films is a New York-based independent film distribution company founded in 1971. One of the older continuously operating independent distributors in the United States, Corinth has released international arthouse and documentary films theatrically and on home video across more than five decades. The company's longevity in the US independent distribution market reflects a consistent commitment to quality international cinema from directors and regions underrepresented in mainstream US distribution.

Corinth's catalog includes significant international films from Europe, Asia, and Latin America, including works by directors who were later recognised as major figures in world cinema history but who were first made available to US audiences through Corinth's early distribution activity. The company's archive represents a meaningful slice of world cinema history as distributed in the United States.

Distribution Model

Corinth distributes theatrically in the US through partnerships with arthouse cinemas and through the educational non-theatrical market. The company's home video catalog spans its full history of distribution, with DVD releases making available films that might otherwise be entirely inaccessible to contemporary audiences.

The educational market has been a consistent part of Corinth's distribution activity, licensing films to universities and schools for classroom and institutional use. Many films in the Corinth catalog have strong academic relevance in film studies, history, cultural studies, and social science courses, generating consistent educational licensing revenue alongside any commercial distribution activity.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Corinth is primarily relevant as a historical reference point in US independent distribution rather than as an active high-volume acquisition target. The company's significance is in its catalog depth and its longevity -- understanding how distributors like Corinth built the infrastructure for international cinema distribution in the US provides context for the current market.

For rights holders of classic international films seeking US theatrical or home video re-release, Corinth's catalog management experience and its educational market relationships make it worth contacting as a potential partner for archival releases.

See Also

For the history of international film distribution in the US and how companies like Corinth shaped the arthouse market, see Distribution Deals Explained. For currently active distributors in the same market segment, see First Run Features and Icarus Films in this directory.