New Wave Films

Overview

New Wave Films is a London-based independent film distributor founded in 2008, headquartered at 10 Margaret Street in London's W1W district. The company has released 146 films to date, with a catalog spanning European arthouse, East Asian cinema, Latin American film, documentary features, and English-language independent titles. With 5 employees and an annual revenue of approximately $3.5 million, New Wave operates as a curatorial distributor in the UK arthouse market alongside Curzon, MUBI, and BFI Distribution. The company releases between 7 and 15 films per year, with a selectivity that reflects a curatorial rather than volume-driven acquisition approach.

New Wave's programming identity prioritizes directorial vision and formal ambition over commercial accessibility. The company evaluates projects on artistic grounds, making it a natural home for films that might be described as challenging, formally rigorous, or aesthetically distinctive. Its catalog includes work by some of the most significant figures in international arthouse cinema, and the company has built relationships with major sales agents including The Match Factory, Les Films du Losange, and Wild Bunch.

Distribution Model

New Wave distributes theatrically through partnerships with arthouse cinemas across the UK and Ireland, with a focus on London venues alongside key regional markets including Edinburgh, Bristol, Manchester, and Brighton. The company handles its own marketing and publicity for theatrical releases and manages digital and home entertainment releases through platform partnerships.

Digital distribution includes placement on UK SVOD and TVOD platforms following the theatrical window. Some New Wave releases have been acquired by MUBI for streaming, given the overlap in programming aesthetic between the two companies. The company also maintains a DVD and Blu-ray catalog, with physical media releases for select titles serving the UK collector market.

Theatrical runs typically span 1 to 4 weeks at London venues (BFI Southbank, ICA, Curzon Soho, Prince Charles Cinema) with regional expansion to 5 to 15 additional screens depending on performance and critical reception. Previews and Q&A events with directors are a standard part of the release strategy, particularly for higher-profile acquisitions. For example, Christian Petzold's Miroirs No. 3 will receive preview screenings with Q&As in London in April 2026 ahead of its theatrical release on April 17, 2026.

Notable Catalog and Key Releases

New Wave's catalog includes films by major directors in international arthouse cinema:

• Nuri Bilge Ceylan - Winter Sleep (Palme d'Or 2014), Once upon a Time in Anatolia (2011), Three Monkeys (2008), The Wild Pear Tree (2018)
• Apichatpong Weerasethakul - Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Palme d'Or 2010)
• Miguel Gomes - Arabian Nights trilogy (2015), The Measure of a Man (2015)
• Albert Serra - The Death of Louis XIV (2016), Pacifiction (2022)
• Claire Denis - 35 Shots of Rum (2008), Both Sides of the Blade (2022)
• Hirokazu Kore-eda - Still Walking (2008)
• Jia Zhangke - Ash Is Purest White (2018), Long Day's Journey into Night (2018)
• Lucrecia Martel - The Headless Woman (2008)
• Patricio Guzman - Nostalgia for the Light (2010), The Cordillera of Dreams (2019)
• Rithy Panh - The Missing Picture (2013, Oscar nominee)
• Taviani Brothers - Caesar Must Die (2012, Berlin Golden Bear)
• Michelangelo Frammartino - Le Quattro Volte (2010)
• Arnaud Desplechin - A Christmas Tale (2008)
• Jean-Luc Godard - Film Socialisme (2010)
• Ben Rivers - Bogancloch (2025, Locarno competition 2024)
• Alain Guiraudie - Misericordia (2025 UK release)
• Christian Petzold - Miroirs No. 3 (2026 UK release, Cannes Directors' Fortnight 2025)

Additional catalog highlights include Totem (Lila Aviles, 2023), The Blue Caftan (2022), Il Buco (2021), The Fever (Maya Da-Rin, 2020), You Will Die at 20 (2019), Martin Eden (Pietro Marcello, 2019), It Must Be Heaven (Elia Suleiman, 2019), Fire Will Come (Oliver Laxe, 2019), Joan of Arc (Bruno Dumont, 2019), Talking About Trees (2019), and 5 Broken Cameras (2011, Oscar nominee).

Recent Acquisitions (2024-2026)

New Wave's recent acquisition activity demonstrates the company's continued commitment to formally adventurous international cinema:

• Miroirs No. 3 (Christian Petzold) - acquired from The Match Factory after its Cannes Directors' Fortnight 2025 premiere. UK-Ireland theatrical release scheduled for April 17, 2026, with Toronto and New York film festival screenings preceding the release. Petzold will visit London for preview Q&A screenings, his first London appearance in several years.
• Bogancloch (Ben Rivers) - acquired from Scotland-based Urth Productions. Debuted in competition at Locarno Film Festival in August 2024, with subsequent screenings at Edinburgh, Reykjavik, Tokyo, and Hong Kong film festivals. UK-Ireland release on May 30, 2025, with previews at BFI Southbank on May 2.
• Misericordia (Alain Guiraudie) - acquired from Les Films du Losange. UK-Ireland theatrical release in spring 2025. Guiraudie is a recurring director in New Wave's catalog.
• Ghost Trail (2024) - added to the catalog in 2024.
• Close Your Eyes (Victor Erice, 2023) - UK distribution in 2024.
• Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry (2023) - UK distribution in 2023.
• Totem (Lila Aviles, 2023) - UK theatrical release.

What Filmmakers Should Know

New Wave is a realistic acquisition target for international filmmakers seeking UK and Ireland theatrical distribution for formally adventurous work. The company's programming identity means it evaluates projects on artistic grounds rather than purely commercial ones, making it relevant for filmmakers whose projects may not fit the broader commercial arthouse market.

For international films premiering at Cannes' Un Certain Regard, Directors' Fortnight, or Critics' Week sections, at the Berlinale Forum, at Locarno, or at Rotterdam, New Wave is a natural UK distribution partner. The company acquires through relationships with international sales agents and directly from festival screenings.

New Wave's small scale means it has limited P&A budgets relative to Curzon or MUBI. Typical P&A spend for a New Wave release ranges from $15,000 to $50,000, covering London theatrical runs, regional expansion, digital marketing, and press screening costs. The company's curatorial commitment to each release it takes on provides genuine advocacy for the work, with hands-on marketing and direct relationships with UK arthouse exhibitors.

Filmmakers should approach New Wave through their international sales agent, who can submit the film for UK-Ireland territory consideration. The company attends Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, Locarno, and Rotterdam. Deal structures typically involve a UK-Ireland theatrical commitment with a modest MG (often $5,000 to $20,000 for arthouse titles), followed by revenue sharing across theatrical, VOD, and home entertainment windows. The company's distribution fee typically ranges from 25% to 35%.

See Also

For how UK arthouse distribution campaigns are structured, see Distribution Deals Explained. For an overview of how MUBI and specialist UK distributors serve the arthouse cinema audience, see Streaming vs Theatrical Revenue. To model revenue from a UK theatrical release with limited P&A, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator.