Curzon

Overview

Curzon is a vertically integrated British entertainment company operating across film distribution, cinema exhibition, and streaming. The company distributes approximately 20 to 25 films per year theatrically in the UK and operates 16 cinemas with 46 screens across the UK. Curzon also runs Curzon Home Cinema, a streaming platform that provides day-and-date access to the company's theatrical releases alongside a curated library of independent and international titles. The service operates on a transactional (rent/buy) basis rather than a subscription model.

Curzon has released more Cannes Palme d'Or winners than any other UK distributor and is the recipient of multiple Academy Awards including Best Picture for Bong Joon-ho's Parasite (2019), which became the UK's highest-grossing foreign-language film of all time. In 2017, Curzon received a BAFTA in recognition of its Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema.

The company was acquired by Fortress Investment Group in 2024 after facing mounting financial difficulties. CEO Philip Knatchbull, who ran Curzon for nearly 20 years before departing and then returning, is leading the company's current strategy.

This vertical integration gives Curzon a distinctive position in the UK market: the company can acquire a film, release it theatrically across its own cinema chain, and make it available simultaneously on its own streaming platform, controlling the entire distribution chain from acquisition to audience.

History

Curzon Cinemas traces its origins to the Curzon Mayfair cinema, which opened in 1934 on Curzon Street in London's West End. The cinema became synonymous with arthouse and foreign-language film exhibition in London. The Curzon brand expanded under various ownership groups before the current operation consolidated distribution and exhibition into a single entity.

Curzon's distribution arm, Curzon Film (born in 1976 as Artificial Eye), has one of the strongest arthouse distribution catalogs in the UK. The Artificial Eye label released films by virtually every major international auteur in the UK market over its four-decade history, introducing directors including Michael Haneke, Lars von Trier, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Abbas Kiarostami to UK audiences. In 2006, Artificial Eye became part of Curzon. The Artificial Eye brand was revived in 2024 under distribution head Jake Garriock for select releases, while Curzon Film remains the primary label.

Key releases include films by Michael Haneke, Abbas Kiarostami, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Ruben Ostlund (Triangle of Sadness, The Square), Celine Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), and Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car). Curzon also distributed Parasite (2019) in the UK, which made history as the highest-grossing foreign-language film in UK box office history.

In 2024, Curzon posted an 8% rise in admissions year-on-year, bucking broader market trends in UK exhibition.

Notable Productions

Curzon has released more Cannes Palme d'Or winners than any other UK distributor. Key releases include:

House Style / Genre Focus

Curzon distributes arthouse, international, and independent cinema. The company's catalog spans French New Wave, Korean cinema, Japanese arthouse, contemporary European auteur films, and British independent cinema. Curzon Film has introduced directors including Michael Haneke, Lars von Trier, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Abbas Kiarostami to UK audiences.

Curzon does not distribute mainstream commercial blockbusters, franchise films, superhero content, or broad comedies. The company avoids films without clear arthouse audience potential or critical pedigree. Pure genre fare without artistic ambition falls outside Curzon's acquisition scope.

How They Typically Find Talent / Take Submissions

Curzon acquires completed films from international festivals and through sales agents. The company does not accept unsolicited submissions. Projects reach Curzon through:

1. Festival acquisitions: Head of Acquisitions Eleonora Pesci monitors Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, and Locarno
2. Sales agent pitches: International sales agents present projects at film markets (AFM, Cannes Marche du Film, EFM)
3. Multi-territory development: The Curzon CM Development Fund with Madman Entertainment and Cineart develops projects where partners take local rights

Curzon's vertical integration means a single deal can cover UK theatrical, streaming (via Curzon Home Cinema), and home entertainment rights.

Ownership and Financial Situation

Curzon was acquired by Fortress Investment Group in 2024 after the company faced mounting financial difficulties. Fortress is the same American private equity firm that foreclosed on Charles Cohen's real estate empire (including Landmark Theatres and Cohen Media Group in the US). Under Fortress ownership, Curzon is restructuring its operations while continuing to acquire and distribute films.

CEO Philip Knatchbull returned to lead the company and has outlined a strategy focused on:

• Multi-territory rights acquisitions (partnering with distributors in other territories rather than buying UK rights alone)
• New venue expansion (Curzon Chelsea, Curzon Hammersmith)
• Development partnerships (the Curzon CM Development Fund with Madman Entertainment in Australia and Cineart in Belgium)
• Bespoke release windowing (treating each film individually rather than applying a uniform day-and-date or theatrical window strategy)

Cinema Venues

Curzon operates 16 cinemas with 46 screens across the UK (as of mid-2026):

Closed locations:

• Ripon (2 screens): Opened 2013, closed July 2023
• Chelsea (1 screen): Taken over 1983, closed March 2018, reopening late 2026 (see below)

New Venues in Development

Curzon Chelsea (opening late 2026): A new flagship venue on King's Road, part of The Gaumont redevelopment by Cadogan Estates. The Art Deco facade of the original 1934 Gaumont Palace is preserved, with a new 20,000 sq ft cinema beneath. The venue includes:

• A 300-seat main auditorium
• A space for large gatherings and live programming
• Two studio spaces for podcasts, writers' rooms, and experimental screenings
• A video and audio recording studio
• A bar, cafe, and creative special space
• Designed by Takero Shimazaki Architects (who also designed Curzon Bloomsbury)

Curzon Hammersmith (in negotiations): A planned 5-screen cinema as part of Hammersmith and Fulham Council's Civic Campus development on King Street. Curzon has submitted a premises licence application. The Civic Campus development includes panoramic roof gardens, a public square, gallery space, performance venues, and 204 new homes (over half affordable). Construction is expected to be complete by end of 2025, with Curzon potentially opening in April or May 2026.

Operations

Curzon Film

Theatrical distribution of approximately 20-25 films per year in the UK. Upcoming 2026 slate includes Pedro Almodovar's Bitter Christmas, Clio Barnard's I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning, Ryusuke Hamaguchi's All Of A Sudden, plus A Waiter In Paris and The Weir (currently in production).

Curzon Cinemas

16 cinemas, 46 screens across the UK. Programming focuses on arthouse, international, and independent cinema. The chain provides theatrical booking leverage for Curzon Film's releases, ensuring screen access in London (the UK's most important market for specialty releases) and regional UK cities.

Curzon Home Cinema

Streaming platform offering day-and-date releases alongside library titles. Operates on a transactional VOD basis (rent or buy per film), not a subscription model. This allows filmmakers to earn per-transaction revenue rather than a share of a flat subscription pool. The platform gives Curzon direct-to-consumer distribution without relying on third-party streaming services.

Curzon Collection

Curated home entertainment releases on Blu-ray and DVD.

Curzon CM Development Fund

A development partnership with Madman Entertainment (Australia) and Cineart (Belgium) to develop films where Curzon and its partners take local distribution rights in their respective territories. This represents Curzon's shift toward multi-territory rights and development rather than pure UK acquisition.

Senior Leadership Team (2026)

Curzon revamped its senior team in 2025-2026:

• Jake Garriock: Senior Director of Distribution (overseeing acquisitions, publicity, and film sales teams)
• Eleonora Pesci: Head of Acquisitions
• Kelly Powell: Head of Publicity
• Charlotte Saluard: Head of Film Sales
• Susie Bould: Senior Director, Marketing, Digital & Strategy
• Christina Flourentzou: Director of Operations
• Katy Black: Director of Corporate Sales
• Jessica Woodward: Head of Operations, Curzon Home Cinema

The restructuring is designed to facilitate Curzon's increased focus on development, international sales, and production, with ambitions to expand the distribution business to include events and new media content.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Curzon acquires completed films from international festivals and through sales agents. The company evaluates films based on quality, arthouse audience appeal, and UK market potential. Curzon's vertical integration means a single deal can cover UK theatrical, streaming (via Curzon Home Cinema), and home entertainment rights, simplifying the distribution process for filmmakers and their sales representatives.

For international filmmakers seeking UK distribution, Curzon is one of the most established arthouse distributors. The company's cinema chain ensures theatrical presence in London and regional UK cities. Curzon Film has released more Palme d'Or winners than any other UK distributor, giving it strong credibility with international sales agents and festival selectors.

Day-and-date strategy: Curzon pioneered day-and-date theatrical and streaming releases in the UK, originally as a necessity when arthouse films struggled to secure multiplex bookings. Under Knatchbull's current approach, each film is treated on a bespoke basis: some may receive day-and-date release, while others may get a 90-day theatrical window depending on the film and the exhibitor relationships involved.

Multi-territory ambitions: Knatchbull has stated that "the future is about multi-territory rights." Filmmakers with projects that could appeal across territories should consider Curzon's development partnerships (Madman in Australia, Cineart in Belgium) as a route to multi-territory deals rather than selling territories individually.

Curzon Home Cinema economics: Unlike subscription services (Netflix, MUBI), Curzon Home Cinema operates on transactional VOD. Filmmakers earn per-transaction revenue, which provides more transparent per-viewer economics than subscription revenue sharing models.

For Curzon Film's current releases, visit film.curzon.com. For Curzon Home Cinema, visit homecinema.curzon.com.

Watch: Trailers & Behind the Scenes

See Also

To model revenue across UK theatrical, streaming, and home entertainment windows, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For understanding how UK distribution and exhibition work, read Film Distribution Deals Explained. To compare distribution deal structures, use the Distributor Comparison Tool. For understanding streaming vs theatrical revenue, see Streaming vs Theatrical Revenue.