The Japanese Market for UK Films - BFI

market was expanding more rapidly, even if the risk was high, there would be
new entrants into the business willing to take the risk. But the actual box office
size is stable at around JP¥200billion and there are no signs of dramatic
expansion. In addition, the number of market players is not increasing greatly.
Finally, the number of distributors supplying foreign films is limited and so the
chance for audiences to see foreign cinema is not expanding. The result is a
decrease in sales of DVDs and opportunities for TV broadcast. It is therefore
important for films to be supplied to distributors at a reasonable price, in order to
increase the chances for Japanese audiences to see UK films.
c) Accessibility of database of archives for Japanese distributors
The Festival du Film Francais au Japon 2007 took the daring step of
programming many films which had not yet been sold to Japanese distributors.
This programming gave the festival the function of a showcase not only for
cinema audiences but also for distributors.
d) Promotion of co-productions between UK and Japan
It is a well known fact that UK has made many co-productions of both of films
and TV programmes, a policy embodied in the key words of the UK
government’s "Inward Investment" policy.
Co-production activities appealing to Japanese audience can be broken down
into specific categories as follows:
- British production / arrangement / remaking of Japanese original content
(novel, comic)
- The reverse of the above – British original content and Japanese
production
- The use of Japanese actors/actresses in UK films
For these business activities, a co-production agreement between Japan and
UK with an institutional infrastructure is recommended. For example, La Forêt de
Mogari, co-production film between Japan and France, was produced with a
subsidy of the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and a subsidy of the French
CNC. It was seen with keen interest having been awarded the Grand Prix at
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