This book is about the business of distribution, around which the international film business revolves. Considering sales agents and distributors as primary gatekeepers, the book examines the networks in which they operate, how they operate, how their practices have evolved, and the power and control they exert over the business of independent film distribution. Critically, it also considers how they are affected by the powerful influence of Netflix and Amazon in the online era. At a time of disruption and change to traditional business models and industry professions, Roderik Smits argues that gatekeepers remain equally - if not more - crucial to the distribution and circulation of films in international markets.

Autorentext

Roderik Smits is Research Associate in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television at the University of York, UK. He is interested in the changing nature of the film industry and his research has been published in Poetics, *Studies *in European Cinema, *Arts and the Market, Cultural Trends *and the *Journal of British Cinema *and Television.

Inhalt

1. Film Distribution and the Role of Gatekeepers2. The Historical Development of Film Sales Markets3. The Film Sales Process at the European Film Market4. Analysing Sales Agents as Gatekeepers5. Sales Agents and their Gatekeeper Functions6. The Gatekeeper Role of Distributors in the Netherlands7. VOD platforms in the Era of Online Availability.8. The Powerful Influence of Netflix and Amazon Studios.9. Changing Circumstances of Gatekeepers.10. Experiments with Direct Distribution in the UK.11. Conclusion.