Institutional Factors | Distribution
"Submarine" was directed by Richard Ayoade and released in UK cinemas in March 2011 after gaining critical acclaim at several film festivals, most notably the Toronto Film Festival. The success at Toronto helped the film secure a distribution deal with The Weinstein Company, which is often considered a ‘Mini Major’ in the film industry. This means it’s large enough to distribute award-winning films like "The Artist" (2012) and "The Iron Lady" (2012) but doesn’t compete directly with Hollywood giants like 20th Century Fox or Universal Studios. The Weinstein Company has a history of distributing challenging, independent films such as "Pulp Fiction" (1994) and "Kill Bill" (2003-04). With "Submarine," they cautiously approached the British film market.
However, The Weinstein Company only distributed "Submarine" in the US. In the UK, the film was distributed by Optimum Pictures, an independent company known for distributing successful films like "This is England" (2006). "Submarine" had a limited release, showing in only 60 cinemas in the UK and 28 in the US, indicating the cautious approach to this low-budget British film. Despite this, the film managed to earn nearly £250,000 in its first three weeks in the UK and $467,000 in the US, which was impressive given the limited release.…
