15/05/2006

Artificial Eye, one of the oldest and most established buyers of arthouse and foreign language films in the UK, has just been bought by Act Entertainment Group and Knatchbull Communication Group, headed respectively by Roger Wingate and Philip Knatchbull, who both have long histories in film production, distribution and exhibition in the UK.

The takeover, announced last Friday after two years of negotiations, is the third raid on UK independent distributors by larger predators in just a few months, following the acquisitions of Optimum Releasing by Studio Canal and Redbus Distributions by Lions Gate. Under the new ownership, Artificial Eye’s current managing director Robert Beeson will keep their same positions and Pamela Engel will become a consultant.

Founded 30 years ago by Andi Engel with Pamela Engel, Artificial Eye is attractive because of its brand name, associated to quality auteur filmmakers such as Claude Chabrol, Eric Rohmer, Bertrand Tavernier and Krzysztof Kieslowski, to cite a few. In total, the company has a library of over 200 films, mostly not in English.

Last year was a good year for the company, with the Italian film The Consequences of Love grossing over £400,000 and French title The Beat That My Heart Skipped [+see also:
trailer
film profile] passing the £500,000 cap. However, Michael Haneke’s Hidden [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Margaret Menegoz
interview: Michael Haneke
film profile], released earlier this year, has made history with its £1.4m gross, becoming the second most successful Artificial Eye release since the 1994 hit Cyrano de Bergerac (£2.4m).

The distribution company also owns two flagship London cinemas: the Chelsea and the Renoir, which together with the Curzon Mayfair, the Curzon Soho (owned by Act) and the Richmond Filmhouse (owned by Knatchbull) will be absorbed into a new subsidiary, giving the group nine screens on five London sites, constituting a significant position in London’s arthouse market.

Wingate, owner of Act Entertainment Group, said, “Artificial Eye is now the leading UK label for foreign films. With their distribution expertise and our plans to diversify and grow the group through new digital platforms, we will make this an internationally recognised brand leader.” Artificial Eye’s Robert Beeson also told Cineuropa: “We will continue with much the same acquisition policy, under the same name, and our new owners will provide us a much welcome financial stability”.

Last year at Cannes, Artificial Eye bought no less than six titles in official selection, including Palme d’Or winner The Child [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Luc & Jean-Pierre Dardenne
film profile]. This year, the company has already bought Aki Kaurismaki’s Lights in the Dusk [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and is looking for another five pick-ups.