Curzon Film
| Formerly | Curzon Artificial Eye |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film distribution |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Founder | Andi Engel[1] Pamela Balfry[2] |
| Headquarters | , England |
Key people | |
| Products | Film |
| Parent | Curzon (Fortress Investment Group)[3] |
| Divisions | Artificial Eye Curzon Film World |
| Website | film |
Curzon Film (/ˈkɜːrzən/),[4][5] formerly known as Artificial Eye or Curzon Artificial Eye,[6] is a British film distributor, specialising in independent, foreign-language and art house films for cinema and home entertainment.[7]
History
[edit]Artificial Eye was founded in 1976 by Andi Engel (11 November 1942 – 26 December 2006), a German-born film enthusiast, and his then wife, Pamela Balfry, who had a background working with Richard Roud at the London Film Festival. She became the company's first managing director.[1][8]
In 2006 Artificial Eye became a part of Curzon World, a group of companies in the film entertainment industry which also includes the Curzon chain of 13 cinemas plus eight joint venture cinemas,[9] video on demand service Curzon Home Cinema, the retail DVD distributor Fusion Media Sales, and horror film distributor Chelsea Films (launched in 2010).[10]
Curzon Artificial Eye releases some 20 new theatrical films and 30 DVD and Blu-ray titles in the UK each year, as well as digital releases via several platforms, such as iTunes and in-house Curzon Home Cinema.[10]
In 2016, Curzon Artificial Eye renamed to Curzon Film.[11]
On 23 December 2019, Curzon Artificial Eye, along with parent company Curzon, was acquired by American film distributor Cohen Media Group.[12]
In 2020, Curzon Film, in association with StudioCanal UK, released Parasite to UK audiences, which would become UK's highest grossing foreign language film of all time.[13]
In April 2024, Curzon announced that it would revive the storied Artificial Eye label, dormant for nearly a decade, for arthouse and indie films curated by Curzon's acquisitions team with a special focus on world cinema. The first release under the relaunched banner will be the Berlinale title My Favourite Cake, with a rebranded look debuting with the film.[14]
In February 2024, American investment firm Fortress Investment Group sued Cohen Realty Enterprises for defaulting on loans amounting to $534 million. Fortress then requested the New York Supreme Court to grant a motion for a foreclosure sale, which was later set for November 8 that year. Fortress was reportedly the only bidder for Curzon and related entities, initially offering $5 million to acquire the company. A few days later, it was announced that Fortress had acquired Curzon for an undisclosed sum.[15][3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b The Independent, 4 January 2007: Obituary, Andi Engel Retrieved 2012-10-25
- ^ BFI database: Engel, Pamela Retrieved 2012-10-25
- ^ a b Ramachandran, Naman (11 November 2024). "Curzon Cinema Chain Acquired by Fortress in U.K. Arthouse Deal". Variety. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
- ^ Jones, Daniel (2011). Roach, Peter; Setter, Jane; Esling, John (eds.). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-15255-6.
- ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
- ^ Powster. "Curzon Film - Find The Latest Curzon Film Releases". Curzon Film - Find The Latest Curzon Film Releases. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
- ^ Hollywood Reporter, 7 November 2011: Artificial Eye Scores With More Than Half European Film Academy Nominations On Its Release Roster Retrieved 2012-10-25
- ^ The Guardian, 15 January 2007: Obituary, Andi Engel Retrieved 2012-10-25
- ^ Curzon: Our cinemas Archived 20 January 2013 at archive.today Retrieved 2012-10-25
- ^ a b Curzon group website Retrieved 2015-10-27
- ^ Powster. "Curzon Film - Find The Latest Curzon Film Releases". Curzon Film - Find The Latest Curzon Film Releases. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
- ^ Andreas Wiseman (23 December 2019). "Curzon Cinemas & Artificial Eye, UK's Flagship Arthouse Film Group, Acquired By Cohen Media Group". Deadline. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ Powster. "About - Curzon Film". Curzon Film - Find The Latest Curzon Film Releases. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
- ^ Ritman, Alex (30 April 2024). "U.K.'s Curzon Relaunching Arthouse Distribution Label Artificial Eye". Variety. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ Goldsmith, Jill (10 November 2024). "Landmark Theatres Gets No Offers At Charles Cohen Foreclosure Auction But Lender Fortress Bid $5 Million For Curzon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
External links
[edit]- Curzon Film – official site
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