This article aims to identify the main trends in the global film market, especially in the structure of the three ‘regional’ markets of greatest political and economic importance – China, Europe, and the United States/Canada – and the relationships between them.1 Estimates by two authoritative sources show that the global film market has experienced a positive trend over recent years with respect to some of its most significant components: box office revenue, admissions (total tickets sold), the total number of screens, and the total number of films made.
The 23.7% growth in ‘number of screens’ worldwide illustrated in Table 1 signifies an important structural trend for the future of the film industry future; it is a precondition for growth in both admissions and box office revenue. The 21% growth in box office bodes well for the film industry in general (although dependent upon total admissions and ticket prices). The 15.6% growth in films produced shows healthy dynamism on the supply side. The only less-than-brilliant trend is the 10.6% growth in the number of admissions.
