World cinema
Encyclopedia
World cinema is a term used primarily in English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
speaking countries to refer to the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s and film industries
Film industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
of non-English speaking countries. It is therefore often used interchangeably with the term foreign film. However, both world cinema and foreign film could be taken to refer to the films of all countries other than one's own, regardless of native language.
Technically, foreign film does not mean the same as foreign language film, but the inference, particularly in the U.S., is that a foreign film is not only foreign in terms of the country of production, but also in terms of the language used.
As such, the use of the term foreign film for films produced in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
or other English speaking countries would be uncommon.
In other English speaking countries, it would be extremely unlikely to class films made in the U.S. as foreign films, or belonging to World cinema, as American films are reasonably dominant in all English-language markets.
World cinema has an un-official implication of films with "artistic value" as opposed to "Hollywood commercialism." Foreign language films are often grouped with "art house films
Art film
An art film is the result of filmmaking which is typically a serious, independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience...
" and other independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
s in DVD stores, cinema listings etc.
Unless dubbed into one's native language, foreign language films played in English speaking regions usually have English subtitles
Subtitle (captioning)
Subtitles are textual versions of the dialog in films and television programs, usually displayed at the bottom of the screen. They can either be a form of written translation of a dialog in a foreign language, or a written rendering of the dialog in the same language, with or without added...
. Few films of this kind receive more than a limited release and many are never played in major cinemas. As such the marketing, popularity and gross takings for these films are usually markedly less than for typical Hollywood blockbusters
Blockbuster (entertainment)
Blockbuster, as applied to film or theatre, denotes a very popular or successful production. The entertainment industry use was originally theatrical slang referring to a particularly successful play but is now used primarily by the film industry...
. The combination of subtitles and minimal exposure adds to the notion that "World Cinema" has an inferred artistic prestige or intelligence, which may discourage less sophisticated viewers. Additionally, differences in cultural style and tone between foreign and domestic films affects attendance at cinemas and DVD sales.
Foreign language films can be commercial, low brow
Low culture
Low culture is a term for some forms of popular culture. Its opposite is high culture. It has been said by culture theorists that both high culture and low culture are subcultures....
or B-movie
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
s. Furthermore, foreign language films can cross cultural boundaries, particularly when the visual spectacle and style is sufficient to overcome people's misgivings. Films of this type are becoming more common, and recent examples such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a 2000 wuxia film. An American-Chinese-Hong Kong-Taiwanese co-production, the film was directed by Ang Lee and featured an international cast of ethnic Chinese actors, including Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, and Chang Chen...
; Amélie
Amélie
Amélie is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre...
and Brotherhood of the Wolf
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Brotherhood of the Wolf is a 2001 French film directed by Christophe Gans, starring Samuel Le Bihan and Mark Dacascos, and written by Gans and Stéphane Cabel...
enjoyed great success in American cinemas and DVD sales. The first foreign and foreign language film to top the North American box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
was Hero in the fall of 2004.
World cinema on DVD
Foreign language films that are particularly successful in international markets may be taken on by the large film distributionFilm distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...
companies for DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
releases. At the other end of the scale, many foreign language films are never given a DVD release outside of their home markets. The majority of those DVDs that are given an international release, come out on specialist labels. These labels include:
- Arrow FilmsArrow FilmsArrow Films is a UK distributor of classic, horror, and cult films on Blu-ray and DVD.-Arrow Films:Arrow Films is one of the UK's leading independent distributors of world cinema, arthouse, horror and classic films...
(UK) - Label specialising in foreign language and cult English language films - Artificial EyeArtificial Eye (distribution)Artificial Eye is a DVD distributor in the U.S. and UK, specialising in foreign-language and art house films.The company is associated with the Curzon chain of cinemas in London....
(USA and UK) - Axiom Films (UK)
- British Film InstituteBritish Film InstituteThe British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
(UK) - Contender Entertainment Group - Label distributing East Asian films. They bought out Medusa Communications in 2005, and own the sub-labels Hong Kong LegendsHong Kong LegendsHong Kong Legends was a United Kingdom DVD distribution company, based in Hertfordshire and operating from the UK and Australia between 1999 and 2007...
(specialising in films from Hong Kong) and Premier Asia (specialising in films from the rest of East Asia, particularly JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
). CEG bought out the label. - The Criterion CollectionThe Criterion CollectionThe Criterion Collection is a video-distribution company selling "important classic and contemporary films" to film aficionados. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions...
(USA) - Dragon DynastyDragon DynastyDragon Dynasty is a joint venture started by The Weinstein Company and Genius Products. The company was created on May 23, 2006 for the sole purpose of distributing East Asian films on DVD in the US, whose licenses are held by, or will be acquired by The Weinstein Company...
(USA) - Label specialising in films from East Asia. - Eastern Eye (Australia).
- Facets Multimedia (USA)
- Film Movement (USA)
- Fortissimo FilmsFortissimo FilmsFortissimo Films is a multi-national film production, sales and distribution company. The company has been behind such East Asian films as Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love, the Thai films Tears of the Black Tiger and Last Life in the Universe, as well as such independent films as Pleasure...
(Netherlands / international) - ImaginAsian PicturesImaginAsian PicturesImaginAsian Pictures is an Asian/Asian-American film distribution arm of ImaginAsian Entertainment....
(USA) - Janus FilmsJanus FilmsJanus Films is a film distribution company. It was one of the first distributors to bring what are now regarded as masterpieces of world cinema to the United States...
(USA) - Kino International (USA) - Label distributing foreign language, arthouse and silent films.
- Manga EntertainmentManga EntertainmentManga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...
(USA and UK) - Label specialising in animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
. - Masters of CinemaMasters of CinemaThe Masters of Cinema organization began as a website dedicated to the most well-regarded film directors in the world. Founded by a diverse international group of like-minded film enthusiasts: Jan Bielawski, a mathematician; Doug Cummings, a graphic artist and freelance critic; Trond Trondsen, a Ph.D...
(UK) - Mongrel Media (Canada)
- Optimum ReleasingOptimum ReleasingStudioCanal UK is a film distributor company working in the UK and Ireland. The company releases many films, including foreign language films, anime releases such as Studio Ghibli's films and independent British, Irish and American films in the UK and sometimes Ireland.Optimum was acquired by...
(UK) - Distributor of foreign and English language films in the UK. East Asian films released through their Optimum Asia sub-label. - Palador PicturesPalador PicturesPalador Pictures is a content production, programming and publishing company operating from Mumbai, India, dealing mainly with the acquisition and distribution of foreign language films, also known as World cinema in the Indian subcontinent through DVD, television and theatre.Palador Pictures was...
(India) - Distributors of highly awarded foreign language films from across the world. - Palisades Tartan (USA and UK) - Palisades bought out the back catalogue of Tartan FilmsTartan FilmsPalisades Tartan is a US and UK film distribution company, founded by US-based Palisades Media Group to take over the film library of Tartan Films after it folded in Summer 2008.-History:...
when they folded. - Soda PicturesSoda PicturesSoda Pictures is a UK based film distributor of art house, independent and world cinema. They have provided distribution for many award-winning films such as Frostbite , Into Great Silence & Old Joy.- Releases :...
(UK) - Studio Canal (France)
- Tartan FilmsTartan FilmsPalisades Tartan is a US and UK film distribution company, founded by US-based Palisades Media Group to take over the film library of Tartan Films after it folded in Summer 2008.-History:...
(USA and UK) - Label distributing a variety of foreign and English language films, though primarily East AsiaEast AsiaEast Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n films. The company consists of Tartan Video in the UK and Tartan Films USA, as well as the Tartan Asia Extreme and Tartan Terror horrorHorror filmHorror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
labels. The company folded in 2008 and were taken over by Palisades.
World cinema television channels
- CinéMoiCinéMoiCinémoi is a pay-TV digital channel screening French films, available on the Sky satellite television platform in the United Kingdom and Ireland and the Virgin Media cable television platform in the United Kingdom.-Programming:...
(UK channel dedicated to French films, launching January 2009) - World Cinema HDWorld Cinema HDVOOM HD Movies was an American television channel that broadcasts Hollywood blockbusters from past and present, exclusively in HD.-History:VOOM HD Movies launched in 2004 as 'World Cinema HD' and featured films from around the world....
(USA) - UTV World moviesUTV World MoviesUTV World Movies is a movie channel and is part of the UTV network. It broadcasts movies of several languages, along with English subtitles.-External links:**...
(India) - NDTV LumiereNDTV LumiereLumière Movies is an Indian 24-hour movie channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System based in Mumbai.The channel was launched by NDTV Group in joint venture with Alliance Lumière Pvt. Ltd as NDTV Lumière. The channel provides access to the World wide films following their release...
(India) - World MoviesWorld MoviesWorld Movies is an Australian subscription television channel dedicated to foreign films, available on Foxtel, Optus TV and Austar. The channel features foreign film, documentaries, independent cinema, and interviews with international movie stars....
(Australia)
See also
- Cinema of the world
- Academy Award for Best Foreign Language FilmAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language FilmThe Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
- César Award for Best Foreign FilmCésar Award for Best Foreign FilmThis is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Foreign Film .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
- World Fastest Movie
- History of filmHistory of filmThe history of film is the historical development of the medium known variously as cinema, motion pictures, film, or the movies.The history of film spans over 100 years, from the latter part of the 19th century to the present day...
- Transnational cinemaTransnational cinemaTransnational cinema is a developing concept within film studies that encompasses a range of theories relating to the effects of globalization upon the cultural and economic aspects of film...
- World Cinema FoundationWorld Cinema FoundationThe World Cinema Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to the preservation and restoration of neglected world cinema.It was founded in 2007, inspired by the work of The Film Foundation in the United States, a similar venture which Martin Scorsese founded with George Lucas, Stanley...
- Muslim CinemaMuslim CinemaMuslim cinema and Islamic Cinema are terms that although may sound similar are distinct. The two are defined as follows: “Islamic Cinema is film that conforms to Islamic laws, customs and values.” “Muslim Cinema is a film movement by or about Muslims.”Muslim Cinema also refers collectively to the...
- Film industryFilm industryThe film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...