Latest figures release by the British Film Institute (BFI) have confirmed 2014 as a record year at the box office for British independent film.
In a year where overall box office and admissions declined slightly, British independent film achieved its best ever return, accounting for almost 16 per cent of total box office – up 6 per cent from 2013 – or around £170 million in revenue.
The charge was led by the BAFTA-nominated Paddington, which took £34.7 million in 2014, followed by The Inbetweeners 2, which took £33.39 million. Together, these two films took a total of £67.5 million, over three times more than the £21.2 million grossed by the top two independent films in 2013 (Philomena and Rush). Across the top independent earners, seven films took £5 million or more in 2014, compared with five in 2013.
Overall, independent UK films and inward investment British-qualifying films had a market share of almost 26 per cent of the UK box office, up from 21 per cent in 2013
Commenting on the figures, CEA Chief Executive Phil Clapp said:
“The importance of a successful British independent film sector to the overall health of UK cinema cannot be over-estimated. Here and in other European territories is that audiences increasingly demand stories and narratives which reflect their own lives and experience, and this year colleagues in independent production have provided that in spades. While the success of Paddington has rightly gained many plaudits, we should not forget the broad range of other independent releases that engaged and entertained audiences during the year.
More information on the BFI statistical release can be found on the BFI website.