Park Circus Films announces expansion in France

Park Circus Limited is pleased to announce the opening of an operation to service the specific needs of the French market, through the formation of Park Circus Films SARL.

The French market is a very significant consumer of quality classic and repertory cinema. Park Circus believe that this, together with the changing methods of distribution, marketing and consumption of films, means that the time is right to have its own dedicated operation in the territory, so that the needs of the company’s studio partners can be better served.

The new operation, based in Paris, will be headed by Van Papadopoulos and will be fully supported by the company’s headquarters in Glasgow, UK. Van previously headed up the Cannes Classics section of the Cannes International Film Festival. He also has significant experience in theatrical distribution.

Park Circus represents over 15,000 titles from high profile British and Hollywood studios, including MGM, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., ITV Studios, Miramax, Film Four and Samuel Goldwyn. The company is also pleased to work with a growing number of independent producers and rights owners.

In addition to opening its catalogues of the many thousands of films represented to French exhibitors, Park Circus is also announcing re-releases of two major classics, as the company’s first releases in the territory: a brand new digital restoration of Alfred Hitchcock’s only 3D film DIAL M FOR MURDER, to be released in October 2013 in a new digital 3D version, and Peter Bogdanovich’s brilliant study of small town Texan life, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, which will return to cinemas in France from November 2013.

Co-Founders and Joint Managing Directors, Nick Varley and John Letham, said “Since 2003, Park Circus has focused on getting the wonderful films we represent back to audiences around the world and we are excited with this latest development in the company’s expansion, which means many more classic films will now be available to the French market. We are also pleased to welcome Van to the Park Circus team. He shares our ambitions and we very much look forward to working with him on this exciting venture”.

Scottish Enterprise and its international trade and investment arm, Scottish Development International, have worked closely with Park Circus to support the opening of its French office. This support includes access to overseas networks of people and suppliers, funding for an international manager position in France, and holistic, tailored business growth support through an account management approach.

Ray Calder, Scottish Enterprise account manager for Park Circus, commented, “Park Circus is a great example of how we can help an ambitious, growing company expand into new overseas markets. I’ve worked with the management team for almost a year now, helping them to achieve their business growth bigger, better and faster than they could have alone. In fact, we’re now looking at what the opportunities are in new growing markets.”

Park Circus’ international office in Glasgow will continue to deal with business in all other territories around the world and the Los Angeles office continues to cover sales operations in the USA.