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Film Distribution and the Role of Gatekeepers

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Gatekeeping in the Evolving Business of Independent Film Distribution

Part of the book series: Palgrave Global Media Policy and Business ((GMPB))

Abstract

Distribution is the point where important decisions about films are made, where gatekeepers negotiate access to international markets and where they exert power and control over the sort of access given to specific films. This chapter draws on discussions in Film, Media and Culture Studies to explain why it is important to understand film distribution as a process of gatekeeping.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In addition, there is a rich tradition of gatekeeper studies undertaken by scholars working in Journalism and Mass Communication (Shoemaker and Vos 2009).

  2. 2.

    http://www.proquest.com/products-services/eima.html.

  3. 3.

    I co-organised several academic-industry events that brought together academics and industry professionals as a project member of the MeCETES research project (www.mecetes.co.uk) and of the ‘On-Demand Culture’ research project (www.ondemandproject.wordpress.com).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Theatre, Film and Television, University of York, York, UK

    Roderik Smits

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  1. Roderik Smits
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Correspondence to Roderik Smits .

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Smits, R. (2019). Film Distribution and the Role of Gatekeepers. In: Gatekeeping in the Evolving Business of Independent Film Distribution. Palgrave Global Media Policy and Business. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16896-4_1

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