UK Indie FIlms Holding Its Own Against The Blockbuster

The BFI (British Film Institute) has released figures which show UK independent films held their own against the likes of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Spectre in the UK box office.

Just look at some of these numbers:

•  Achieved 11% market share in the UK box office – The third highest on record.
• 2015 saw the highest ever UK box office takings - £1.240 million, up 17% on 2014.
• UK spend from film production tops £1.41 billion – The second highest on record.
•  Highest grossing UK independent film in 2015 was Legend, taking £18.4 million, with The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in second place on £16 million.
•  124 domestic UK films were made in 2015.

This is great news to see, especially with the likes of Legend and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel doing so well in the UK box office and shows there are original movies begin made and it’s not always about the blockbusters. Audiences realise they have to go out and see these indie films so more directors get a chance to showcase what they can do.

This top 20 list shows impressive reading and if you were unable to watch these films, most of them are now out on DVD – including Legend and Macbeth, which are out on Monday and read my Macbeth review here – or still showing in some cinemas.

COURTESY OF STUDIOCANAL

COURTESY OF STUDIOCANAL

Top 20 UK Independent films released in the UK and Ireland in 2015

1. Legend (StudioCanal) – £18.36 million
2. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (20th Century Fox) – £16.01 million
3. Shaun the Sheep Movie (StudioCanal) – £13.75 million
4. The Lady in the Van* (Sony) – £12.31 million
5. Suffragette* (Pathe) – £9.86 million
6. Far From The Madding Crowd (20th Century Fox) – £6.21 million
7. Brooklyn* (Lionsgate) – £5.29 million
8. The Woman in Black: Angel of Death (eOne Films) – £5.02 million
9. Amy (Altitude) – £3.76 million
10. Spooks: The Greater Good (20th Century Fox) – £3.28 million
11. Ex Machina (Universal) – £2.89 million
12. Woman in Gold (Entertainment) – £2.89 million
13. Macbeth (StudioCanal)  – £2.86 million
14. Mr Holmes (eOne Films) – £2.63 million
15. Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots (eOne Films) – £2.33 million
16. Testament of Youth (Lionsgate) – £2.15 million
17. The Bad Education Movie (Entertainment) – £2.04 million
18. 45 Years (Curzon Artificial Eye) – £1.82 million
19. A Little Chaos (Lionsgate) – £1.58 million
20. A Royal Night Out (Lionsgate) – £1.51 million

     Key Notes: 

Box office gross = Cumulative gross up to 17th January 2016

*Films still being exhibited on 17th January 2016