| Formerly | Curzon Artificial Eye |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film distribution |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Founder | Andi Engel[1] Pamela Balfry[2] |
| Headquarters | , England |
Key people | |
| Products | Film |
| Parent | Curzon (Fortress Investment Group)[3] |
| Divisions | Artificial Eye Curzon Film World |
| Website | film |
Curzon Film (/ˈkɜːrzən/),[4][5] formerly known asArtificial Eye orCurzon Artificial Eye,[6] is a Britishfilm distributor, specialising in independent, foreign-language andart house films forcinema andhome entertainment.[7]
Artificial Eye was founded in 1976 by Andi Engel (11 November 1942 – 26 December 2006), a German-born film enthusiast, and his then wife, Pamela Balfry, who had a background working withRichard Roud at theLondon Film Festival. She became the company's first managing director.[1][8]
In 2006 Artificial Eye became a part ofCurzon World, a group of companies in the film entertainment industry which also includes theCurzon chain of cinemas,[9]video on demand serviceCurzon Home Cinema, the retail DVD distributor Fusion Media Sales, andhorror film distributor Chelsea Films (launched in 2010).[10]
Curzon Artificial Eye releases some 20 new theatrical films and 30 DVD and Blu-ray titles in the UK each year, as well as digital releases via several platforms, such asiTunes and in-house Curzon Home Cinema.[10]
In 2016, Curzon Artificial Eye renamed to Curzon Film.[11]
On 23 December 2019, Curzon Artificial Eye, along with parent company Curzon, was acquired by American film distributorCohen Media Group.[12]
In 2020, Curzon Film, in association withStudioCanal UK, releasedParasite to UK audiences, which would become UK's highest grossing foreign language film of all time.[13]
In February 2024, American investment firmFortress Investment Group sued Cohen Realty Enterprises for defaulting on loans amounting to $534 million. Fortress then requested theNew York Supreme Court to grant a motion for a foreclosure sale, which was later set for November 8 that year. Fortress was reportedly the only bidder for Curzon and related entities, initially offering $5 million to acquire the company. A few days later, it was announced that Fortress had acquired Curzon for an undisclosed sum.[14][3]
In April 2024, Curzon announced that it would revive the storied Artificial Eye label, dormant for nearly a decade, for arthouse and indie films curated by Curzon's acquisitions team with a special focus on world cinema. The first release under the relaunched banner will be theBerlinale titleMy Favourite Cake, with a rebranded look debuting with the film.[15]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
