Record audiences for independent British films in 2011

Audiences for British independent cinema were at record rates last year, according to figures published today by the BFI (31st January).

The statistics, tracked and published by the BFI, show how films such as The King’s Speech, The Inbetweeners Movie and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy helped drive the market share of UK box office for British independent films up to 13.5% - the highest ever recorded.

And in more good news for British film, the market share for all British films at the UK box office, including both independents and those shot in the UK but financed from abroad, reached 36.2%, a dramatic rise from the 24.0% recorded in 2010.

Indeed 2011 was a strong year for British cinemas generally, with admissions reaching 171.6m in 2011, up 1.4% on 2010 and the third highest total of the last decade. The gross value of box office for the year was £1.04bn, another increase, this time by 5% on 2010 and the first time that UK takings have broken through the £1bn barrier.

Statistics for the total investment in UK film in 2011 show another record tumbling, with the BFI reporting £1.26 billion had been spent. However it wasn’t all good news for British films, with the figures also revealing there had been a drop in the total number of UK domestic features produced, down from 262 in 2010 to 169 last year.

For more on this story, and to see the individual box office performances of British films last year, click the Download link below.