What Modern Films does

Modern Films Entertainment Ltd is a privately held UK-based independent film distribution company registered in England and Wales (Company Number 10839196) and led by Founder & Managing Director Eve Gabereau. The company curates and distributes a slate of award-winning international dramas and documentaries from debut, established, and prize-validated directors through four windows: theatrical release in cinemas across the UK and Ireland, a proprietary virtual cinema platform for home viewing, transactional and subscription digital distribution through major streaming partners (Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, BFI Player, Curzon Home Cinema, Sky, Netflix, Rakuten TV, YouTube, MUBI), and physical DVD/Blu-ray retail. The catalogue includes multiple Cannes, Venice, Berlin, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Academy Award winners and nominees, with Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Drive My Car (Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, 2022) as a flagship title.

The technology stack is intentionally lean and platform-mediated: content delivery runs over third-party streaming infrastructure, with the modernfilms.com website built on SquareSpace and audience measurement handled by SquareSpace Analytics. No proprietary platform, recommendation engine, or AI capability is evidenced. Supplementary owned-media products include The Modern Line (a podcast and editorial platform featuring filmmaker interviews and essays) and curated sub-brand collections such as Art + Music Docs and Award Winning Films.

Revenue is generated transactionally across two streams: (1) film distribution — licensing deals with streaming platforms, theatrical box office share, and DVD/Blu-ray wholesale — and (2) virtual cinema ticket sales for home viewing of catalogue and new-release titles. The customer base is a hybrid of individual cinephiles and home viewers purchasing virtual tickets or physical media, and enterprise streaming partners serving as distribution channels. Funding support for UK releases and productions is sourced institutionally from the BFI Audience Fund, BFI Lottery, and the Creative Europe: MEDIA programme. Headcount is minimal (three named staff plus the founder), indicating a boutique operator.

Name

Modern Films

Legal name

Modern Films Entertainment Ltd

Website

https://modernfilms.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Modern Films Entertainment Ltd is a UK-based independent film distributor that curates and distributes award-winning international dramas and documentaries via UK and Ireland theatrical releases, a virtual cinema platform, and major global streaming services for cinephile and home-viewer audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Film Distribution

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (512120), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Entertainment Distribution (Digital: TVOD/EST) (MPADAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pay-TV / Premium Window Distribution (MPADAJAH), Independent & Art-house Cinemas (MPADAKAB), Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA)

Keywords

• Independent film distribution
• Art house cinema
• Virtual cinema streaming
• International film licensing
• Documentary distribution

Headquarters

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Film Distribution: Distribution of contemporary films across theatrical, digital, and physical formats. Revenue generated through licensing deals with streaming platforms, theatrical box office share, and DVD/Blu-ray sales.
2. Virtual Ticket Sales: Sale of virtual cinema tickets for home viewing of films from the Modern Films library, including new releases and catalogue titles.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Modern Films distributes a curated catalogue of contemporary independent and international films across theatrical, virtual cinema, digital streaming, and physical DVD/Blu-ray channels in the UK, Ireland, and globally through partner platforms. The company acquires rights to award-winning dramas and documentaries, then exhibits and licenses them through cinemas, its own virtual cinema ticketing platform, and third-party streaming services including BFI Player, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, MUBI, Curzon Home Cinema, Sky, Rakuten, YouTube, and Apple TV.

Product overview

Modern Films is a film distribution company offering a unified portfolio of theatrical releases, virtual cinema streaming, and live screening events with Q&A sessions. The company's product portfolio centers on its core Virtual Cinema Platform for digital film rentals and purchases, complemented by The Modern Line editorial content platform featuring interviews and video essays. The distribution catalog spans award-winning international dramas (Drive My Car, Murina, Happy As Lazzaro), acclaimed documentaries (Four Daughters, Tish, Occupied City), and art/music documentaries under the Art + Music Docs sub-brand. Films are made available across multiple viewing windows including theatrical releases, digital rental/purchase platforms, and subscription streaming services. The company operates in the UK & Ireland market, offering theatrical, non-theatrical, and virtual distribution services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Modern Films Virtual Cinema Platform

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Willa ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYou Resemble Me was released in partnership with Willa Productions. The film was also executive produced by Riz Ahmed, Spike Lee, Spike Jonze, and Alma Har'el.
• Doc SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTish documentary was produced in association with Doc Society and supported by BFI Lottery and Doc Society

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Curzon (Artificial Eye): UK's leading independent/art-house film distributor and cinema chain, also operating Curzon Home Cinema streaming. Curzon is the closest direct peer to Modern Films in independent UK theatrical release and arthouse streaming distribution.
• Bleecker Street: US independent film distribution company focused on prestige and awards-driven content. Comparable to Modern Films on the awards-led indie distribution thesis, though operating in the US rather than UK market.
• Altitude Film Distribution: UK-based independent film distributor handling theatrical and home entertainment for prestige and arthouse titles. Direct competitor in the same UK theatrical and digital acquisition market.
• MUBI: Global arthouse streaming platform and distributor that also licenses its films theatrically. Overlaps with Modern Films on both the catalog (MUBI streams Modern Films titles) and on the streaming distribution business model.
• Picturehouse Entertainment: UK independent film distributor handling theatrical releases of arthouse and quality independent films. Closely comparable in scale and theatrical focus within the UK indie market.
• Arrow Films: UK distributor specializing in arthouse, cult and classic films across theatrical, physical media (Blu-ray/DVD) and digital windows — directly comparable on the DVD/Blu-ray-heavy indie distribution model that Modern Films also operates.
• Dogwoof: Leading UK independent documentary distributor. Direct peer for Modern Films' documentary distribution arm (Four Daughters, Tish, Occupied City) sharing the same UK theatrical and digital windows.
• A24: US-based independent film distributor and producer renowned for awards-driven, prestige arthouse and indie cinema with a strong curatorial brand — directly comparable to Modern Films' content positioning and awards-led model.

Broad incumbents

• BFI Distribution (BFI): The British Film Institute both funds and distributes cultural films in the UK. Overlaps with Modern Films as a UK cultural-film distributor and is also a funder/partner, making it both a peer and a strategic counterparty.
• Studiocanal: Major European film/TV studio with a substantial arthouse distribution arm and deep catalog. Operates as a larger incumbent in the same UK and European indie/arthouse distribution space as Modern Films.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/modern-films

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Modern Films