FIAD members assemble in Brussels

The Film Distributors’ Association (FDA) represents the interests of film distributors in the UK and Ireland. Its membership ranges from Hollywood studios to independent operators and is responsible for 99% of all films released theatrically in the territory.

The International Federation of Film Distributors’ and Publishers’ (FIAD) brought its members together this week in Brussels for a run of meetings to discuss issues pivotal to the European film distribution sector. The two-day gathering featured internal group discussions between FIAD members, as well as sessions with key industry partners and EU policymakers.  

The overall health of the European theatrical distribution sector formed the key theme of the meetings, with FIAD members contributing updates on national industry trends from their respective territories. Alongside determining FIAD’s advocacy priorities for the remaining months of 2024, areas of focus included promoting theatrical distribution, preservation of contractual freedoms, geo-blocking and copyright enforcement.

During the conference, FIAD members called for more stringent intervention and more robust legal frameworks, at both the EU and national levels, to address increased cybersecurity threats and the financial fallout from audiovisual piracy. Affecting both the sector and its consumers, large-scale copyright infringement has been linked to organised cross-border crime and illegal data harvesting.

FIAD represents and promotes the interests of national associations of film distributors and publishers at the European Union level. Their mission is to highlight the critical role film distributors play as part of the film ecosystem. Representing more than 200 operators across 14 territories through its membership, FIAD advocates for a keen focus on connecting diverse films to diverse audiences.

Further information on the meetings can be found on the FIAD website along with a list of member companies.

Details of the Film Content Protection Agency (FCPA), the FDA’s intellectual property safeguarding organisation in the UK and Ireland, can be found on the FDA website.