Distribution

In the international film business, the rights to screen a film are sold in respect of distinct 'territories'. Most Hollywood films are distributed directly by the studio which financed the film. In the Uk this means that the cinema box office is dominated by a handful of major distributers. In 2000 figures show the dominance of five Hollywood majors and three 'independents'.

' UIP £160.15m (43 films)                                                  ' 

  BVI (Disney) £123.58m (31) 

  Columbia Tristar £76.5m (30)

  20th Century Fox £62.28m (16)

  Pathé £45.1m (22)

  Warner £36.4m (23)

  Entertainment £28m (21)

  Icon £17.87m (8)

' All other independents (45 companies) £27m (188 films) '
(Source: British Film institute Handbook 2002)

When it comes to short films however, they are distributed in completely different ways. With short films being more 'modern', they are not considered to be a mainstream film, therefor they are distributed in different ways. The most common example is for a short film to be distributed is through the internet. With social media sites such as Youtube and Vimeo being the home of film, a majority of the most famous short films would be uploaded onto the sites. Not only is this free, it is also an extremely easy way to make a product go viral, therefore allowing for easy recognition and a constant stream of people talking about it. 

Sources: 

Book: The Media Student's Book, Third Edition, Gill Branston & Roy Stafford.