Screen Daily

Screen Daily
Name	Screen Daily
Type	Trade magazine, news website
Format	Online, print supplements
Founded	1989
Owner	Screen International Limited / Media Business Company (historical)
Headquarters	London
Language	English

Screen Daily Screen Daily is a British film industry trade publication and news website covering international cinema, film festivals, market activity, production, distribution, and financing. It provides daily news, analysis, box office reports, interviews, and festival dispatches aimed at professionals working in film production, sales, distribution, exhibition, and financing. Screen Daily has chronicled developments across the global film landscape, including European, North American, Asian, Latin American, and African film sectors.

History

Screen Daily was established in 1989 amid a period of consolidation in film trade journalism alongside publications such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Sight & Sound, and Empire (film magazine). Early coverage intersected with events like the Cannes Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and the rise of independent production companies such as Miramax, Lionsgate, Miramax Films, and A24 (company). Throughout the 1990s and 2000s it reported on market transformations tied to companies like Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and the expansion of digital intermediaries including Netflix, Amazon Studios, Hulu, and later Apple TV+. Coverage has reflected shifts prompted by awards seasons involving the Academy Awards, BAFTA, César Awards, and the influence of festivals such as Sundance Film Festival and SXSW (South by Southwest). Screen Daily documented industrial changes related to firms like Canal+, TF1 Group, StudioCanal, Pathé, and broadcasters including BBC and ITV. The outlet navigated ownership and editorial transitions parallel to media consolidations exemplified by Time Warner, ViacomCBS, and private equity acquisitions impacting trade publishing.

Coverage and Content

Screen Daily's remit spans film production, financing, sales, distribution, exhibition, and talent. It publishes news on deals involving companies such as Film4, Participant Media, Bleecker Street, Sony Pictures Classics, Focus Features, and IFC Films. Editorial content includes interviews with filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Pedro Almodóvar, Wes Anderson, Bong Joon-ho, and Chloé Zhao, and reporting on actors and creatives such as Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Coverage addresses national cinemas and institutions including BBC Film, National Film Board of Canada, Cinémathèque Française, Deutsche Filmförderung, Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé, Hong Kong Film Archive, and festivals including Locarno Festival and San Sebastián International Film Festival. Regular features examine box office performance at outlets like Box Office Mojo-era reporting and trade analysis relating to distributors such as NEON (company), Magnolia Pictures, Roadside Attractions, and STX Entertainment.

Festivals and Markets Coverage

Screen Daily maintains strong festival and market presence, reporting from major events including Cannes Film Festival's Marché du Film, European Film Market at Berlin International Film Festival, American Film Market, Toronto International Film Festival's industry programs, and the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART). It covers film markets and co-production forums such as Cannes Co-Production Market, Festival de San Sebastián Industry Club, Berlinale Co-Production Market, Sundance Institute labs, and regional markets like Busan International Film Festival and Shanghai International Film Festival. Coverage often intersects with sales agents and companies including The Works International, Wild Bunch, Fortissimo Films, HanWay Films, The Match Factory, and Kino Lorber.

Editorial Structure and Key Personnel

Screen Daily's editorial teams historically mirror structures found at outlets such as Variety (magazine), The Hollywood Reporter, and IndieWire. Roles include editor-in-chief, international editors, festival correspondents, market reporters, and reviews editors, many of whom liaise with agencies like Reuters, AP (The Associated Press), and freelancers connected to institutions like BFI and European Film Promotion. Key personnel have included veteran journalists and critics who previously worked at Sight & Sound, Empire (film magazine), Total Film, and regional outlets like The Guardian and The Telegraph. Contributors often overlap with programmers and curators from bodies such as IFFR (International Film Festival Rotterdam), Filmfest München, and academic departments at institutions like NYU Tisch School of the Arts and La Fémis.

Business Model and Ownership

Screen Daily operates on a mixed business model combining subscriptions, advertising, sponsored content, and event partnerships similar to trade peers Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline Hollywood. Revenue streams include corporate advertising from studios such as Warner Bros. Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount Global, and streaming services including Netflix, Inc. and Amazon.com, Inc.. Ownership and investment patterns have paralleled media industry trends involving companies like Penske Media Corporation and conglomerates exemplified by Vivendi and Comcast. The brand leverages festival accreditation and market access to monetize content and industry directories used by sales agents, producers, and distributors like Gaumont, MUBI, Pathe, and ZDF Enterprises.

Influence and Reception

Within trade circles Screen Daily is cited alongside Variety (magazine), The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, Deadline Hollywood, and Screen International peers for sourcing industry intelligence used by executives at studios such as Universal Pictures and financing bodies like European Investment Bank cultural funds. Its festival reviews and day-to-day reporting are referenced by film critics, festival programmers, sales agents, and academic researchers at institutions including UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and Goldsmiths, University of London. Reception has noted its utility for professionals tracking markets like American Film Market and festivals including Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival, although critiques mirror conversations about trade press consolidation involving entities like Trinity Mirror and private equity financing.

Awards and Events Participation

Screen Daily participates in festival juries, panel discussions, and industry summits alongside organizations and events such as FIPRESCI, European Film Awards, Producers Network, Cannes Producers Network, IDFA Forum, and initiatives including Eurimages co-production panels. It sponsors and hosts events that bring together representatives from institutions like British Film Institute, Sundance Institute, European Film Academy, and companies such as BBC Films and Netflix. Journalists from Screen Daily have served on awards juries and advisory boards affiliated with festivals including Berlinale, San Sebastián International Film Festival, Locarno Festival, and Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Category:Film magazines published in the United Kingdom