| Curzon Film | |
| Former Name: | Curzon Artificial Eye |
| Foundation: | 1976 |
| Founder: | Andi Engel[1] Pamela Balfry[2] |
| Location City: | London |
| Location Country: | England |
| Industry: | Film distribution |
| Products: | Film |
| Parent: | Curzon (Fortress Investment Group) |
| Divisions: | Artificial Eye Curzon Film World |
Curzon Film, formerly known as Artificial Eye or Curzon Artificial Eye,[3] is a British film distributor, specialising in independent, foreign-language and art house films for cinema and home entertainment.[4]
Artificial Eye was founded in 1976 by Andi Engel (11 November 1942 – 26 December 2006), a German-born film enthusiast, and his then wife, Pamela Balfry, who had a background working with Richard Roud at the London Film Festival. She became the company's first managing director.[1] [5]
In 2006 Artificial Eye became a part of Curzon World, a group of companies in the film entertainment industry which also includes the Curzon chain of 13 cinemas plus eight joint venture cinemas,[6] video on demand service Curzon Home Cinema, the retail DVD distributor Fusion Media Sales, and horror film distributor Chelsea Films (launched in 2010).[7]
Curzon Artificial Eye releases some 20 new theatrical films and 30 DVD and Blu-ray titles in the UK each year, as well as digital releases via several platforms, such as iTunes and in-house Curzon Home Cinema.[7]
In 2016, Curzon Artificial Eye renamed to Curzon Film.[8]
On 23 December 2019, Curzon Artificial Eye, along with parent company Curzon, was acquired by American film distributor Cohen Media Group.[9]
In 2020, Curzon Film, in association with StudioCanal UK, released Parasite to UK audiences, which would become UK's highest grossing foreign language film of all time.[10]
In April 2024, Curzon announced that it would revive the storied Artificial Eye label, dormant for nearly a decade, for arthouse and indie films curated by Curzon's acquisitions team with a special focus on world cinema. The first release under the relaunched banner will be the Berlinale title My Favourite Cake, with a rebranded look debuting with the film.[11]
In February 2024, American investment firm Fortress Investment Group sued Cohen Realty Enterprises for defaulting on loans amounting to $534 million. Fortress then requested the New York Supreme Court to grant a motion for a foreclosure sale, which was later set for November 8 that year. Fortress was reportedly the only bidder for Curzon and related entities, initially offering $5 million to acquire the company. A few days later, it was announced that Fortress had acquired Curzon for an undisclosed sum.[12] [13]