Associated Film Distribution

Associated Film Distribution was a British film distribution company. It was set up in the 1970s by ITC Entertainment and EMI Films to distribute their films in the United States.[1] The company would be short lived.[2]

History

Michael Deeley, head of EMI at the time, opposed the move. He thought it had been motivated by Sir Lew Grade's belief that his films such as March or Die and The Medusa Touch had failed in the United States due to poor distribution.[3] Deeley wrote "Grade's faith in his ability to succeed where none had done before astonished me. Bigger companies than Grade's - such as the Rank Organisation - had taken the appalling risk of setting up a full-scale film distribution company in America, only to fail."[4]

The company was launched in 1978 with $40 million in capitalisation. Lew Grade was chairman, Bernard Delfont deputy, and Martin Starger was president. It aimed to distribute 12 films a year. The initial slate included:

• The Story of Maria Callas directed by Franco Zeffirelli (this was never made)
• two films from Alan Carr, Cafe Society and a musical (which became Can't Stop the Music)
• The Wife directed by John Schlesinger (never made)

Universal Pictures

The company wound up in 1981, having enjoyed only one hit, The Muppet Movie. The theatrical rights to their films and distribution of their future projects were acquired by Universal.[6][7]

Sidney J. Sheinberg, president of MCA who owned Universal, said the agreement went for three years and involved all the movies that AFD had ready for distribution, which included:

Additionally in 1984 Universal distributed Thorn EMI films that were not picked up by other US distributors that were covered in Universal's contract with AFD which was due to expire in 1986 including Kings Road films that Universal had distribution rights in the US where Thorn EMI had international distribution:

Films that were not eventually released by Universal under AFD were but were contractually obliged to distribute:

Grade said, "If we had ordinary pictures, I doubt that Universal would have wanted us."[7]

Select filmography

• The Muppet Movie (1979)
• The Jazz Singer (1980)
• Raise the Titanic (1980)
• The Changeling (1980)
• The Mirror Crack'd (1980)
• Saturn 3 (1980)
• Borderline (1980)
• Times Square (1980)
• Inside Moves (1980)
• Firepower (1979)
• Escape to Athena (1979)
• Love and Bullets (1979)
• Killer Fish (1979)
• Blood Feud (1980)