Distribution

Having produced a film you need to get it into various cinemas. 

A film distributor is company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing for example DVD, Video-On-Demand, Download, or Television. 

If a distributor is working with a cinema, the distributor secures a written contract agreeing the amount of the gross ticket sales to be paid to the distributor by the cinema. 

The distributor must also ensure that enough film prints are struck to service all contracted cinemas on the contract-based opening day, ensure their physical delivery to the theater by the opening day, they monitor exhibitors to make sure the film is in fact shown in the particular theatre with the minimum number of seats and show times they agreed and they ensure the prints' return to the distributor's office or other storage resource also on the contract-based return date. 

In practical terms, this includes the physical production of film prints and their shipping around the world as well as the creation of posters, newspaper and magazine advertisements, television commercials, trailers, and other types of advertisements.

The distributor is also responsible for ensuring a full line of film advertising material is available on each film which it believes will help the exhibitor attract the largest possible audience, create such advertising if it is not provided by the production company, and arrange for the physical delivery of the advertising items selected by the exhibitor at intervals prior to the opening day.

An example of very poor film distribution was the film, released in 2009, only got a total UK Theatrical Box Office taking of £86, a record low.

Considering it stars Academy Award nominee Uma Thurman, UK star Minnie Driver, and TV show ‘ER’ helmer Anthony Edwards, you would expect a lot more, however it was worked out that this box office sale showed that less than ten people in the whole UK who actually bought tickets. However, all of this was proven to of been for genuine reasons, the film massively flopped in America, and therefore they didn't want to spend anymore money on the film in the UK so they did the minimum that they possibly could on the film in the UK.

The film is not very good (though it’s not terrible either)

The film was released in one cinema in London only. Very little PR was done

This limited release is a tactic to gain exposure and reviews for DVD, VOD and TV sales. 

They expected to do very little business in theatres (though maybe not this little)

The distributor may have been contractually bound to release the film in theatres when in fact, it should never have appeared in theatres (but the film maker demanded it), therefore they did the minimum needed to fulfil their end of the deal.

The DVD was released on the same day as the theatrical release (figures not available yet, but let’s not jump to any conclusions).