Concentration in the distribution and exhibition networks within Turkish film industry: The case of CGV Mars Entertainment Group

Abstract

This article first presents an overview of Turkish cinema in terms of its production, distribution, and exhibition networks, and then evaluates the overall situation in the 2000s. The concentration in distribution and exhibition networks in particular is analyzed through the case of CGV Mars Entertainment Group, and the following “popcorn crisis” and the industry in its aftermath are addressed. Thus, it aims to provide an opportunity to emphasize the significance of the regulations and cultural policies in the field.

The tensions within the film industry sparked a controversy along with Cem Yılmaz’s statement on Twitter, a social networking service, in December 2018. The controversy, publicly known as the “popcorn crisis”, was based on the claim that theater owners were making unlawful profits through discounts on ticket prices by selling popcorn and beverages. In 2019, Law No. 5224 on the Evaluation, Classification, and Promotion of Motion Pictures was amended to provide solutions to the problems in the sector. However, the amendments to the law did not provide radical solutions to the existing problems and may even lead to a setback in the promotion of independent films, raising concerns that certain control and censorship mechanisms would now function.

The Covid-19 Pandemic has had devastating effects on the film industry, as in many other areas within everyday life, whereas digitalization and the transformation of viewing practices have gained momentum. There is a strong need for radical solutions in order to prevent horizontal and vertical integration and for films outside the mainstream film industry, which indeed bring international recognition to Turkish cinema, to be promoted without the implicit control mechanisms.