European box office on the rise

European cinema is in the spotlight recently, with fresh research showing the financial and cultural weight of Creative Europe's Films on the Move scheme – just as actress Ana de Armas recently reflected on the different ways audiences in Europe and the US approach cinema.

According to a report released by the European Commission's directorate for communications networks, content and technology (DG CNECT), the Films on the Move programme has had a "statistically significant positive impact" on European box office performance.

The initiative, with an annual budget of €16 million, funds the cross-border distribution of recent European titles. Formerly known as Selective Distribution Support, it is designed to encourage sales agents and distributors to pool resources for coordinated releases across multiple territories beyond a film's country of origin.

The impact, the research found, is tangible. For every €1 invested through Films on the Move, European films returned on average €1.70 at the box office. For each €1,000 in grant funding, the supported films saw an extra €1,700 in takings and an additional 16 showtimes.

One of the most striking case studies is Ruben Ostlund's 'Triangle of Sadness', which was backed with €985,000. The Palme d'Or winner went on to earn €19.3m at the European box office outside its national release, a return of nearly 20 times the original award. Just as impressive, 'Anatomy of a Fall' translated a €757,000 grant into €14.4 million in ticket sales, while 'The Teachers' Lounge' turned €497,000 into €11.32 million.

The report also revealed how Films on the Move makes its deepest impression in smaller European markets. Per €1,000 invested, films earned €1,970 in extra box office and secured 31 more screenings in smaller territories, compared with €1,600 and 10 extra showtimes in larger ones.

On average, supported films played in 13 countries where the grant was in effect, but in fewer than five countries where it was not. Sci-fi and drama emerged as the genres benefiting most from the scheme.

However, the findings also highlighted that not every release hits box office gold, even with backing. Nicolas Philibert's Berlinale Golden Bear winner 'On the Adamant' received €449,300 in support but made only €220,400 outside its home territory.

Jessica Hausner's 'Club Zero' (€656,700 support, €306,000 earnings), Alice Diop's 'Saint Omer' (€356,800 vs €309,100) and Les Indésirables (€510,900 vs €189,200) all underperformed despite prestigious festival runs.

Even so, the overall message of the report is clear: coordinated European funding matters, and it helps local cinema cross borders at a time when Hollywood franchises dominate global box offices.

This dominance was also on the mind of Cuban-Spanish actress Ana de Armas when she appeared on Sean Evans' talk show Hot Ones earlier this year. Promoting her action film 'Ballerina' — a spin-off in the 'John Wick' universe — de Armas discussed what she sees as the key difference between European and American filmgoers.

"The influence of American cinema in Europe is stronger I would say," de Armas noted. "Europeans like European films I would say. I think Europeans also — or Spanish people — have a pretty wide spectrum of, they know about cinema, and they have good taste."

Her comments echo the findings of the Films on the Move research, which underlines that when European films are given the right push, audiences respond. The scheme not only widens access but allows films to stand alongside Hollywood's well-oiled distribution machine.

De Armas's new film itself is a study in cross-border appeal. 'Ballerina' follows her character Eve Macarro, a ballerina-turned-assassin trained by the Ruska Roma, as she seeks revenge for her father's death.

Set during the events of 'John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum', the film also features a cameo from Keanu Reeves, alongside Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, Catalina Sandino Moreno and the late Lance Reddick in his final role.

The juxtaposition is striking: while Europe measures the quantifiable impact of its cultural funding, a Hollywood star with deep roots in Spanish cinema is reminding audiences that European viewers bring a unique sensibility to the art form.

For Ana de Armas, American films may have reach, but European cinema retains something equally powerful — a cultivated appreciation and curiosity for diverse storytelling.

For the European Commission, the message is pragmatic: numbers don't lie. Films given the support of Films on the Move travel further, earn more, and reach broader audiences than those left to fight for distribution alone.

Put together, the report and de Armas's comments suggest a paradox. European audiences do indeed have "good taste," as the actress argues, but that taste only translates into box office results when films are given the tools to compete with Hollywood's distribution muscle.

As 'Ballerina' brings another high-octane Hollywood narrative to European screens, and as titles like 'Triangle of Sadness' continue to prove the box office viability of continental cinema, the discussion about how audiences watch films — and what they value — feels more timely than ever.