Bontonfilm is a Czech film company. It was founded in 1994 by transformation from Lucernafilm Video (successor of Ústřední půjčovna filmů).[1]
As of 2022, Bontonfilm holds a 10.4% market share being 4th largest Czech distributor (behind Falcon a.s., Cinemart and Bioscop a.s.).[2]
History
Bontonfilm is linked with Bonton company that as founded in 1990 to produce music.[3] Bonton eventually expanded to film industry and acquired Lucernafilm Video which became Bontonfilm.[4] Bontonfilm quickly became biggest Czech film distributor with about 30% share of the market.[5]
Bontonfilm managed to partner with major American studios including 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks Animation, Universal Pictures and Paramount. Bontonfilm distributed films by these studios in the Czech Republic.[6] The main rival of Bontonfilm was Falcon a.s. which distributes films by Walt Disney Pictures and Columbia Pictures.[7]
This changed in 2013, major American studios switched to Cinemart and Bontonfilm lost its position of strongest film distribution company of Czech market, falling to fourth place in the market.[8][9]