Lack of choice in on-screen movies is driving...

of tablet owners watch on their devices, its audience behavior study found. That’s unsurprising, the EC said, because the public is very interested in films in general, but the nearest cinema is often some distance away and the choice of movies is limited. The findings suggest that Europe’s film industry could boost revenue by exploiting different kinds of profit-making online platforms to make movies more available and reach new audiences, it said. The study relied on research, analysis and interviews with audiences in the U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Romania, Lithuania and Denmark. Around 5,000 people ages 4-50 were asked about their movie habits and preferences. Other findings included: (1) Europe produces about 1,000 films per year, most seen only in the country where they are made. (2) European movies are considered original and thought-provoking, but audiences complained about “slow or heavy” story lines. (3) Ninety-seven percent of Europeans watch films at least occasionally. (4) Sixty-eight percent of those polled download movies for free and 55 percent watch free streamed films via computers or handheld devices. Free downloaders tend to be young, urban, educated and keen viewers who are frustrated by the cost and limited catalogs of legal offers, the EC said. The study divided audiences into five groups: hyperconnected movie addicts; rushed independent movie selectives; mainstream blockbuster lovers; occasional hit grazers; and movie indifferents. European film-lovers mainly fell into the first two groups, the EC said. Filmmakers should make the most of funding provided through the Creative Europe initiative, said Education, Culture, Youth and Multilingualism Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou.