Curzon Home Cinema

{{Short description|Video-on-demand streaming service}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Curzon Home Cinema

| type = Private

| logo = CHC LOGO (2).jpg

| foundation = London, England (2010)

| location = London, England, UK

| key_people = Philip Knatchbull, CEO

| industry = Video on demand

| parent = Curzon (Fortress Investment Group)

| homepage = {{nowrap|{{URL|https://homecinema.curzon.com/}}}}

}}

Curzon Home Cinema is a video-on-demand streaming service available in the UK and Ireland where movies are available to rent on a 'pay per watch' basis. It is part of the Curzon World group which has roots going back to 1934.{{cite web|title=About Curzon|url=http://corporate.curzon.com|website=Curzon World Corporate|publisher=Curzon Group Website|accessdate=7 August 2016}} Films on this service are managed by the Curzon Cinemas team, focusing on independent, art-house and foreign-language titles.{{cite journal|title=Ways of Seeing: The Changing Shape of Cinema Distribution|journal=Sight & Sound Magazine|date=August 2016|volume=26|issue=8|page=41}} Initially launched as Curzon on Demand in 2010,{{cite web|title=Curzon unveils the first on-demand cinema|url=http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/curzon-unveils-the-first-on-demand-cinema-914085|website=Tech Radar|date=8 December 2010 |accessdate=7 August 2016}} and rebranded in 2013, it was the first service in the UK to show selected new cinema releases at home (Premium Video On Demand), the same date they were available to watch in cinemas ("day-and-date").{{cite web|title=Curzon on Demand Launches|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/05/02/curzon-on-demand_n_1470753.html|website=Huffington Post UK|date=2 May 2012 |publisher=Huffington Post|accessdate=7 August 2016}} UK film distributor Curzon Artificial Eye, founded in 1976, is also part of the same business, providing day-and-date releases to the platform, as well as a catalogue of classic titles, including a significant number of Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winners.{{cite web|title=About Curzon Artificial Eye|url=http://www.curzonartificialeye.com/About|website=Curzon Artificial Eye|publisher=Curzon|accessdate=7 August 2016}} In 2015, more than 60 European films were given day-and-date releases,{{cite web|title=Open access drives new MEDIA programme|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/spotlight/open-access-drives-new-media-program-initiatives-1201769639/|website=Variety|date=10 May 2016 |publisher=Variety Magazine|accessdate=7 August 2016}} including Curzon's release of Andrew Haigh's 45 Years, the first such UK title to make over £1 million at the box office.{{cite web|title=The first 1M day and date film in the UK|url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/distribution/45-years-becomes-first-1m-day-and-date-film-in-uk/5092741.article|website=Screen Daily|publisher=Screen International|accessdate=7 August 2016}}

In November 2016, Curzon Home Cinema won 'OTT TV Initiative of the Year' at the second annual Content Innovation Awards.{{cite web|title=Content Innovation Award Winners|url=https://contentinnovationawards.com/2016-winners/|website=Content Innovation Awards 2016|accessdate=7 November 2016|archive-date=7 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107230141/https://contentinnovationawards.com/2016-winners/|url-status=dead}} The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) presented the Curzon group, which includes Curzon Home Cinema, with the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award{{cite web|title=Curzon To Receive Award For Outstanding British Contribution To Cinema|url=http://www.bafta.org/media-centre/press-releases/outstanding-british-contribution-cinema-award-curzon|website=BAFTA|date=17 January 2017 |accessdate=27 January 2017}} at the 70th British Academy Film Awards in 2017.{{cite news|title=Curzon to receive 'outstanding' Bafta award|work=BBC News |date=17 January 2017 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38649398|accessdate=27 January 2017}}

From 2017 to 2021, Curzon offered an SVOD streaming service called Curzon12 where Curzon cinemas members could stream 12 curated films a month for free with their membership on Curzon Home Cinema, whose library featured classics and award winners from filmmakers such as François Truffaut and Andrea Arnold.{{cite web|title=Curzon launches monthly subscription VoD offering (Exclusive)|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/curzon-launches-monthly-subscription-vod-offering/5121524.article|website=Screen Daily|accessdate=28 August 2017}}

On 23 December 2019, Curzon Home Cinema, along with Artificial Eye and Curzon Cinemas, was acquired by American film distributor Cohen Media Group.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/12/curzon-cinemas-acquired-cohen-media-group-1202816303/|title=Curzon Cinemas & Artificial Eye, UK's Flagship Arthouse Film Group, Acquired By Cohen Media Group|website=Deadline|author=Andreas Wiseman|date=23 December 2019|accessdate=21 April 2020}}

In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Curzon's streaming platform allowed viewers to continue to enjoy new releases, Zoom Q&As with filmmakers and other digital content when cinemas were closed.

In 2021, the company launched a new Curzon Home Cinema website with updated apps and the capacity to download films to watch offline. Curzon rolled out a new membership package to customers, giving them 'credits' that can be redeemed as cinema tickets and films streamed online.{{Cite web|last=Dalton2021-05-17T12:36:00+01:00|first=Ben|title=New Curzon membership scheme to combine cinema tickets and streaming (exclusive)|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/new-curzon-membership-scheme-to-combine-cinema-tickets-and-streaming-exclusive/5159695.article|access-date=2021-11-24|website=Screen|language=en}}

Curzon Home Cinema also features live Q&As across the service in the form of moderated conversations with acclaimed filmmakers (including Mike Leigh, Joanna Hogg, and Werner Herzog) and actors (such as Elisabeth Moss, Kristin Scott Thomas and Jesse Eisenberg). Curzon Home Cinema has worked in digital partnership with a number of film festivals, streaming an online programme of movies for Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF){{Cite web|title=Edinburgh International Film Festival|url=https://edinburghguide.com/events/edinburgh-international-film-festival|access-date=2021-11-24|website=EdinburghGuide.com|language=EN}} and Raindance{{Cite web|last=Raindance|date=2021-09-15|title=Programme Announcement 29th Raindance Film Festival|url=https://raindance.org/programme-announcement-29th-raindance-film-festival/|access-date=2021-11-24|website=Raindance|language=en-GB}} among others, as well as broadcasting the European Film Awards. The Curzon Cinemas team curates weekly collections for the site that comprise a selection of thematically linked films such as biopics, romances or war movies.

In November 2024, Curzon Home Cinema as well as Curzon Cinemas and Curzon Film were acquired in a foreclosure auction by Fortress Investment Group.{{cite web|title=Curzon Cinema Chain Acquired by Fortress in U.K. Arthouse Deal|website=Variety|first=Naman|last=Ramachandran|date=November 11, 2024|access-date=November 12, 2024|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/global/curzon-fortress-acquisition-1236207322/}}