KRS Film Distributors is a Maltese film distributor company formed in 1946 under the name of Malta United Film Corporation.
Throughout its years of operation, over 10,000 film productions have been launched by the company in both Malta and Gozo, distributing product from more than forty countries.
History
In 1946, UK film trade association, Kinematograph Renter’s Society (now known as the Film Distributors' Association (FDA)), started to oversee film distribution in Malta. It set up Malta United Film Corporation to distribute films in Malta. Prior to its formation, Maltese exhibitors had to deal with UK distributors individually. In 1978, the company was renamed KRS Film Distributors and then KRS Releasing in 2014.
Cinemas in Maltese islands
In the 1950s, Malta had 48 commercial cinemas, 4 British military cinemas and 16 halls licensed to screen films. By 2019, there were just 6: Citadel Cinema, Castle Hill, Victoria, Gozo Eden Cinemas, St. Augustine Street, St. George's Bay, St. Julian's Embassy Cinemas, Embassy Shopping Complex, St. Lucia Street, Valletta Empire Cinema Complex, Pioneer Corps Road, Buġibba, St. Paul's Bay St. James Cavalier Cinema, Castille Square, Valletta Tal-Lira Cinema, Galleria Shopping and Entertainment Centre, Żabbar Road, Fgura
Box office
Box office data is not reported regularly, but totals for films are provided to the FDA annually for inclusion in UK box office totals.
Highest-grossing films in Malta
The highest-grossing films of all-time in Malta up to the end of 2018 were:
The highest-grossing film of 2006 was: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
Cinema Days
KRS Releasing introduced two Children Cinema Days and a National Cinema Day with reduced prices to boost attendance.
In 2007, Children Cinema Day was orgnaised on 3 March 2007 in collaboration with all Maltese cinemas (apart from St James Cavalier Cinema).
The KRS' 2007 National Cinema Day was held on Saturday 7 July 2007. On this day films showed for the public at the reduced price of Lm1.30c (€3.03c) per person with the screenings starting at 9.30 a.m. and finished until late at night. KRS Film Distributors lined up 17 films for the occasion, including three new films.
The second Children Cinema Day for 2007 organised by KRS was celebrated on Saturday, 1 September 2007, including one film that was not previewed before this day, the animated film Happily N'Ever After.
Top 10 KRS film releases in 2007
40th week of 2007
No Reservations (Warner Bros.) Antonement (Universal Pictures) Rush Hour 3 (New Line Cinema) License to Wed (Warner Bros.) The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal) 1408 (Paramount) Hairspray (New Line Cinema) Shoot 'Em Up (New Line Cinema) Knocked Up (Universal) Disturbia (Paramount)
Other films in Maltese cinemas were: Evan Almighty, Lucky You, Goya's Ghosts, The Hitcher, Amazing Grace, The Squid and the Whale, The Brave One, Superbad, Die Hard 4.0, Happily N'Ever After, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, A Mighty Heart, Shrek the Third, La Vie En Rose, Transformers, Hot Rod.
39th week of 2007
38th week of 2007
Rush Hour 3 (Entertainment) The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal) Knocked Up (Universal) License to Wed (Warner Bros.) Evan Almighty (Universal) Disturbia (Paramount) 1408 (Paramount) Breach (20th Century Fox) Shrek the Third (Paramount) Are We Done Yet? (Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Other films in Maltese cinemas were: The Painted Veil, The Messengers, No Reservations, A Mighty Heart, Wedding Daze, Transformers, Bratz: The Movie, Surf's Up, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Firehouse Dog, The Reaping, The Namesake, The US vs John Lennon, Hostel Part II, Romanzo Criminale, Die Hard 4.0
37th week of 2007
Rush Hour 3 (Entertainment) The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal) Knocked Up (Universal) License to Wed (Warner Bros.) Evan Almighty (Universal) Shrek the Third (Paramount) 1408 (Paramount) Transformers (Paramount) Are We Done Yet? (Sony Pictures Entertainment) Surf's Up (Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Other films in the Maltese cinemas were: Breach, Disturbia, Goodbye Bafana, Firehouse Dog, Hairspray, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Hitcher, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Simpsons Movie, Hostel Part II, Private, Die Hard 4.0, Bratz: The Movie, Letters from Iwo Jima, The Illusionist, The Breed