| Abstract [eng] |
SUMMARY Relevance of the topic. Today, cinema is perceived not only as an artistic expression, but also as an important part of the creative and cultural industries, with a dual nature – cultural and economic. For small countries such as Lithuania, exports are an economic necessity due to the "small market paradox," where production costs are comparable to those of larger countries, but a limited domestic audience prevents a return on investment. Despite growing production, Lithuanian cinema faces a "distribution gap" and low international visibility, making it necessary to seek systematic export models. Object: film industry product export strategies. Goal: to create a model for a film product export strategy. Tasks: To analyze the concept of film industry products and their value chain in the context of export. To analyze the factors contributing to the success of film product exports and strategic directions, identifying the specific characteristics of the film industry in small countries. To develop a conceptual model for a film production export strategy. To empirically test the developed model in the case of the Lithuanian film industry. Research methodology. The thesis applies scientific literature and document analysis, empirical model development, and qualitative research (semi-structured interviews with producers and a case study of the film Vesper). Research results. The theoretical part establishes that successful export depends on the interaction between the target market environment (cinema policy, subsidies, cultural distance) and strategic product resources (genre, language, co-production networking). Empirical research revealed that the festival strategy (Scenario A) dominates in Lithuania, which is divided into three specific objectives: archiving (A.1), accumulation of symbolic capital (A.2), and establishment of the creators' name (A.3). It was also found that festivals act more as a target market environment for creators in a small country than as a resource controlled by producers. A case study of the film Vesper showed that a commercial strategy (scenario B) is possible through content hybridization, the choice of English as the language, and the attraction of private capital, using state support as a risk mitigation guarantee. After refining the model, the "golden mean" sought by producers is identified as a mixed strategy (scenario AB). In this strategy, festival recognition acts as a "quality mark" that allows symbolic capital to be converted into economic value in international markets. Recommendations. The Lithuanian Film Centre is recommended to create a systematic distribution support mechanism, reducing the "distribution gap", while producers are recommended to increase the internationalisation of film products through various tools and to seek alternative sources of funding outside the subsidy system. Keywords: cinema, export strategies, distribution strategies, small countries, value chain, co-production, symbolic capital, soft power. |
