According to figures released today by the Film Distributor's Association, an average of ten films a week were released in the UK last year (505 up from 467) with a print-and-advertising spend of $588.6 million (£300m) in 2006.

The UK 's 2006 box-office return was equivalent to that of 2005 at $1505 million (£767m) - $1649m (£840m) including the Republic of Ireland. Of the tickets sold, one in six were for animated features while one in eight were for the two top blockbusters Casino Royale and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. The films made over $98 million (£50m) each, placing both into the UK's all-time top ten, which is headed by Titanic at $135m (£69m in 1998).

The UK represents a diverse market, with four out of 53 Bollywood features earning over $1.96 million (£1m). The top foreign film earner was Pedro Almodovar's Volver at $5.5 million (£2.8m).

To inspire the public toward sampling an even greater range of cinematic product, the FDA has created a new platform for UK distributors, based on models previously used in the television industry. New season launches will showcase the next three months' releases to an invited audience of journalists and editors. The first of these will take place on March 7.

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