StudioCanal has reported that turnover from cinema-related activities increased by 90.5% in the nine months to September 31 to Euros236.6m, compared to Euros124.2m during the same period last year.

The growth was mainly due to German distribution arm Tobis which contributed Euros24.1m and French distribution subsidiary Bac Distribution, which contributed Euro35.4m.

Sales of current titles jumped 65%, while library sales grew by 11.5%, 42% of total sales deriving from foreign markets.

The success of two titles in which StudioCanal is involved - Chicken Run, through its partnership with Pathe, C+P, and Billy Elliot, through its co-financing deal with Working Title - also contributed to this growth.

Although television-related sales decreased 73.7%, following the folding of StudioCanal's television production and distribution arm Ellipse programmes into the Expand group in April this year, StudioCanal's global sales increased 33.5% during the first nine months of 2000, to Euros263.9m, compared to Euros197.7m the previous year.