The role of distributors in the development of digital cinema is the subject of a London conference this month, organised by analyst Screen Digest and the European Digital Cinema Forum.

The event - Digital cinema and film distribution: opportunities and threats - will be in the form of a series of workshops held at the National Film Theatre on the South Bank on April 16.

The organisers say most of the emphasis in the discussion of digital cinema so far has been on the exhibitors.

The London event will take on the issues for distibrution. Panel moderators include Screen Digest senior analyst David Hancock, EDCF president Dave Monk, and UK Film Council head of exhibition and distribution Peter Buckingham.

It will be opened by UK film minister Margaret Hodge.

The event is supported by the international distributors body the FIAD, the Film Distributors Association, the UK Film Council, Arts Alliance, Christie and Technicolor.