In this final programme, Mark Kermode considers the business of showing films. The route from script to finance to screen can be a long one - but then it all comes down to one nervous opening weekend. Marketing may convince us of a film's merit but, one comment on social media can ruin even the most inventive campaign. Film festivals are vital for launching a film. The Autumn festival season is where artistic creators battle for the first showing of the most talked about films. For many...

Close to 700 movies opened in the UK last year. Blockbusters, franchises, documentaries, debuts, experiments, low-budget indies and beyond. It's never been easier to make a film and it's said there is an audience for everything. But what is the likely size of that audience? In the second part of this series, film critic Mark Kermode talks to the film financiers and the distributors. According to the head of Film Four, David Kosse, the film industry is a "break-even business" - the trick is...

Film critic Mark Kermode reveals the economic realities behind the film industry. In the first part of the series, Mark finds out about the journey from script to screen - a path littered with obstacles. Many films languish in so-called "Development Hell", where producers turn in scripts, listen to conflicting opinions and resubmit their storylines hoping for a magical green light. Some will make it, such as Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin which took 13 years to get to the screen. Others,...