International Trade in Film and the Self-Sufficiency Ratio

Abstract

This study investigates the determinants of the self-sufficiency ratio, defined as the proportion of domestic films' share in gross box office revenues. The ordinary least squares analysis and error components model reveal that gross domestic product, box office revenue, and some measures of cultural distance from the United States primarily explain the variations in self-sufficiency ratios across countries. The dummy variable for English-speaking countries provides no explanatory power.