A film release is the stage at which a completed film

Film

A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

 is legally authorized by its owner for public distribution

Film distributor

A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...

.

The process includes locating a distributor to handle the film. For example, a film may be shown at a film festival or trade show

Trade fair

A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...

 in order to attract distributor attention and, if successful, may then be released through a chosen distributor.

See also

• Wide release
  Wide release
  Wide release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing nationally . Specifically, a movie is considered to be in wide release when it is on 600 screens or more in the United States and Canada.In the US, films holding an NC-17 rating almost never have a...
  
  
• Roadshow theatrical release
  Roadshow theatrical release
  A roadshow theatrical release was a term in the American motion picture industry for a practice in which a film opened in a limited number of theaters in large cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco for a specific period of time before the...
  
  
• Limited release
  Limited release
  Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
  
  
• Delayed release
  Delayed release
  A delayed release or late release refers to the relatively late release of a product to the public.-In film:In the film industry a release can be postponed due to the sometimes difficult transition of the production and/or post-production to the sales and distribution phase of the film production...
  
  
• Music release