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Exports of UK films fell last year, figures show, with a 23% drop in the industry's surplus.
Film exports fell from £700m in 2001 to £657m last year, according to the Office of National Statistics.
Imports rose slightly from £456m to £470m, giving the UK film industry a net surplus of £187m.
This positive balance contrasted with the UK's television industry, which was shown to have a net deficit of £553m last year.
The US was the UK's biggest customer, accounting for 49% of UK film exports in 2002, a 1% rise on the previous year.
Meanwhile Europe represented almost 40% of exports, a 5% rise on 2001, while Asia was just under 10%.
Biggest source
The US was also by far the biggest source of imported films, representing 66% of the films bought by the UK in 2002, a rise of 5%.
European films were the second most popular imports at 31%, a rise of 13%.
In terms of film production, the figures showed there was less inward investment into the UK last year.
Nevertheless there was a sharp rise in payments to UK film companies for work overseas.
Receipts from abroad for the production of films in the UK slipped 4% to £222m, while payments for production work overseas rose from £50m in 2001 to £67m.
The latest James Bond film Die Another Day and Lara Croft and the Cradle Of Life were among films produced in the UK last year.
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