Black film in International Light

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/business/media/steve-mcqueens-film-is-a-box-office-test-case.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

This week, I read this article centered on Steve McQueen's film, 12 Years a Slave.  The author talks about the film and the possibility that it may become an international hit.  On the one hand, U.S.-American black film usually does not make the international spotlight.  The article mentions that this may be because of lack of financial support and the idea that the black American experience may be too "remote" for populations outside of the states to relate.  Even award-worthy black films only get a fraction of their profits from the international market.

The hope for this film is that Steve McQueen's reputation will create hype around the film in England (his home country) as well as the rest of the U.K.  It's also mentioned in the article that Brad Pitt's role in the film will draw an international audience as well.

I know there are people who need to comment, so I'll leave this really open-ended.  Is there truth in the idea that the black-American experience is rather "remote" for international audiences?  Is this true for other cultural groups in the states (i.e. native americans, mormons)?  The article also mentions a lack of funding for black film. I can't help but wonder if there is a corelation between lack of funding for films that don't have much of an international audience or is that lack of funding a potential cause for the small international numbers?  Is it necessary to put an actor like Brad Pitt in a film like this to get global attention?