Recorded Books has announced worldwide availability of IndieFlix for Libraries, an online streaming service that will offer access to independent films, shorts, and documentaries to library cardholders on computers, Android and iOS tablets and mobile devices, Roku, and later this year, PS3 and Xbox game consoles. Recorded Books and Seattle-based IndieFlix first announced their partnership in November 2012.
The service will offer patrons unlimited access to films screened at more than 2,000 film festivals worldwide. Users can search for titles or apply a variety of filters, such as genre, intended audience, or film festival, to find movies that will appeal to them. And soon, the service will feature a customized channels capability, which will allow users to create their own public or private channels, and will allow libraries to curate and recommend films from the service’s catalog, according to Scilla Andreen, CEO and Co-Founder of IndieFlix (see comments section below).
Each title also includes a text summary, along with a listing of cast, crew, and awards won. Interested libraries would pay a flat annual fee using a tiered pricing model based on total materials circulation.
“What’s lacking in independent films is distribution,” Jim Schmidt, vice president of business development for Recorded Books Digital, told LJ during a demo of the service this weekend at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Conference 2013. IndieFlix and its filmmakers have been enthusiastic about the partnership with RB and libraries, he explained, because the service will help get their work viewed by more people. Also, each time a film is viewed on the service, the film’s creators will receive revenue from IndieFlix via a pool of annual fees paid by libraries.
“The partnership allows library patrons worldwide to see films they normally would not have access to,” Andreen said in a press announcement. “That is what IndieFlix is all about, connecting people through. It’s a completely new model that removes the gatekeepers and compensates the filmmaker.”
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This is great. Thank you.
What’s really exciting is the customized channels functionality that is coming soon. This functionality will allow the libraries to curate and recommend films from festivals around the world while branding that particular library and of course help their card carrying members find great films. It’s a great way for anyone to discover content and support independent filmmakers. Individual users will also be able to create their own channels to make public or keep private.
Thanks for commenting, Scilla! I will add a portion of this to the story to make it more visible.
This would be a tremendous serrvice at our library. Because of budget restraints we can’t order the volume we used to, especially little known foreign indepentdent films. Having downloads on demand instead of DVDs means less handling and no damages.
This is really great, thanks for sharing!