A new online film platform has emerged with the intention of drawing audiences to new independent movies – both shorts and features – that have completed their film festival run.
Recognizing that, for many filmmakers, the biggest problem is not getting paid, it’s getting discovered. Cinema Zero has decided to try and tackle the problem, and is looking to turn the invisible filmmaker into a recognized independent filmmaker.
Modeled after some of the finest film theaters around the world, the idea of cinema-zero.com is simple; to show one film at a time across a limited number of days. When a film screens, it takes over the site, and is instantly playable from the first page. The films are completely free for fans to enjoy during their limited runs, and even better, filmmakers are not charged to submit their film, or even to have it programmed.
Cinema Zero is being run as a non-profit joint operation between New York City based production company Project Bootleg- projectbootleg.com – and Edinburgh, Scotland based film blog, Write Shoot Cut – write-shoot-cut.com.
In addition, the site is devoid of any advertising, allowing for a clean and frictionless experience to enjoy the latest film hosted on the site.
Running a curated program, Cinema Zero plans to bring attention to the finest independent films as they navigate the uncertain period between festival screenings and eventual distribution.
Each screening run is also backed by a video (and soon audio) interview with the filmmakers themselves, bringing fans closer to the film.
And in addition to hosting the films, Cinema Zero provides raw data to the filmmakers, which shows the number of views and just where their film was most popular – information which can prove invaluable when presenting to potential distributors.
The first film, the award-winning black comedy Weekend Retreat, went live on Thursday, April 4th 2014, and in the first few days has garnered hundreds of views from around the globe. The film is set to run until Sunday, April 13th.
More films are currently being programmed, and submissions are open to filmmakers via the site. You can find out more at cinema-zero.com
Excerpts from Press Release
