For the First Time Ever, Movie-Goers Anywhere in the U.S. Will be Able to See New Indie Titles
Gigantic Digital Will Premiere First-Run Films Online Ad-Free, In High-Res Streaming Video
NEW YORK, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ — For the first time ever, audiences will be able to see first-run independent movie releases everywhere in the United States. New York-based film company Gigantic Releasing is changing the face of U.S. indie film distribution with today’s launch of Gigantic Digital (https://www.giganticdigital.com). The website will enable anyone in the US with a broadband connection to access Gigantic’s first-run feature films in markets where there is no theatrical distribution. Releases will go up “day-and-date” with theatrical openings in major markets. The announcement was made by Gigantic’s CEO Brian Devine and Gigantic Releasing president Mark Lipsky.
Independent titles have been distributed in the same way for decades, with cost and technology restricting their availability to only a small number of cities. “Whole swaths of this country have been left out of the excitement of discovering new movies beyond the usual Hollywood fare,” says Lipsky, a veteran film executive known for innovative marketing.
“Gigantic Releasing is bringing the digital revolution to this sector of the film business,” continues Lipsky. “Not only will movie lovers be able to see films while they are still new, but we are bringing back the ability to grow a film’s audience through world-of-mouth, a currency that has been lost to the rapid turnaround now plaguing art-house theaters,” says Lipsky.
Movies will come from Gigantic Releasing’s growing slate of acquisitions, as well as from partnerships with independent filmmakers. The online ticket price for each film is $2.99 for unlimited 3-day access. The site will also offer free content from Gigantic’s existing library of narrative and documentary short content. In addition, the site encourages filmmakers to submit their own films for consideration.
Lipsky emphasizes, “We are going for the best movie experience you can have online. The picture quality is far superior to most other streaming sites today, the ticket price is utterly affordable, and there will be absolutely no advertising to get in the way of the film-going experience.” Gigantic Digital is unlike other emerging sites showing films online. Explains Lipsky, “We are not simply ad salesmen aggregating content. We’re an actual film distribution company doing what distributors have always done. We seek out and acquire movies for which we believe there is an audience, and we work tirelessly to market and promote those films. Now, by enabling first-run national access, we will be dramatically expanding the market as well as reinvigorating the existing audience for independent fare.”
Available on Gigantic Digital beginning today are David Kaplan’s “Year of the Fish” (“A ‘Cinderella’ story with imagination, charm and just the right amount of sweetness”- Jeanette Catsoulis, The New York Times) and Wayne Price’s “The Doorman” (“Hilariously preposterous…Irresistible”–Bob Mondello, NPR). Filmgoers can experience the new site on both PCs and Macs using any of the leading browsers.
The site will adjust dynamically to an individual’s available bandwidth and, though quality will improve with higher available speeds, viewers will experience exceptional picture and sound quality even toward the lower end of the broadband spectrum. Brian Devine notes, “The writing has been on the wall for traditional distribution of independent film for a long time. We are taking a new approach that respects our audiences and bypasses the bottlenecks that have been choking off many indie films from reaching their audiences.
We will now reach an unprecedented number of potential movie-goers with theatrical releases whether or not they’re located nearby an art-house cinema, whether or not they subscribe to cable or satellite TV and whether or not their local video store carries anything beyond Hollywood hits.”
About Gigantic Releasing Gigantic Releasing opened its doors in January 2008, with the aim of bringing new thinking and new technology to independent film distribution. It is headed by Mark Lipsky, a noted marketing and distribution veteran who has held strategic executive positions at film companies including Miramax, Rainbow Media, Lot 47, as well as in online marketing and software development. Gigantic Releasing has two films in current release, “Year of the Fish” and “The Doorman,” and recently acquired the acclaimed documentary “Must Read After My Death” for early 2009 release.
Gigantic Releasing is one of four companies under the Gigantic banner, which also includes Gigantic Pictures a film/television producing and production-services arm with over 20 titles to its credit; record label Gigantic Music, which recently released The Walkmen’s Billboard-charting “You & Me”; and Gigantic Studios, a state of the art post-production facility slated to open in late 2008. Film producer and musician Brian Devine founded Gigantic in 1996 and continues to serve as CEO of its companies.
