FilmBuff

The FCC announced late Friday that they would make it much easier for Hollywood studios to release first-run films directly via cable VOD. The MPAA (which includes the six major movie studios) made the request, much to the dismay of the National Association of Theatre Owners. The Wrap has more on the decision, and what it could mean for both consumers and creators.

Recently, I went to Estia's in Sag Harbor to have a quick breakfast snack. In the corner of the small cafe, I noticed two men enjoying their breakfast along with some reading material. One of the men had his Sunday New York Times print edition, a mountain of read and unread sections sitting on the table, as he sifted through whatever stories interested him. The other man was reading the New York Times via his iPad. He was able to skim, browse, and devour all sections without clutter. Seemingly, the iPad man was able to read whatever he desired, just as easily as the print man. [READ MORE]

FilmBuff and Babelgum are pleased to announce the release of Chicago trading floor documentary FLOORED, to debut worldwide on Monday May 10. [READ MORE]

At FilmBuff, we love our filmmakers just as much as we love digital distribution.  So when Jon Reiss suggested a weekly blog segment offering readers tips on how to spread the digital word, we got very excited.

Each week we'll post his tips.  We welcome your comments and look forward to reading Jon's wisdom.  We also recommend you check out Jon's acclaimed graffiti and street art film BOMB IT.  Enjoy! [READ MORE]

In my first blog post, I wrote about some of the quirks of my cable-less life.  Since cutting the cord over a year ago, I've been evangelical on the virtues of getting my entertainment exclusively on-demand, through Apple and Netflix systems.  Yet, I've never craved cable more than I do right now. [READ MORE]

At FilmBuff, we love our filmmakers just as much as we love digital distribution.  So when Jon Reiss suggested a weekly blog segment offering readers tips on how to spread the digital word, we got very excited.

Each Thursday we'll post his tips.  We welcome your comments and look forward to reading Jon's wisdom.  We also recommend you check out Jon's acclaimed graffiti and street art film BOMB IT.  Enjoy!  [READ MORE]

To mark the start of baseball season and the launch of his film, this week's FilmBuff Guest Blogger is Jonathan Hock, director of LOST SON OF HAVANA.  The film is available currently as an Amazon VOD exclusive. [READ MORE]

Walt Mossberg from The Wall Street Journal takes a look at a new Web platform for Web-to-TV streaming: Kylo. The makers of Kylo have also developed a handheld remote control, called the Loop. Think of this like Boxee but instead of the box, you're still using your computer but now have a friendly controller for navigation. While these new services impress Mossberg, he still has reservations: [READ MORE]

We're all pleased as hell over here that Sally Potter's experimental drama, Rage, has received a Webby Award nomination this week. FilmBuff released the project (which premiered in a feature format during the 2009 Berlin Film Festival) as a web series on Babelgum. The project stars Jude Law, Judi Dench, Eddie Izzard, Steve Buscemi, Dianne Weist, and more in a tale of a high-profile fashion show gone wrong. Rage is both an unconventional thriller (all taking place through interviews) as well as a provocative statement on the world of fashion. In a unique move, we also did a DVD deal with Liberation Entertainment last summer, who released the feature version on DVD. The news of the Webby nomination is great, and be sure to give us your vote, if you're so inclined. We face some tough competition in the Drama category, particularly from the popular Crackle series The Bannen Way, but we'll put up a fight. Congrats to the folks at Babelgum for making the Webby nomination possible, and of course, congrats to the Rage creative team.

This past Friday, I spoke on a "State of the Doc" panel at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina. (READ MORE)