inDplay and b-side Team to Revolutionize the Discovery and Monetization of Festival Films

SAN FRANCISCO & AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--inDplay, the world’s first online marketplace for film and television content, forged a deal with b-side, the provider of technology and data services that connect audiences with independent films. With this agreement, inDplay’s large global network of distributors will tap b-side’s film festival audience analytics as they evaluate and acquire film rights, enabling thousands of undiscovered films to generate revenues globally across theater screens, home video distribution channels, traditional and IP TV sets, mobile devices and the Internet.

“This partnership is exciting for filmmakers and distributors, because it will enable us to identify more films that people will really enjoy and select the ones that are right for our programming. It changes the game for everyone.”

Over the past two years, b-side has built branded online communities for IFC TV and over 70 international film festivals, a position that has allowed the company to amass deep insight into audience opinions about undistributed festival films. InDplay’s proprietary online film and television content marketplace makes it easy for producers and agents to offer their films to a global network of distributors, and for distributors to identify and source desirable titles. Both parties negotiate deals in a ‘friction free’ marketplace then execute contracts with the click of a button. By joining forces, the two companies will deliver a breakthrough solution that can best be described as “Nielsen Ratings meets eBay” for festival films.

Of the roughly 15,000 films that screen annually at over 2,000 film festivals worldwide, only a small fraction are ever seen by distributors outside of high profile festivals like Sundance or the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival. As a result, thousands of commercially viable films remain trapped in obscurity, effectively hidden from buyers and broader audiences.

In an industry first, b-side’s festival audience analytics will reveal the commercial viability of these “untapped” films to distributors on the inDplay platform. According to b-side founder and CEO Chris Hyams, “We have built a database of market intelligence from over 2 million audience members for over 10,000 festival films. We know which films resonate most with festival audiences, and which ones are slipping through the cracks, but until now this information hasn’t been available to distributors searching for quality titles.”

Goetz Weber, CEO of inDplay, adds, “The inDplay marketplace has already removed massive inefficiencies from the film distribution landscape. With the rich audience information that flows from b-side’s festival communities, we will now be able to help guide inDplay distributors to the titles most suitable to them.

“As film distributors, we are all looking to acquire the next ‘Napoleon Dynamite,’ but we have no way of gauging the potential marketability for the majority of films on the festival circuit each year,” said inDplay customer Vincent Peppe, VP of Digital Distribution at GameZnFlix (OTCBB: GZFX). “This partnership is exciting for filmmakers and distributors, because it will enable us to identify more films that people will really enjoy and select the ones that are right for our programming. It changes the game for everyone.”

About b-side

b-side Entertainment is a pioneering provider of advanced technology and data services that connect undiscovered festival films with audiences and financial success. From technology and advertising partnerships with IFC and over 70 international film festivals, to its bside.com online film marketplace, to unprecedented audience analytics that uncover thousands of commercially viable festival movies, b-side is enabling a breakthrough economic model that benefits filmmakers, content distributors and audiences alike. For more information on b-side, visit: www.bside.com/about. To explore current films in our marketplace, visit: www.bside.com/films.

About inDplay

inDplay, Inc., a privately-held company based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is an online marketplace for professionally produced film, TV, and video content. inDplay also provides ancillary services and tools for distributors (such as acquisition and sales executives), content libraries, and filmmakers. inDplay’s online exchange allows content producers and owners to offer syndication and licensing rights to distributors and programmers in a safe environment where the content can be discovered, matched and licensed without risks of revealing sensitive information about either party’s business until the deal is closed. Licensing and content is available for a variety of platforms, and in a variety of flexible formats – from HDTV to mobile video or theater quality film content – for combinations of domestic and international distribution. www.inDplay.com

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