Distrify has struck a partnership with the British Film Institute to set up an online platform for the BFI Production Board Collection, offering global audiences the chance to see films that are part of the collection. In all, the Collection includes 300 films that were co-funded by the BFI from 1950-2000, as well as short films acquired after 2000.

Titles include works by Alfred Hitchcock, Peter Greenaway, Derek Jarman, Terence Davies [pictured], Bill Douglas and others.

The offerings are online at http://bfi.muvies.com.

Distrify, founded in Scotland by Peter Gerard and Andy Green, offers a unique viral film sales model — its video player embeds directly into social media sites to offer users paid-for VOD.

“You can choose to follow the recommendations of your favourite film critic, or follow your friends’ favourites from the collection,” Gerard said. “Anyone can set up their own collection and share it with the world, earning kudos and cash for recommending films that you love. Imagine you discovered an amazing British film from the 1960s - you are going to tell your friends about it, and via Distrify, you earn cash for sharing it legally.”

“Rediscovering such wonderful classics is fantastic but it is the unseen films that really got our attention,” added Green. “As we started to look through the BFI catalogue it felt like we had found a lost treasure trove of wonderful British and world cinema that audiences would like to rediscover, or discover for the first time.”

“The BFI is delighted to able to use Distrify’s innovative platform and online sales tools to offer our back catalogue of features and shorts worldwide to today’s audiences,” says Peter Fydler, Head of B2B at the BFI.

The BFI deal builds on Distrify’s recently announced pacts with Creative Scotland, the Glasgow Film Theatre, the Edinburgh Film House and hometalkies.com.

 

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